I'm 5 weeks and a few days now. Due, by my calculations, on Halloween. I went to a high-risk OB yesterday as I already have Type 2 diabetes and my blood sugar numbers have been high since I conceived. He said I have ketones in my urine already. I'm sure that's due to the low-glycemic diet my nutritionist put me on. Not sure what's worse at this point - the high blood sugar or the ketones. I'm leaning towards thinking the ketones are fine, since they are a natural state that anyone can be in at any given time given the right circumstances, and who's to say that even non-diabetic mother's aren't in ketosis at some point during pregnancy anyway.

I'm eating healthfully - lots of fresh, raw veggies, some meat, lots of full-fat dairy, some starches/grains. I'm taking my vitamins, etc. I was actually able to get over a really bad head & chest cold I had without medications. Only took me a few days too. Must be doing something right.

I have an appointment with a perinatologist and a Diabetic Counselor in the morning. Should prove interesting.

Does anyone have any proof - anecdotal or otherwise to show that ketones didn't harm their baby? I can see how ketones would be bad if my blood sugar numbers were really high, but they aren't anymore. The low-glycemic plan is working and they've come down a bit lately. I hope that means the healthy eating is working and NOT that I'm miscarrying. I had a blighted ovum last time so I worry that could happen again. I do also have a 5 year old - I had insulin dependant gestational diabetes with her.

I am hoping to continue my low-glycemic plan throughout this pregnancy. I'm having about 40 grams of grains/starch in addition to the abundence of vegetables I'm eating. I'd say probably an average of 75 grams of total carbs a day.

Can't wait to see my little one. I hope he/she is healthy!

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Which plan were you following prior to getting pregnant? I've heard it mentionned that though it was still safe to low carb during pregnancy, it was wiser to do so in the Maintaining rate, at least for Atkinsers.

Anyway, best of luck to you and the little bundle.

I was doing a low-glycemic plan given to me by a nutritionist not too long ago. I was to have at least 15g of carbs per meal anywhere up to 30g at breakfast and lunch and 15g at dinner - so from 45 to 75 grams per day (grains, starches, fruits, and milk) but not counting certain veggies - Basically I can have unlimited cooked or raw:

artichoke or artichoke hearts
asparagus
beans (green, wax, Italian)
bean sprouts
beets
broccoli
brussel sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cucumber
eggplant
green onions
greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
kohlrabi
leeks
mixed veggies (w/o corn, peas, or pasta)
mushrooms
okra
onions
pea pods
peppers (all varieties)
radishes
salad greens (endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach)
sauerkraut
summer squash
tomato, incl. canned, sauce, & juice - no sugar added of course
turnips
water chestnuts
watercress
zucchini

She gave me some song and dance about saturated fat increasing insulin resistance. I just don't believe that, but to each their own.

I'm eating a ton of fresh, raw veggies, lots of yummy full-fat dairy, some meat, some grains.. I do have some fruit in the house, but I've been afraid to eat it - maybe after I get my insulin I'll give it a try.

Hope this answered your question. I'm definitely not going Atkins Induction - I'm eating way too many veggies for that. As for the ongoing weight-loss phase, I don't know - I've never done that stage. I'm an all or nothing girl.

I have a book on the exchange lists from the American Diabetes Association. I try to avoid all refined flour, sugar, etc.

I'm taking all this information to my appointments tomorrow and show them what I'm doing now so we can see if changes need to be made.

Thanks for your concern. I'm really trying to be healthy about this. I hope not too many changes need to be made in what I am doing.

Hello, and congratulations on your coming arrival!

I started a low carb diet in Feb 2003, and in August 2003 stepped it up to serious ketosis and weightlifting. In early November, I started feeling nauseaus. By late November, I knew what it was.......and confimed my pregnancy in early Dec. I immediately upped my carbs (started to not have a choice....... morning-noon-and-night sickness), BUT I realized I had been in ketosis the whole first few weeks. I tried to find stuff online to reassure me, but nothing. My nurse friend told me that most new mothers are in and out of ketosis in the first trimester. Well, I have a silly squirmy incredibly healthy 7month old on my lap right now. Unharmed by ketosis. 'Course he won't go to sleep right now, but that's most likely unrelated,

I really appreciate your reply. I too can't find anything online about ketosis being safe - not because there is proof it's unsafe, but because no one will do studies on pregnant women. And what pregnant woman would sign up for a study like that.

