When I was pregnant with my son, like all expectant moms, I took the infamous super-sweet orange juice test to determine if I had gestational diabetes. For those of you who haven’t gone through this yet: at 28 weeks, you’ll have to arrive at the hospital very early in the morning, having fasted since midnight. That’s when they’ll draw your blood, and then you’ll have to drink what feels like undiluted orangeade. You’ll have five minutes to down that disgusting yet delicious concoction, and then you’ll have to wait around for an hour in the waiting room. Blood test #2. Another hour of waiting, blood test #3, and: “All good, sweetie—you can go grab a bite to eat before you collapse in the lobby… Take this chance to treat yourself to a nice banana-chocolate crepe. It might be the last time you get to do that before you give birth…”
That’s exactly what happened to me. An insulin shot before bed, a pretty strict diet during the day… Nothing to curb my cravings for pasta and fries! But hey, once the placenta is delivered, everything’s sorted for most of us. In the end, it was only 12 weeks… it went by fast.
Except that now, pregnant with baby #2, I was tested at 13 weeks… And the diagnosis was the same as with my son—same diet and same treatment. Only, it’s not 12 weeks of deprivation—it’s 27… 27!!!!!!!!
You’ve got to look on the bright side: weight gain? Nonexistent. In fact, I’m losing weight. No surprise there: no alcohol for 12 weeks already, no sugar, no desserts, and reduced portions (if not practically nonexistent) of pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and so on! (You get the picture…)
For 27 weeks, if you don’t want to end up eating the same thing all the time, you have to get creative and do some research. That’s how I found three really interesting alternatives I wanted to share. However, you can’t be allergic to eggs (seriously, without eggs, I don’t know how I’d manage!)
Eggs Benedict. I love Eggs Benedict, but since it’s high in fat, the pancreas has an even harder time “filtering” sugar from the blood. (In this case, it’s the English muffin.) Replace the muffin with an avocado: super filling and delicious! Oh, I almost forgot…. You’ve got to find an alternative to breakfast potatoes—or at least limit yourself to just a few!
Hamburgers, fajitas, tacos, etc. Replace the buns with large iceberg lettuce leaves. It’s not exactly elegant when you’re eating, though… Let’s just say lettuce is a bit more delicate than bread, but it does the job of holding all the ingredients together. And everything inside is “carb-free!”
Pizza. 1/8 of a pizza equals one serving of carbs. Let’s just say that’s not exactly going to fill you up. I found a really, really interesting alternative. It’s also super easy! Grate a head of cauliflower until the florets are finely shredded (or resemble couscous). Add a tablespoon of salt and let it sit for 20 minutes to drain the water. After draining the water, mix in 1 egg, ¼ cup of Parmesan, a little garlic powder, and dried hot peppers (if you like it a little spicy), then mix everything together to form a dough-like consistency that you can spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll end up with a beautiful pizza crust ready to top with whatever toppings you like, then return it to the oven for about ten minutes.
So, moms-to-be with diabetes, don’t give up! You’ll be able to make up for it once you give birth. In the meantime, enjoy your meal!