What kind of milk should be consumed for gestational diabetes?

Written by Xu Dong Dong
Endocrinology
Updated on May 04, 2025
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Patients with gestational diabetes can drink pure milk, which contains rich nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Milk protein contains essential amino acids for the human body, and milk fat mostly consists of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Moreover, milk is rich in calcium, making it suitable for pregnant women to supplement calcium. The daily consumption of milk can be 500mL, taken in two to three servings, choosing either pure milk or skimmed pure milk. If unsweetened yogurt is available, it is also acceptable to drink. It is important to note that one should try to avoid buying milk powder, as it often contains some additives that are not conducive to blood sugar control.

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Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
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Are there many people with gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is increasingly common now as living standards improve, and there is more attention on pregnant women from their families. Often, out of fear of malnutrition during pregnancy, there is a tendency to over-nourish and overeat, leading to significant weight gain around the 24th to 26th weeks of pregnancy. Upon examination, it is discovered that their blood sugar levels are elevated, indicating gestational diabetes. Although gestational diabetes is becoming more widespread, the blood sugar levels are usually not extremely high. Therefore, such patients can often manage their condition through diet control and encouraging appropriate exercise for pregnant women. Thus, pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes should not be overly stressed psychologically.

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Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
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How to eat after giving birth for gestational diabetes

Patients with gestational diabetes need to be careful with their diet even after giving birth, during the period known in Chinese tradition as "sitting the month." During this time, it is customary for Chinese women to consume large amounts of animal protein, including soups that are believed to help with milk production. However, patients with gestational diabetes should still control their intake, opting for low-fat and low-salt options. Traditional dishes like pig's trotters stewed with soybeans, which are high in fat, are not recommended for patients, as their effectiveness in promoting milk production is minimal. After childbirth, patients can instead focus on consuming high-quality proteins such as lean meats and milk, which are encouraged.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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How to reduce blood sugar in gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes cannot be treated with oral medications, as they can affect the fetus. Currently, the main treatment for gestational diabetes in China is insulin, with options for short-acting or rapid-acting insulin. If fasting blood glucose is high, long-acting insulin can be used to control fasting blood glucose levels. If post-meal blood glucose is high, short-acting or rapid-acting insulin can be used to control post-meal blood glucose levels. The blood glucose control standards for gestational diabetes are fasting blood glucose between 4.0 and 5.3, and two hours post-meal blood glucose between 4.4 and 6.7.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Can pregnant women with gestational diabetes eat pumpkin?

The general principle for dietary control in patients with gestational diabetes is to manage total calorie intake and to eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eating five to six meals a day can not only help control blood sugar levels but also reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia. Additionally, it is important for patients with gestational diabetes to eat less of foods that can rapidly increase blood sugar levels, as well as those high in sugar, starch, and fat content since these can easily convert into glucose, causing a rise in blood sugar. Pumpkin, for example, is a food high in carbohydrates and should be consumed in limited quantities. However, this does not mean it cannot be eaten at all. For patients with gestational diabetes, if pumpkin is consumed, it is necessary to reduce the intake of staple foods and rice, treating the pumpkin as a staple food substitute to maintain a balance of total calories and to prevent significant fluctuations in blood sugar, thus keeping it stable.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Gestational diabetes blood sugar standards

The diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes involve a pregnant woman undergoing a 75-gram glucose test at any time during pregnancy to measure fasting blood glucose, blood glucose one hour after consuming glucose, and blood glucose two hours after consuming glucose. The thresholds are: fasting blood glucose equal to or greater than 5.1 mmol/L, blood glucose one hour after glucose intake equal to or greater than 10.0 mmol/L, and blood glucose two hours after glucose intake equal to or greater than 8.5 mmol/L. Diagnosis of gestational diabetes can be made if blood glucose levels exceed these standards at any of the three time points. In China, pregnant women typically undergo the 75-gram glucose test between the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. Women at high risk for gestational diabetes are advised to undergo the 75-gram glucose test early.