I'm very happy for you and your little one. Congratulations. I hope that I am as blessed.

You've reassured me tremendously!!!

Yup, that's it exactly.

Good.....one less thing to worry about, eh?

I have another 'one less thing to worry about' I had my A1C done again and this time it's 6.2! My highest was last year at 7.1. In less than a year I've brought it down to almost non-diabetic levels! The Diabetic counselor I saw isn't feeling too rushed to put me on insulin thanks to my great A1C. My fasting #'s are still really high - they want them under 95, so I might do insulin for that. My after meal #'s aren't too far outside the range they should be in. Under 120 is the goal, and I'm hitting about 125 everytime. If I do take insulin for that, it prolly won't be much. I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound. It was too early to see anything this time. I'm still on the low-glycemic diet. It seems to be helping. That and all the naps I'm taking. LOL

Congratulations Melissa and best of luck!

Congrats on your great news ! A new baby is such a joy

Just wanted to stop by and say Congratulations!!! Best of luck to you!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm at about 10 weeks I didn't have any pukiness, just nausea and severe cravings and aversions.. unfortunately to food that was good for me. I just seem to be getting over that now, and the great thing is that anything wheat/high carb makes me feel like absolute garbage. Not until after I gained enough to not fit into all of my clothes already though

To be honest I don't see anything wrong with ketones and pregnancy.. that is a very unscientific view, it just comes from things I've read about various "primitive" healthy cultures who generally have an easy childbirth and healthy people. I think restriction of real and good food is dangerous, vegetable oils instead of healthy animal fats, artificial sweetners, antibiotic laden meat and franken foods. And yes, this is a cliche response but the traditional Inuit diet in many areas was highly ketogenic.

A huge amount of (in my opinion) great information & articles can be found at this site
www.westonaprice.org/basics.html
There is stuff about saturated fat on there as well

Take care!
Meg

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I've been reading the archives at the PregnantAtkids Yahoo group, and something someone said in there really made sense - "Eskimos have babies too!" It's so true.

I honestly feel like I am eating the healthiest I have ever eaten in my whole nearly 30 years on this planet - and if I am in ketosis, so what. As long as my blood sugars aren't HIGH, then I should be in just BDK and not Ketoacidosis.

FYI - I can't have fruit. I had applesauce for dessert last night. No sugar added just pureed apples and although my after dinner number was ok, I woke up to a fasting of 157 and my after breakfast was 157 too! I actually thought my machine might have popped a gasket or something, so I tested my DH - 98. Whereupon I promptly smacked him. LOL! Anyway - it wasn't until after lunch that my numbers went back to the 120-125 they've been at.

I'm having some yummy homemade quiche for dinner. Lots of mushrooms, spinach, ham, cheese, garlic, chives, and I'll prolly forego about 1/2 of the crust.

I already feel like I'm growing down there. I have a very 'full' feeling. Having a hard time bending over when I'm sitting. Had a touch of nausea today, but nothing too bad.

I turn in my blood sugar record on Wednesday, and I should find out what and how much insulin I'll go on then.

I'm so happy to be pregnant!

Congrats again!! What level of LC are you doing now?

I can't have fruit - alone. I have never done any kind of testing.. just monitoring how it makes me feel. An apple makes my stomach really hurt and it makes me feel ravenously hungry, but an apple eaten with sharp raw cheddar cheese seems to be ok.

I feel like I've grown too! (grin) the bending thing while sitting.. I can't do up any of my pants. I KNOW I've gotten fatter this year at school, but it definitely seems like the lower abdomen has expanded in a "different" way and I can't "suck it in" lol! Or wear anything around my waist that is AT ALL tight.. it hurts too much.

