Where do I start?
Stanford Hospital’s 6 tips to get you started after receiving a Gestational Diabetes diagnosis
Exercise All pregnant women should be active for at least 30 minutes daily (Check with your OB provider for any limits on your activity). Walking is a good place to start. Staying active will help control your blood sugars and reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.
Avoid foods that raise blood sugars too quickly: Fruit juices (even fresh squeezed), soda, desserts, sweets, cold cereal and fast foods should be avoided.
Eat smaller meals You generally can't eat 3 large meals per day and control your blood sugar. Eating 3 smaller meals with snacks every 2-3 hours between meals will help spread out the carbohydrate in your diet to prevent higher blood sugars after eating. Studies show that eating smaller amounts more frequently is better for baby's growth.
Track your weight gain Gaining too much weight in pregnancy isn't good for you or your baby. If you started pregnancy a little heavier, you don't need to gain as much weight during your pregnancy.
Read food labels Read food labels for portion size and total carbohydrate. Reading labels for sugars can be misleading as starchy foods such as rice, bread and potato raise your blood sugar up as much or more as sugars from sweets. Natural sugars from fruit and milk raise blood sugar about the same amount as other sugars.
Choose Water Plain water is the best thing for you and your baby. Liquid sources of carbohydrate raise blood sugar more rapidly than carbohydrate from solid foods. It's generally better to choose whole fruit not juice and to avoid sodas, lemonade, hot cocoa or other sweet drinks.
Source: Tips for impaired glucose tolerance during pregnancy by Stanford Lucile Packard, Children's Health Children's Hospital