Consolidating Brewer with a GD diet?

[Multimomma]

I usually follow a Brewer's diet to keep down BP and swelling, and it works ideally for me. However, my last few babies were huge, ten to eleven pounds, and very sticky, the last had shoulder dystocia. So the midwife is suggesting a diet for those with gestational diabetes.

How does one incorporate those two ideas? Brewer pushes a lot of diary and fat, but I'm supposed to cut both. Thanks for any ideas (and/or support!)

[karen1968]

You might try a version of the anti-candida diet, which is mostly meat and vegetables with limited amounts of fruit (3 servings a day, IIRC). No diary or sugars and small amounts of grains. If you stick to lean meats, you won't get too much fat. You are allowed eggs, and since you aren't actually trying to prevent or heal from candida, you could do beans/lentils and whole grains like oatmeal and quinoa as long as you don't add too much sugar (or use something low GI like stevia or agave).

Hope that helps!

ETA: I will probably switch to a version of this in the 3rd trimester, since I had horrible thrush with DS. It sounds awful, but it is doable, esp. in the summertime when there is lots of fresh produce.

[laurata]

Well, I can't answer your question, but anecdotally : My biggest babe was the one I ate the MOST dairy with, and my smallest was the babe I ate the least. The reason I cut dairy after my 3rd was born was unrelated to how large my son was (close to 11#s), but because I discovered I had a minor allergy to dairy. However, I did read this, and kept it in mind: http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/....html#Avoiding

I think avoiding refined carbs (flours and sugars) and focusing on lean meats, eggs, seeds and nuts, beans (in moderation) and a rainbow of (low GI) fruits and veggies will be a great plan for a healthy pregnancy. Just don't let yourself get to feeling too deprived or you'll sabotage your efforts!

Good luck!

[karen1968]

And from that site, foods that can replace dairy because of their high calcium content:

Almonds-2 oz. or 36 nuts
Bok choy, cooked- 1/3 cup
Brazil nuts- 2 oz. or 12 nuts
Brewer's yeast- 5 T.
Broccoli- 1 cup
Collard greens, cooked- 1/3 cup
Dandelion greens, cooked- 3/4 cup
Dulse- 1 oz.
Eggs, whole- 4
Kale- 1/2 cup
Kelp- 1/2 oz.
Molasses, blackstrap- 2 T.
Mustard greens, cooked- 1/2 cup
Sesame tahini- 2 T.
Soybeans, cooked- 1 cup
Tofu- 3 1/2 oz., 3x3x1/2 in.
Sunflower seeds- 3 1/2 oz. or 2/3 cup
Wheat germ- 4 1/2 oz.

[Multimomma]

thanks guys! My smallest baby was my first vbac, which the ob told me that if I followed the GD diet, it would almost guarantee a vbac. I'm going to check out your suggestions and talk to my midwife....