My level of LC is yet to be determined. I ate way to many carbs initally.. b/c the cravings/aversions thing, and now I've been (over the last 4 days) settling down and needing lower and lower carbs. The carbs actually make me feel sick now. I'd say I'm at about 50.. and have no problem going lower if my food intake is healthy. I drink raw milk though, because of what it does for my health, (don't get me started, I'll never stop) so I can't see them ever getting under 20-40 unless I run out of milk and don't drive to the farm for a few days.

I had spaghetti squash with a very meaty sauce, topped with cheddar and sour cream for dinner.. the bad part in it was the added can cream of mushroom soup (I'm not big on canned soups) but I was really tired this weekend (when am I not? lol) and opted for the lazy way.

Take care! I'm glad I found someone to talk about this with! I would not DARE to mention that I am lowcarbing it to the ladies and girls at school. They're all low fatters.. and they all know what is best for me and my baby. Especially the ones that haven't had kids Actually the worst is my best friend at the school. She's an extremely tiny woman, with very tiny children.. and she is very very skinny - always has been without really much effort. In comparison I am enormous, 5 10" very large bones, muscular and broad.. I'm just big. And it's easy for me to gain weight. Anyway...it seems like all she does is talk about being skinny! She's alway stalking about how I am going to be so cute when I'm pregnant - skinny with just a big belly and so on, and how I can't gain too much weight when I'm pregnant etc etc and how it will be so great because in the summer I'll have super toned and buff arms so I can wear tight things...it doesn't end. In the meantime, maybe I was buff last summer but I've gained, and I'm just not slim anymore. I'm not going to lose it while I'm pregnant, and she is very adamant about NOT gaining weight while pregnant and I just feel so self conscious and ... even embarassed when I'm around her. Like I'm being judged for being "chubby" or getting bigger. You know? It's a result of my own insecurities, and I should know better. It's just getting to me and I need to talk about it.

oops! Didn't mean to turn this into a rating or dumping party. I didn't mean to make this post sound negative.. sorry if I did! I'm actually in a good mood.

Sleep well! I'm off to go for a much needed walk.
Meg

I had the applesauce right at the end of dinner, so I didn't think it would hurt. LOL.

I love the baby belly - it helps allay my fears about this being another blighted ovum (had one three years ago). I'm just glad that I already love baggy clothes, so I might not have to buy too much stuff. I think I bought a pair of adjustable pants and two shirts the whole pregnancy with my daughter. Everything else was just my normal fat woman clothes.

As for my carbs, I'm getting about 55 on average - according to Fitday. I try not to have more than 15 grams at any meal or snack. I don't count low-carb veggies, but I do count milk or grains/starches. I would love to drink raw milk, and have raw dairy products, but I can't find anyone willing to sell for personal use around here. I live in Atlanta, GA. They sell for animal needs, but not human. Should I just lie to them?

I'm actually planning to lose a bit while I'm pregnant. I have plenty I can lose. I've already dropped about 11 pounds. I was told up to 20% of your weight is safe if you are over 200 pounds. I'm over that for sure, and at 20% I could lose 63 pounds while pregnant. We'll see. I'd really like to come out of this with a healthy baby and a smaller number on the scale. But, you are right - you shouldn't have to feel pressured to have a pregnancy a certain way. You do what you feel is best for you and your baby.

Hope you enjoyed your walk.

According to the ultrasound - where we saw the heartbeat! - my little poppy seed is only measuring 6 weeks, so they changed my due date to November 7th, 2005 as opposed to the October 30th I thought it was. I also had my HCG's done on Friday and yesterday - first was over 11,000 and the second was over 21,000. So, it seems that all is moving along. Just not as far along as I thought. My blood sugar numbers jumped on February 10th - and I figured that meant implantation had occured. Not sure if insulin resistance associated with pregnancy will begin AT conception or AT implantation. My last mentrual period was January 23rd. Not sure what to think of the changed due date at this point. I'm just so very glad that we got to see our little poppy seed's heartbeat. U/S tech said it was at 130 bpm and that was a good thing.

Just wanted to update.