Artificial sweeteners during pregnancy

[sarahsar]

Do you all know if there are any artificial sweeteners that are okay to use during pregnancy? I know saccharine is out, but what about Nutra Sweet and Splenda? I just found out that my one hour glucose tolerance test is high and I have to go back for the three hour test, but I figure I should probably start looking at my diet now to see what I can change.

I am now 27 weeks, so well clear of the first trimester. I have avoided caffeine entirely during this pregnancy, and haven't had any soda at all because I only like diet and was worried about Nutra Sweet (I'm not a big soda drinker anyway). But my big vice is Starbucks. I have been having a tall decaf mocha frappucino every day, which I'm sure is an absolute nightmare for sugar. I was wondering if it would be okay to have any of their sugar free stuff, like a sugar free vanilla latte or something like that. I have also been drinking 2% instead of skim millk lately, because it bothered my stomach less during the first trimester when I was drinking it with decaf coffee, and I'm not sure that's a good idea either, although I don't drink milk on its own at all.

[Mrs. MC]

I had Gestational Diabetes for 2 pregnancies. I used Splenda in my decaff and I also ate candy sweetened with sucralose. I mostly stayed away from aspartame. Remember Carbs turn to sugar so your intake should also be limited but adequate. Also things like natural sugars like fruit and stuff can be eaten but limited to a serving size and eaten with a protein to metabolize. I would look up some sample diets on the web, I had a nutritionist. Good luck, it is hard but worth sticking to it, my kids are very healthy because I was very responsible and did everything I was supposed to do. I am sure you will do the same !

[sarahsar]

Originally Posted by Mrs. MC

I had Gestational Diabetes for 2 pregnancies. I used Splenda in my decaff and I also ate candy sweetened with sucralose. I mostly stayed away from aspartame. Remember Carbs turn to sugar so your intake should also be limited but adequate. Also things like natural sugars like fruit and stuff can be eaten but limited to a serving size and eaten with a protein to metabolize. I would look up some sample diets on the web, I had a nutritionist. Good luck, it is hard but worth sticking to it, my kids are very healthy because I was very responsible and did everything I was supposed to do. I am sure you will do the same !

Thanks for the info! I am going to be very careful with all of this. I am hoping my 3 hour test will turn out better, but even so I figure I have at least the tendency for my sugars to be high, so I might as well start fixing stuff in my diet. I don't eat meat/poultry, so I wonder if I may be eating too carb-heavy of a diet, without enough protein to balance it, even though I try to be careful about that.

Edit - I just checked with Starbucks and found out that all of their sugar-free and light stuff is flavored with Splenda. That makes me feel better - I should be okay if I can still have my one Starbucks drink a day!

[madamelizaking]

From research and from my doctor it is good to go on Splenda and equal is ok (but not preffered) since they both do not pass the placental barrier. Sweet-n-low (saccharin), on the other hand, is a no no since it has been found to pass through the placenta to the fetus/embryo.

[Mrs. MC]

Originally Posted by sarahsar

Thanks for the info! I am going to be very careful with all of this. I am hoping my 3 hour test will turn out better, but even so I figure I have at least the tendency for my sugars to be high, so I might as well start fixing stuff in my diet. I don't eat meat/poultry, so I wonder if I may be eating too carb-heavy of a diet, without enough protein to balance it, even though I try to be careful about that.

Edit - I just checked with Starbucks and found out that all of their sugar-free and light stuff is flavored with Splenda. That makes me feel better - I should be okay if I can still have my one Starbucks drink a day!

your welcome ! I am a vegetarian too, it was hard especially dining out and vacation was a nightmare because I wasn't a big fish eater either and I was leary of the heavy metals. I went to the nutritionist and it made things a lot easier. She will take your weight and everything into consideration and tell you exactly how many carbs you should be eating and how frequently you should eat. Easting as a diabetic takes a lot of planning and a lot of being prepared and pro-active, you never want to get behind. I didn't even make it to the 3 hour test, my FBS was off the charts so they knew right away that I had it. Another thing to consider is low blood sugar too so you have to make sure your blood sugar is as even as you can keep it. This includes eating before you go to bed so that your sugar doesn't crash which means eating foods like some crackers and cheese at night. Fruit makes your BS peak and crash so that is not a good nightime snack. Beans are great for keeping your blood sugar steady. Please feel free to PM me with any questions, I have been through it all. I was insulin dependent for both pregnancies too and I tested about 8 or 9 times a day ! I had the Starbucks decaffes too ! I also bought the splenda syrups to make the coffee drinks at home myself. The vanilla was good, the chocolate was kind of gross ! One desert I was able to have was all natural peanut butter and frozen cool whip, I lived on that stuff as a desert and the nutritionist said it was ok here and there.

