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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

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Ramadan and gestational diabetes
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32-36 weeks

32-36 weeks red plastic figure with worried looking face

Blood sugar levels Featured Posts GD Basics

32 – 36 weeks, the toughest time for most

31st October 20169th January 2021 Jo Paterson 32-36 weeks, high blood sugar levels, high readings, insulin resistance worsening, toughest time

32 – 36 weeks the toughest time… My levels have gone crazy?! Between 32 – 36 weeks are what we know

Just diagnosed

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gestational_diabetes_uk

Fasting levels are the HARDEST ones to control He

Fasting levels are the HARDEST ones to control

Here are a few things that are worth trying:
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It is a slight misconception that NOTHING impacts fasting levels and that it’s purely down to hormones, as there ARE a few things that can contribute to raised fasting levels:-
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🍏What you ate earlier in the evening
⏰When you last ate
💧Hydration levels
😴How well you sleep
☀️The ‘Dawn Phenomenon’
📈The ‘Somogyi Effect’
😫 Stress
🤒 Illness

Swipe to see all the infographics 👉🏻 there’s also a glimpse of my own high fasting levels and the rapid increases in insulin doses that I needed to make in my third GD pregnancy 😖
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However, it’s important to understand that fasting levels are the HARDEST levels to manage and you should not feel upset or disheartened if you cannot lower fasting levels enough and require meds and/or insulin to help lower them. Many of us (including myself) just need that extra help and THAT’S OK 👌🏻
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For more information please see the link in bio @gestational_diabetes_uk and find the ‘fasting levels’ link to read my full post
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#FastingLevels #HighFastingLevels #dawnphenomenon #somogyieffect
#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #BGLevels #FastingGlucose #AppleCiderVinegar #BedtimeSnack #MyoInositol #highproteinsnack

Tuna Niçoise salad 🥗 🐟 🥚 What are you ha

Tuna Niçoise salad 🥗 🐟 🥚 What are you having for lunch?

#JosGDRecipes #TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetesFood #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GestationalDiabetesLunch #GestationalDiabetesMeals #GDFoodPairing #8GoldenRules #DiabeticPregnancy #TunaNicoise #TunaNiçoise #TunaNicoiseSalad #TunaNiçoiseSalad

Monday Motivation! Let’s hope the only stabbing

Monday Motivation! Let’s hope the only stabbing you’re doing is your own poor pinkies ✋🏽 🩸

Happy Monday everyone!

#MondayMotivation #YouGotThis #WeCanDoThis #GestationalDiabetesSucks #GestationalDiabetes #GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetesSupport

Image credit to @sweatpantsandcoffee 🤎 ☕️

Sunday Brunch? Don’t mind if I do! Wholemeal pi

Sunday Brunch? Don’t mind if I do!

Wholemeal pitta pocket packed with avocado, chicken sausages, streaky bacon, sausage meat, mushrooms and fried egg 🍳 YUM!

#JosGDRecipes #TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #SundayBrunch #GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GestationalDiabetesFood #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes

It used to be a paid membership page on the GD UK

It used to be a paid membership page on the GD UK website, but I’ve spent some time rewriting this page to launch as a new FREE page for all to access
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A guide to choosing takeaways with gestational diabetes
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https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/takeaways/

Happy Saturday ladies 😘
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #DiabeticPregnancy #Type2Pregnancy #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

Posted @withregram • @mentalhealth_midwife ⭐️ S T O P ⭐️
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Take 30 seconds to follow these instructions. It’s amazing how a few little physical changes can release some of the tension we hold in our bodies. Even during something as simple as scrolling through @instagram ! Do you feel a little better for doing this? Click save and use when you need to reset!
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🎥 @mellow.doodles (such a great account, check it out)
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#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #maternalmentalhealth #perinatalmentalhealth #perinatalpositivity #pregnancy #birth #pnd #anxiety #anxietyawareness #anxietyinpregnancy #depressionawareness #depressioninpregnancy #antenatal #prenatal #postnatal #postpartum #newmum #mumsmentalhealth #dadsmentalhealth #maternalocd #birthfear #birthtrauma #stress #tension

Some of you may love this, others may run a mile!

