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Laura’s story – uncontrolled gestational diabetes

12th February 202112th February 2021 Jo Paterson birth stories, complications, real life stories, shoulder dystocia, uncontrolled blood glucose levels, uncontrolled gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes – a serious condition – a true life story of gestational diabetes, uncontrolled blood glucose levels, shoulder dystocia

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Hands up who felt like a fish out of water when di

Hands up who felt like a fish out of water when diagnosed with gestational diabetes and trying to figure out what to eat?
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I see so many Mums struggling with how many grams of carbs to eat per meal or snack, spending hours in the supermarket trying to read every single nutritional label only to end up feeling frustrated, upset and even more confused.
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Should it be total carbs, or total sugar that we look at and what’s the limit?
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Should it be low fat and fat free, or full fat products?
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Should it be lots of healthy fruits and grains?
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Should we just eat what we normally do, then test to see what levels we get?
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Should we pick gluten free or sugar free products?
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It’s soooo confusing! 🤔
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I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to feel this way, because after 3 GD pregnancies, a ton of research on different diets and impact on blood glucose levels and helping well over 15k pregnant mothers with GD, I have info and support along with shopping lists and recipes so that you can hit the ground running! So keep swiping right and check out my basic info and 8 Golden Rules which will make following a real food Gestational Diabetes diet so much easier!
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gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/gestational-diabetes-diet/
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #Pregnancy #WhatToEat #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #NeverEatANakedCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #BloodGlucoseLevels #DiabeticDiet #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

The @royalcollegeofgps has shared this flowchart r

The @royalcollegeofgps has shared this flowchart regarding #covid and #gestationaldiabetes women #shielding which really helps clarify the situation. Thank you 🙏🏼

Further details are available via the RCGP @royalcollegeofgps
https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=377

#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK

Reposting for a member of my Facebook group... To

Reposting for a member of my Facebook group...

Too many times I see GD Mums scared what their consultant or diabetes team will say about their levels
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Too many times I see GD Mums cutting ALL or too many carbs from their diet in an effort to remain ‘diet controlled’
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Too many times I see GD Mums striving for the lowest possible levels at all times thinking that lowest IS BEST or 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
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Too many times I see GD Mums eating the same foods over again because they are too scared of trying something new or different that 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 push them over their targets

Too many times I see GD Mums testing levels over & over again trying to catch the best level to record
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And sadly, too many times I see GD Mums burying their heads in the sand by not testing after eating certain foods that they know they probably don’t, won’t, or shouldn’t tolerate. Or ignoring the logic which suggests the 2 hour BG level probably did miss the big spike in levels knowing they’ve just eaten something that is packed with sugar/carbs 🤷🏻‍♀️
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If you are LUCKY enough to not get any over target blood glucose levels whilst monitoring due to diabetes in pregnancy than that is awesome but also extremely RARE
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The majority of GD Mums will have some (many will have lots) of over target levels throughout the pregnancy and THAT’S OK 👍🏻
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We need to remember why we are monitoring levels. Not to keep our consultant or diabetes team ‘happy’ (so please don’t fear what they may say - they are there to HELP you)
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Use testing BG levels as a TOOL 🔧 to help YOU learn & understand what you can tolerate and where you can improve diet & exercise and/or insulin doses to achieve better, more stabilised BG levels.
It is a wonderful tool that can help us understand what is happening inside!
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Remember that the odd high BG level is not what causes complications with diabetes in pregnancy. It is uncontrolled, or prolonged high and/or unstable BG levels that are the problem
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If you are seeing high BG levels then call your team to discuss it with them, they are there to help and support you with this, as are we 💛

Well it’s only taken me two weeks to make the so

Well it’s only taken me two weeks to make the soup I said “I’m making tomorrow” 🙈
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We have COVID-19 and the NHS England QCovid risk assessment tool to thank for the delay because my world has been all-consumed with trying to help thousands of post birth GD mums figure out what’s going on, whilst sitting here myself in Scotland after my own 3 GD pregnancies thinking should I be going to Tesco right now, or should I too be shielding?! 🥴
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Anyhoo, the shopping finally got done, plus my middle son returned to school yesterday which meant I only had my eldest & youngest to homeschool and look after, so I finally managed to whip up the soup! 🥣
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When I asked which soup to make on the stories, the votes came flooding in and the result was....
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...slap bang in the middle, 50/50 🙄 😂 and so I had a whole morning of soup making and they were both blooming delicious! Or in the words of hubby, “ooooh, that’s lovely”👌🏻
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Here’s a peek at the finished soups and I just need to write the recipes up for the website, which I’ll try to do ASAP. These will be FREE recipes for y’all to enjoy 😊
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1. Broccoli & Stilton
2. Cauliflower Cheese with Kale
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🥣 🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣
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#TodaysMealOnTheWall #MealOnTheWall #JosGDRecipes #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesPregnancy #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GD #GDM #GestationalDiabetesFood #GDFoodPairing #NeverEatANakedCarb #8GoldenRules #LowCarb #LCHF #LowCarbPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #LCHFPregnancy #LCHFDiet #LowCarbNotKeto #Soup #LowCarbSoup #HomemadeSoup #CheeseSoup #CauliflowerCheeseSoup #CauliflowerAndKale #BroccoliAndStilton #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood

Gestational diabetes increases your risk of develo

Gestational diabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes after the pregnancy. Statistics from Diabetes UK state that there is a seven-fold increased risk in women with gestational diabetes developing type 2 diabetes in later life. NICE state that up to 50% of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years of the birth
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A 2002 publication from Diabetes Care comparing 28 studies found that elevated fasting levels during pregnancy was the most common risk factor associated with future risk of type 2 diabetes
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It is recommended that you should have a fasting glucose blood test at 6 weeks post-partum OR a HbA1c blood test after 13 weeks post-partum to check that you are clear of diabetes
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It is advised to be tested annually for diabetes following a gestational diabetes pregnancy with a HbA1c blood test. This blood test can be taken at your GP surgery if they take blood samples and you do not need to fast for the test, meaning it can be taken at any time of day
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In many areas you will not be reminded or invited to be tested every year and so it is worthwhile remembering to call and book this test yourself, on or around your child’s birthday, or sooner if you have any concerns or symptoms of diabetes
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For further info. take a look at www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/post-birth-testing/ and www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/preventing-type-2/
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #PostBirth #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #DiabetesInPregnancy #LifeAfterGD #LifeAfterGestationalDiabetes #HbA1c #AnnualDiabetesTest #AnnualDiabetesScreening #YearlyTesting #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #PreventingType2 #PreventingType2Diabetes #Type2Diabetes #T2Diabetes #Type2 #Type2DM

Newest update on the Covid CEV list and gestationa

Newest update on the Covid CEV list and gestational diabetes

Please note I am only sharing the update with you all for information purposes as I promised to update you all as and when updates were released. I cannot give any further advice I’m afraid, Jo (GD UK Founder)

Newest update https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment/population#gestational-diabetes

#gestationaldiabetes #GDUKMums #covid #covid19 #shielding #covidvaccine #covidvaccination

Not only are test times and targets different once

Not only are test times and targets different once you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes (see my previous post) but did you know the diagnostic thresholds are also different 🥴
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And once again, some hospitals/Trusts use their own targets as opposed to the ones in these guidelines!
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Welcome to the postcode lottery of gestational diabetes! 🤯
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Hands up who thinks we need some consistency on diagnostic and monitoring blood glucose levels for diabetes in pregnancy
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🤰🏽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🤰🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🤰🏿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤰🏻🏳️‍🌈🤰🇮🇪🤰🏾🇬🇧
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It shouldn’t be like this 👎🏻
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Read more on this @
https://www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/diagnosing-gestational-diabetes/
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#NHSPostcodeLottery #TooConfusing #WhyDoWeNotFollowTheGuidelines #StandardiseTheCare #GestationalDiabetes #GD #GDM #GDUKMums #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetesPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #Midwives #Midewife #OBGYN #Obstetric #ObstetricConsultant #DiabetesSpecialist #Endocrinologist #Diabeteologist #HealthVisitor #GP #DSN #DMW #Doula

Repost • @rcobsgyn The RCOG have created a COV

Repost • @rcobsgyn

The RCOG have created a COVID-19 vaccination information sheet outlining the risks and benefits of getting a vaccine in pregnancy if you are eligible. Swipe to explore the benefits and risks of the vaccine to help you make an informed choice. Please also discuss your options with a healthcare professional.

#coronavirus #vaccine #pregnancy #maternity #gestationaldiabetes #highriskpregnancy #GDUKMums
#gestationaldiabetespregnancy #gestationaldiabetesuk #gestationaldiabetesukmums