[sarahsar]

Originally Posted by Mrs. MC

your welcome ! I am a vegetarian too, it was hard especially dining out and vacation was a nightmare because I wasn't a big fish eater either and I was leary of the heavy metals. I went to the nutritionist and it made things a lot easier. She will take your weight and everything into consideration and tell you exactly how many carbs you should be eating and how frequently you should eat. Easting as a diabetic takes a lot of planning and a lot of being prepared and pro-active, you never want to get behind. I didn't even make it to the 3 hour test, my FBS was off the charts so they knew right away that I had it. Another thing to consider is low blood sugar too so you have to make sure your blood sugar is as even as you can keep it. This includes eating before you go to bed so that your sugar doesn't crash which means eating foods like some crackers and cheese at night. Fruit makes your BS peak and crash so that is not a good nightime snack. Beans are great for keeping your blood sugar steady. Please feel free to PM me with any questions, I have been through it all. I was insulin dependent for both pregnancies too and I tested about 8 or 9 times a day ! I had the Starbucks decaffes too ! I also bought the splenda syrups to make the coffee drinks at home myself. The vanilla was good, the chocolate was kind of gross ! One desert I was able to have was all natural peanut butter and frozen cool whip, I lived on that stuff as a desert and the nutritionist said it was ok here and there.

Thanks for all the suggestions - that's very helpful! It's always good to hear from someone else who has been through some of the same stuff. Pregnancy is a tough time with avoiding so many things and trying to get enough of others, and then on top of it having nausea, etc. making it hard to eat normally. With my first pregnancy, I had a craving for raw vegetables, which had to have been a good thing. Unfortunately this time it's been more about chocolate. Not good! (Except if it really does help prevent preeclampsia - I guess it's not all bad!)

[Mrs. MC]

Originally Posted by sarahsar

Thanks for all the suggestions - that's very helpful! It's always good to hear from someone else who has been through some of the same stuff. Pregnancy is a tough time with avoiding so many things and trying to get enough of others, and then on top of it having nausea, etc. making it hard to eat normally. With my first pregnancy, I had a craving for raw vegetables, which had to have been a good thing. Unfortunately this time it's been more about chocolate. Not good! (Except if it really does help prevent preeclampsia - I guess it's not all bad!)

Good luck ! I know it is so hard. Actually the number 1 thing you can do to prevent pre-eclampsia is eat adequate protien. The condition is most related to a lack of protein or low protien diets ! I would strongly suggest a referral to a nutritionist if I were you, it made a world of difference for me especially being a vegetarian. Wow I don't think I ever craved fresh vegetables in my life ! I wish I did ! Not chocolate that is another thing all together. I was able to satisfy my chocolate cravings while diabetic by eating Balance bars. I got them by the case at BJs

[sarahsar]

Originally Posted by Mrs. MC

Good luck ! I know it is so hard. Actually the number 1 thing you can do to prevent pre-eclampsia is eat adequate protien. The condition is most related to a lack of protein or low protien diets ! I would strongly suggest a referral to a nutritionist if I were you, it made a world of difference for me especially being a vegetarian. Wow I don't think I ever craved fresh vegetables in my life ! I wish I did ! Not chocolate that is another thing all together. I was able to satisfy my chocolate cravings while diabetic by eating Balance bars. I got them by the case at BJs

I will have to give Balance bars a try. Is there any particular kind that is better for sugar? Looking on their website, they have a bunch of types of bar, one of which is low carb made with some kind of alcohol sugar. Not sure what that means exactly.

[Mrs. MC]

I got the peanut butter kind. I am into Zone bars right now. The reason why they work is because they balance the right amt of carbs and protein and sugar. The sugar alcohol is ok in moderation. It is like a derivative of the sugar, they use it in a lot of diabetic candy.

[elle-mo]

I had gestastional diabetes too which I ended up having to take meds for even though I was in great shape, exercised and blah blah blah. But the dietitian told me to use Splenda if I needed to use a sweetener.

[USCgerl]

Crap, I've been using sweet n low in my decaf tea!! I don't have it that often but I've prob used around 10 bags throughput my pregnancy so far. Can you tell I'm a first timer?!