Some of you may love this, others may run a mile! But there’s no doubting that this is a power house of a meal/snack during pregnancy and it’s economical too!
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Sardines in tomato sauce on buttered seeded sour dough bread with a little salad 🐟 🍅
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This little 90g tin of sardines contains 1.8g carbs, a whopping 15.6g protein and 6.7g fat, with a HUGE 909mg Omega-3 💪🏻
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Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that must be consumed via diet or supplementation. They are vital building blocks of the fetal brain & retina and are associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcomes for the child. Omega-3 fatty acids may also play an important role in determining length of gestation & in preventing perinatal depression (Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy, Jaclyn M Coletta et. al, 2010)
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The results of large study comparing 70 RCTs of 19,927 women found reduced rates of preterm birth [< 37 wks] and very preterm birth[< 34 wks], reduced risk of perinatal death, of neonatal care admission, and reduced risk of low birth weight babies (Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy, Philippa Middleton et. al, 2018)
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Links to these 2 research studies can currently be found in the link in my bio (15/04/21)
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Note: recommendation for eating oily fish during pregnancy is a maximum of TWICE per week due to possible pollutants
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Oily fish are:
🐟 salmon
🐟 trout
🐟 mackerel
🐟 herring
🐟 sardines
🐟 tuna
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So who’s with me? 🙌🏼 Would you tuck into this?
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[ode to my Dad. Because my poppa bear LOVES pilchards on toast 🐟 ❤️]
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#pregnancy #pregnant #TodaysMealOnTheWall #HighRiskPregnancy #MumToBe #PregnantMummy #Preggo #Preggers #MamaToBe #InstaPregnancy #BabyOnBoard #PregnantLife #FutureMama #Mother #Mummy #Mama #MummyToBe #BabyOnTheWay #DiabeticPregnancy #GestationalDiabetes
#GestationalDiabetesDiet #PregnancyFood #FishInPregnancy #GestationalDiabetesFood #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #RealFoodForDiabetes #SardinesOnToast #CheapNutritionalFood #GoodFood
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This is my Creamy Coconut Basmati Rice Pudding or

This is my Creamy Coconut Basmati Rice Pudding or Kheer, a lightly spiced version of traditional rice pudding with cardamom. Slightly lower carb it uses basmati rice instead of traditional pudding rice, I wash the rice really well to remove as much starch as possible and I add plenty of full fat tinned coconut milk and cream to help to pair the carbs
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⚠️ Creamy coconut basmati rice pudding is higher carb than many of my other GD friendly puddings
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✋🏽 Please only try this recipe if you tolerate rice well
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You need to have tried rice with well-paired meals before giving this recipe a go as it is not as low carb as most of my other recipes and if you personally do not tolerate rice well then this would not be a suitable recipe for you
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🌰 🥜 🥥 This recipe benefits from extra pairing to play safe, adding nuts, seeds and extra cream will help make the rice pudding more tolerable
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www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/creamy-coconut-basmati-rice-pudding/
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If you like this recipe, or want to try a slow cooker version, try out my basmati rice pudding recipe
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www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/basmati-rice-pudding/
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#Kheer #BasmatiRicePudding #Ramadan #HappyRamadan #RecipesForRamadan #RamadanMubarak
#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