Chatting to some of my members on my Facebook grou

Chatting to some of my members on my Facebook group tonight and it really worries me that so many hospitals are STILL giving out poor test targets
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A target of <8.0 mmol/L 2 hours post meals! If I had followed that, I don’t think I would have needed any fast acting insulin in any of my 3 pregnancies and that really worries me
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For anyone who’s confused, you may not be aware but test targets & test times for monitoring blood glucose levels with gestational diabetes can differ in each hospital
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WHY?! I hear you cry! Well, we have 3 sets of guidelines for different areas of the UK & Ireland (shown in this image) BUT to confuse matters even further, hospitals do not have to follow these guidelines, they can use their own policies instead
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This means that we are left with women all over the country using different test times & targets for exactly the same condition 🤨
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Whilst this may not seem like such an issue, it can actually be a huge issue e.g. in Cambridge during my 2nd pregnancy they wanted my levels to be below 5.0 fasting & below 7.0 one hour post meals. When I couldn’t achieve this I was given insulin to lower my levels, with rapid increases in doses until I achieved below their recommended targets. I moved to East Yorkshire mid pregnancy where they were amazed with my fantastic blood glucose levels as they used targets 4.0 - 6.0 fasting and 6.0 - 8.0 one hour post meals. This meant that I was allowed an additional 1.0 mmol/L after all my food before they would recommend increasing insulin doses. Hop over to my 3rd pregnancy and I move to the Scottish Borders and they want me to test pre-meals ONLY with a target of <6.0 mmol/L. This meant I potentially could eat what I like without noticing or seeing the spikes in my levels from eating 😖
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So who’s right? They were all medical professionals & experts in their field
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What I decided to do is research for the evidence on what was best to do. For me the most up-to-date research based evidence showed that the NICE guidelines were the ones which were best. Therefore in both my 2nd & 3rd pregnancies I followed NICE targets
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When do you test yours & do you think yours help you truly see the impact?

This week I shared a birth story from Laura, which

This week I shared a birth story from Laura, which was quite a distressing, worrying and traumatic birth story due to uncontrolled gestational diabetes and a birth involving shoulder dystocia 💔
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Well I thought those if you who read the story would like to see the latest updates on baby Lilith
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We’ve had a updates throughout the week...
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“I was allowed to hold her for a few mins today while they changed her crib, It’s the best valentines gift ever, I didn’t want to have to put her back but she needed reconnecting”
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“She’s off the oxygen and is now stable!!! She’s on meds for infection but she’s doing good, she’s taking a few mouthfuls of bottle but gets too tired so we are tube feeding her most of it, but I’m told that’s normal for a preterm. She has been downgraded from NICU to HDU. Fingers crossed we will soon be transfered back to our local hospital”
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And then this morning from Lilith...
“Morning everyone! I’m doing so well I’m being moved down to special care and if I’m super good they might let me stay on the ward with mummy “
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What a wee fighter! Absolutely the best news EVER! 💗 We’re thinking of you every day Laura, Lilith (and Daddy). Keeping fighting and healing and we can’t wait to hear your next update, love all your GD Aunties xxx
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@tattooed_mumma_bear ♥️♥️♥️

COVID clinically extremely vulnerable notification

COVID clinically extremely vulnerable notifications

I have just shared a new post on Facebook with the details around what we know about gestational diabetes being added to the risk factors for being in the clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) group in England, alongside lots of articles and evidence-based research including information about the Covid vaccine and its use in pregnancy & breastfeeding

Please use the link in my bio @gestational_diabetes_uk to find a link to this post on the GD UK public Facebook page

Jo, Gestational Diabetes Founder

COVID clinically extremely vulnerable notification

COVID clinically extremely vulnerable notifications
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Morning ladies, we’re seeing tons of posts this morning where many of you have received texts, emails, or letters stating that you should follow shielding measures.
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Gestational diabetes has been listed under the ‘List of QCovid® risk factors in approximate order of weighting’
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We are seeing both current pregnant mums and post birth mums being notified (but not all, so please do not panic if you have not received anything. This has only happened today and may take time to reach you, or may differ depending on where you live, ethnic origin, how the vaccination program is going in your area etc.)
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Please contact your GP to check any texts/emails are legitimate (as there have been many scams), and to ask any questions you may have.
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You may have the notification to shield and/or an invitation for the COVID vaccine.
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This could be linked to your GD diagnosis (current OR previous), it could be linked to BMI if you are classed as overweight or obese, or it could be for other medical reasons. We cannot answer this though, so please contact your own GP if you need clarification.
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Please no comments regarding the safety and efficiency of the COVID vaccine in or outside of pregnancy. If you would like to find out more about the COVID vaccine, please discuss this with your GP, or other healthcare professionals. Comments about vaccination will be removed
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https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment?fbclid=IwAR257vaahl-sQNyuHBWNDzC63SNfT5DtEkHZQHyDYI6DqaACgs7Pln9g6N8
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#GDUK #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetesUK #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #GDPregnancy #DiabeticPregnancy #DiabetesInPregnancy #CovidPregnancy #Covid19Pregnancy #PlusSizePregnancy #LockdownPregnancy #GeriatricPregnancy #SlimmingWorldPregnancy #HighRiskPregnancy #GlucoseToleranceTest #GDDiagnosis #BloodGlucose #BloodSugar #BloodGlucoseLevels #BloodSugarLevels #DiabeticPregnancy #PostGD #PregnantDiabetic

Putting this up for any newly diagnosed mamas. Ho

Putting this up for any newly diagnosed mamas.

