30 Gestational Diabetes Tips + Products to Make Your Life Easier
Having Gestational Diabetes is hard! It’s an added complication and stressor at a time that (while wonderful and life-affirming) can be overwhelming and challenging even without gestational diabetes. Over my pregnancy I found these gestational diabetes tips and products to make life easier for me and I’m excited to share them with you today!!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I will always be honest about what I like and use, whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
My Favorite Gestational Diabetes Products
My Favorite Food + Kitchen Products
- This organic protein powder for smoothies! It has only 3g of net carbs! Smoothies are quick, filling and oh so delicious for breakfast or a snack or when you don’t feel like eating!
- A reliable blender for making said smoothies! I love ones with carrying cups! I still drink a healthy protein smoothie almost every day!
- This Gestational Diabetes Real Food Cookbook is super helpful!!
- Keep sprouted grain bread and low carb wraps on hand for simple lunches!
- Elevate Low Carb Bars from Aldi — I swear hand to heart these bars taste like a Snickers bar. The Caramel nut one is my favorite! These would be similar I think if you don’t have an Aldi close by!
- La Croix or Bubly Carbonated Water — No carbs, no artificial anything, no sugar or aspartame, no caffeine. If you don’t think you can pry away from regular soda this is the flavor that converted my Dr. Pepper loving husband!
- Resuable Straws like these glass or silicone ones — Great for smoothies or increasing water consumption! I love drinking out of straws!
- Although I find many of my favorite Gestational Diabetes meal ideas online, this is a great cookbook and resource!
Related: Gestational Diabetes Meal Ideas
My Favorite Healthy Lifestyle Products
- An insulated water cup with straw — This helped me stay hydrated all summer long!
- Shaker cup for doing a quick protein drink.
- Prenatal workout dvds — I alternated between Prenatal Physique and Barre Workout dvds! (I’ve tried a lot and these are my favorites!)
- An exercise ball — This comes in handy for positioning the baby (I bounced on a ball to help reposition two of my babies), laboring, and bouncing a fussy baby after their born. I still use mine to workout with so it’s been a great purchase!
- Prenatal Vitamin with DHA — You probably already have this but just in case! If you struggle to swallow or stomach regular pills during pregnancy these gummy prenatals are awesome!
Related: 10 Healthy Pregnancy Must-Haves
My Favorite Maternity Clothes
- These are my all-time favorite maternity activewear leggings. I may still wear them 2.5 years later when I’m in a pinch. 😆
- These are great basic activewear maternity tops!
- Or you can go with a flowy yoga top in a size up! I’m a fan of activewear when pregnancy because I like to be comfy and cool when I’m feeling big and sweaty.
- A good pair of walking shoes — My favorite brand that’s cute and comfy!
- If you happen to experience swelling in your calves and feet while pregnant these cute compression socks will be a lifesaver!
Medication and Tracking for Gestational Diabetes
- I’d love for you to subscribe to my email list above and get my free printable Gestational Diabetes tracker, but if you would like an actual book this one is a great choice! It doesn’t have specific spots for blood sugar numbers, but there is room enough to record them! Or you could simply grab a cute flamingo binder and print your own sheets from my printable! Either way keeping track of your sugar numbers and what made them spike or drop is important!
- Container for storing used needles and sticks from testing.
- Unicorn bandaids just in case you over-poke!
- Of course you will need a blood sugar tracker, strips, sharps, and alcohol cleaning wipes, but those came from my insurance company and were automatically refilled by them as well. You will probably need a specific brand designated from your insurance so don’t bother ordering one online until you meet with your doctor and nutritionist care team.
My Top Gestational Diabetes Tips
- Keep calm and carry on. I remember when my Gestational Diabetes diagnosis made me want to crawl into bed and not come back out. I think I did that and cried for awhile and then you just put on your big girl panties and deal with it. It’s your reality and ignoring the truth doesn’t make it untrue! Stress is not good for your baby, so deep breath, you’ve got this, mama!
- You will make mistakes. I can remember one date night where I just killed the chip basket and as a result had a high glucose number after dinner. My doctor told me I was human and that she was more interested in trends than spikes. So don’t do that often, but you will probably forget a pill or to take a blood sugar reading right 2 hours after.
- Take a walk. Walking is your secret weapon during gestational diabetes! If I ever over ate or over ate carbs I would immediately set out on a 30 minute walk. This is because exercise burns blood glucose in your body thus lowering your blood sugar levels. Walking is also great for lowering stress!
- This isn’t your fault. It’s so easy to feel that way when you have gestational diabetes! The what-ifs can ben overwhelming, so don’t over google. Trust your doctor and do what he/she prescribes. Also, needing insulin or medication to help keep your blood sugars low does not mean that you have failed and is not your fault. It’s an additional measure to keep you healthy. And when this occurs cycle back to Step 1.
- Someday this will be a little more than a blip. I thought about Gestational diabetes, what to eat, what not to eat, what my numbers were, if I would be okay, if my son would be okay every day, multiple times a day for 28 weeks. But today Gestational Diabetes rarely crosses my mind. It has no bearing on my sweet, cuddly, two year old’s life at all. I promise you will get through this and someday it will be a distant memory.
Did you miss these any of these posts on Gestational Diabetes?
- Finding Out I Had Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes FAQs and Diet
- Gestational Diabetes Meal Ideas
- My Gestational Diabetes Birth Story (Griffin’s Birth Story)
There is so much overwhelming information about gestational diabetes, but in my experience, not many personal stories and experiences. I hope these Gestational Diabetes tips and products make your gestational diabetes journey easier and wish you joy and peace on your pregnancy journey!
Don’t forget to sign up for the Gestational Diabetes Tracker!!
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