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Writer's pictureGosia Sojka

Naturopathic way to support gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes affects 2-10% of pregnant women who did not have diabetes before. It can bring some risks to the mother and the baby so an accurate management of the the gestational diabetes can help to avoid the complications.


There are few potential risks of gestational diabetes:

  • Large birth weight babies and increased risk of shoulder dystocia and other birth traumas (including brachial plexus injury)

  • Higher rate of Caesarean section

  • Postnatal infant hypoglycemia

  • Increased risk of mother developing Type II Diabetes


Here are some of my favorite approaches to managing gestational diabetes, their aim is mainly to focus as much as possible on stabilizing blood sugar level during the day.


1. Eat regularly every 3 hours during the day, while doing it

  • You never get too hungry or let your blood sugar get too low.

  • You don’t have to eat huge portions, which could spike your blood sugar.

  • Your baby gets a consistent supply of nutrients throughout the day.


2. Eat real food - what do I mean by real food? It is a food grown by nature, least processed, so that you can name all of the ingredients. Avoid any addictive in the food. Chose whole grains instead of white flour.


3. Avoid any type of artificial sugar. No “white” foods – no white bread, white pasta, white rice. Avoid candies, cookies, cakes and other confections.


4. Do not have "naked" carbs - all carbohydrates you consume should be accompanied by other macronutrients like fats, proteins but also high level of fiber coming from vegetables. For example if you eat a banana it is better to have it together with a yogurt or handful of seeds than having a banana on it's own. So, instead of eating an apple by itself, “dress it up” with some peanut butter. If you have crackers, have them with cheese. If you’re having toast in the morning, make some eggs to go with it.


5. Keep the portions of the carbohydrates small - one slice of whole grain bread, one half cup of brown rice, one half cup of whole wheat or brown rice pasta, one half cup of quinoa, etc.


6. Increase fiber amount in your diet - vegetables, whole grains, grounded flax seed, beans and pulses are a great fiber sources and should accompany every meal which you have


7. Exercise and movement are great way to support blood sugar regulation, a walk before and after a meal gives also additional support for you.


8. Consider inositol - it is a supplement that can be used safely in pregnancy and has been found in studies to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease glucose levels.


Check out my free e-book for more information how to achieve optimized health for you and baby and thrive during pregnancy and postnatal period.













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