How many of you thought, or think this?
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I would like you to read, SHARE and shout this from the rooftops!...
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Eating loads of sweets, sugary food or junk is NOT what ‘causes’ GD and an even bigger surprise may be to hear that ANY pregnant woman can get it!
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We should not feel bad, guilty, or to blame. It should not be a condition that we should feel embarrassed about, or hide from
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It is a condition which is brought on due to pregnancy hormones
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Some women are at a higher risk of developing GD, but I need to make it clear that ANY PREGNANT WOMAN can get it, no matter your size, shape, race, or state of health
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During pregnancy, the body produces a number of hormones, such as oestrogen, progesterone and human placental lactogen (HPL). These hormones make the body insulin resistant, which means the cells respond less well to insulin and the level of glucose in the blood remains high.
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To cope with the increased amount of glucose in the blood, the body needs to produce more insulin. However, some women either cannot produce enough insulin in pregnancy to transport the glucose into the cells, or their body cells are more resistant to insulin.
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When this happens, blood glucose levels remain too high. This is known as gestational diabetes mellitus. Gestational diabetes can also be defined as carbohydrate intolerance.
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If you are one of the ones that is feeling any guilt, shame, embarrassment over GD diagnosis then I urge you to STOP ✋🏽 right now.
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Take some time to read through the info and support we offer and know that alongside an amazing team of healthcare professionals, we have your back and will help you every step of the way!
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Read more about GD diagnosis @ www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/diagnosing-gestational-diabetes/
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#GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GD #GDM #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GDProblems #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #GlucoseToleranceTest #Glucola #GlucoseTest #PregnancyTests #YouHaveNotFailed #Midwife #Midwives #DSN #DiabetesMidwife #DMW #DiabeticNurse #DiabeticSpecialistNurse #Diabetes #diabetesawarenessmonth #worlddiabetesday

You can keep your Nutella sugar laden pancakes, we

You can keep your Nutella sugar laden pancakes, we’re all about the lemon & erythritol in this house 🥞 🍋 😋

Happy Pancake Day ladies! I hope you’ve enjoyed some GD pancakes today!! BTW, I’m soooooo done making pancakes for a while so please don’t ask me for any more pancake recipes 😂

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#josgdrecipes #todaysmealonthewall #mealonthewall #pancakes #lowcarbpancakes #pancakeday #imallpancakedout

Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday or pancake day. How many

Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday or pancake day. How many of you are dreading having to make pancakes for the family?
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Maybe you’ll just have a couple thin pancakes as a treat? And why not?
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You can enjoy a pancake on pancake day, but I want to share with you a way of enjoying pancakes just like you might normally BUT to achieve better blood glucose levels!
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Here is a comparison to see some tweaks you can make...
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The first plate has 2 plain flour pancakes, made with egg & skimmed milk. Topped with a tbsp of Nutella, some strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar
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The second plate has 2 wholemeal spelt flour pancakes made with egg & unsweetened almond milk. Topped with my homemade Nutella (or you could make my ganache), 2 sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of NKD Living powdered erythritol sweetener, crushed pecans and a good squirt of M&S real spray cream (which contains no added sugar)
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These two plates of pancakes pretty much taste the same, but the second one is lower carb, contains more fibre, and is paired better with more protein & fats to help slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream
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Try out this recipe which can be found on my pancake day post along with lots more lower carb pancake recipes and ideas for toppings/fillings
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www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk/pancake-day/
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#Pancakes #PancakeDay #LowCarbPancakes #LowerCarbPancakes
#JosGDRecipes #GDUKMums #TeamGDUK #GestationalDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesDiet #8GoldenRules #NeverEatANakedCarb #GDFoodPairing #DiabetesInPregnancy #PregnancyDiabetes #GestationalDiabetesSucks #DiagnosedWithGestationalDiabetes #Diabetes #GDDiagnosis #GestationalDiabetesMeals #RealFoodForGD #RealFoodForGestationalDiabetes #JustEatRealFood #LCHF #LowCarb #LowerBloodSugarLevels #GestationalDiabetesUKMums #GDUK #GestationalDiabetesMealPlan #GestationalDiabetesSupport #GestationalDiabetesUK

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