Hands up who’s been told by a partner, family me

Hands up who’s been told by a partner, family member, friend, or colleague not to worry about your blood glucose levels as ‘they’re not too high’, or ‘not that bad’?
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Something I see time and time again is mothers being told this and feeling confused about what’s right 😢
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Levels outside of pregnancy are different.
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Acceptable levels for people with diabetes who are not pregnant are higher and depending on how well controlled that persons blood glucose levels are can determine their thoughts/opinions on your levels and targets
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Just because your Type 2 Uncle gets levels in the teens and twenties, does not make it OK (it’s not going to be good for them either, but I’ll not get into that here)
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And because your friend who is Type 1 aims to be below 7.0mmol/L in the morning for a fasting level, it doesn’t mean your much lower target is not correct or that it’s an acceptable level for YOU
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It is purely down to the fact that you are growing a baby and these are the current levels that are deemed as safest to minimise effects of diabetes in pregnancy
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So if you get stuck with some ‘helpful’ 🙄 comments, ‘advice’ from a fellow pro person with diabetes, and/or judgement, it may be helpful to remind that person that you are growing a baby🤰🏻
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #DiabeticPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #Type2Pregnancy #Type1Pregnancy #MODYPregnancy #LADAPregnancy #PregnantDiabetic #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #PlusSizePregnancy #GeriatricPregnancy #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels

I’m so excited to see this post from @livlifebre

I’m so excited to see this post from @livlifebread that I had to share it on the grid too! Finally my favourite and best low carb bread is going to be stocked in 600 @coopuk stores! 🎉

I’ve contacted co op to see if they can confirm which stores will be stocking it as this should help so many of you find a bread that a majority will tolerate.

It is also stocked @waitrose and on @ocadouk but I know many of you and myself do not have Waitrose nearby and I’m in Scotland where Ocado don’t deliver 👎🏻

Come on @coopuk don’t let us down, #GDUKMums NEED Livlife bread in their shopping baskets and we’re relying on you! (No pressure 😉)

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/best-breads/

Head up to my link in bio @gestational_diabetes_uk

Head up to my link in bio @gestational_diabetes_uk to read about Ramadan, fasting in pregnancy and fasting with diabetes in pregnancy

Although pregnant women are exempt from fasting, many still choose to fast during Ramadan

It is individual choice as to whether a woman wishes to fast during Ramadan and this decision should be respected and supported with an understanding of that she should break the fast if feeling unwell

Find out what the evidence-based research has found in pregnant women who fast during Ramadan and some helpful videos and articles to make an informed decision over fasting this Ramadan 🌙

#ramadan #ramadan2021 #ramadanmubarak #ramadanpregnancy #ramadaninpregnancy #diabeticramadan #ramadananddiabetes #fastinginpregnancy #happyramadan🌙

This year Ramadan is expected to start 13th April

This year Ramadan is expected to start 13th April 2021. Ramadan is held during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a time for spiritual reflection, acts of charity and spending time with loved ones for Muslims all around the world
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It is also a month when many will fast as fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. This means not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset, allowing Muslims to devote themselves further to their faith
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Pregnant women are one of the groups whom are exempt from fasting if it poses a risk to their health, however some women still choose to fast
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Islamic law gives permission for pregnant and breastfeeding women to opt out of fasting if she fears that it will harm her health or the health of her baby. Missed days of fasting can be made up at a later date, or if this isn’t possible, a ‘fidyah’ can be paid by providing food for someone in poverty for every missed day of fasting
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During Ramadan and gestational diabetes in pregnancy, it is highly advisable to seek advice from your diabetic team and dietitian before making the decision over whether it would be safe for you to fast or not
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According to the Muslim Council of Britain, they state you are high risk if you have diabetes and are pregnant, and they advise not to fast
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Following a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, or with diabetes in pregnancy, the best way we have found to gain good control of blood glucose levels is to eat little and often. One problem we see often is where mothers leave too long between meals and snacks, blood glucose levels drop low and the liver dumps stored glucose into the bloodstream to raise blood glucose levels back up. For those with diabetes this can mean spikes in blood glucose levels and the dropping and spiking of blood glucose can make the mother feel quite unwell, dizzy and tired
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To read more about Ramadan and fasting in pregnancy with GDM including what the evidence-based research says, take a look @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/ramadan-and-gestational-diabetes/
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Ramadan Mubarak ☪️
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#Ramadan #Ramadan2021 #RamadanMubarak #RamadanInPregnancy #FastingInPregnancy #DiabeticRamadan #GestationalDiabetes #GD #GDM #GDUKMums

We see a lot of questions in our Facebook support

We see a lot of questions in our Facebook support group about baby’s movements with gestational diabetes
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❤️ Movements of your baby are a sign that everything is well
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🤰🏾If you experience reduced movements OR a change in your baby’s movements, INCLUDING increased movements then you should seek medical advice immediately from your maternity assessment unit 👩🏽‍⚕️
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💗 @kicks.count say:
“Reduced fetal movement can be a sign that the baby is in distress although this is not the only cause.
2 out of 3 mums who have a stillbirth say they noticed their baby’s movements slow down beforehand. It is therefore important that all cases of reduced movement are reported to your midwife or maternity unit.”
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🩸With gestational diabetes you may notice differences in baby’s movements when your BG levels are high OR low.
✅ These changes and differences should ALWAYS still be checked. Don’t just sit back and presume all is well just because your levels are high/low
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❗️With gestational diabetes we have a higher risk of early placenta deterioration / placenta insufficiency. One of the possible symptoms of this is reduced or changes in movements.
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✅ Always play safe and get checked out. You are never wasting anyone’s time, just to call to be seen and get checked 💜
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Read the full article @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/reduced-movements/
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #KicksCount #BabysMovements #DecreasedMovements #IncreasedMovements #PlacentaInsuffiency #PlacentaCalcification #AgingPlacenta #PlacentaDeterioration #GetCheckedOut #DontWait
#GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #PlusSizePregnancy #GeriatricPregnancy #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels

You CAN do this! If you fall off that GD diet wa

You CAN do this!

If you fall off that GD diet wagon, then brush yourself off and jump straight back on. Don’t wait for a new day, new week, do it NOW xx

https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/falling-off-the-wagon/

#gestationaldiabetes #gdukmums #gestationaldiabetesuk #diabeticpregnancy

The question that gets the MOST... Can I eat x, y

The question that gets the MOST... Can I eat x, y and z?
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After over 6 years of helping GD Mums I’ve learned it can mean very different things:
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🤰🏾The person genuinely wants advice around what food to eat to achieve good blood glucose levels. This person is going to take on the advice given and appreciates the help & support 😊
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🤰🏽The person wants to try something that may be more risky for blood glucose levels and wants to see how many other people have gotten on with it. Quite often sound advice may be ignored in favour of the odd comment that suggests it’ll be ok to eat 🤔
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🤰🏻The person wants permission and agreement to eat something that they know isn’t a good choice with diabetes but wants to find other people who may have gotten away with it and they’re going to eat it regardless despite any advice given 😑
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The answer to can I eat x, y and z is YES!, always yes, because you can eat whatever you like. It’s YOUR body and YOUR baby. You don’t need anyone’s permission or agreement to eat something
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However, if you’re asking if something is a wise choice to eat when you have GDM, or if it’s likely to spike blood glucose levels, then this is different
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If your mental health is struggling to the point that you cannot cope without eating a bar of dairy milk unpaired, then you have to weigh up the pros and cons and make a decision [it’s one bar of chocolate, it’s not the worst thing you could eat. Will you be able to eat it and move on or will it lead to risking more ‘treats’ because you can’t cope without them, and possibly completely falling off the GD wagon? Remember this isn’t forever!]
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If you knowingly want to eat something that will more than likely cause spikes in blood glucose levels and then it results in sky high levels, feeling unwell, baby kicking like crazy having a hyper, or a big crash in levels and then feelings of shame and guilt then STOP. Take a breath. Read through my post ‘falling off the GD wagon’ @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/falling-off-the-wagon/ drink lots of water, go for a walk and get right back on that wagon
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And remember you CAN do this. This isn’t forever and you’re doing it for that little sugar baby’s sake ❤️

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