I had a whole response typed out earlier and the computer ate it. Long and short of it, I stayed very low carb for this entire pregnancy, with the exception of eight weeks in the first trimester. I ate ad libitum of low carb food, according to Atkins OWL rungs (rung four is my sweet spot), and averaged 25 net carbs per day.
I felt WORLDS better when I went back to low carb than when I tried the 'sensible' advice of eating starch. Pregnancy went well, birth was easy, recovery was a breeze, I'm only up a few pounds from prepregnancy here at two months out. Baby was also vigorous and healthy, doing very well at birth and at her two month checkup earlier today. I am on a different board with many gals who have done low and zero carb pregnancies and all of us have had excellent outcomes.
Put simply - uncontrolled gestational diabetes is an entirely different biological animal from benign dietary-induced ketosis, even though both show ketones circulating through the system. They are almost anatomical opposites, and the womb environment of a mama eating eggs/sardines/steaks/salads/cream/berries/nuts/dark chocolate/sea vegetables is just not convincingly 'dangerous' as a diet. In fact my midwives did nothing but compliment my food logs, though I did not mention that I specifically low carb they praised my choices as extremely healthy. My labs were pristine (except cholesterol, which goes through the roof in the third trimester to accommodate the massive shifts of progesterone/estrogen/prolactin that is required for birth and nursing), my blood pressure was stellar, all urine screenings were healthy as well. No preterm labor, intrauterine growth restriction, fetal distress or placental calcification of any kind. I was a bit anemic, but I have been that way with every single pregnancy (and I've done SAD, Brewer's Diet, calorie counting, and now Atkins during pregnancy - this last one was by far the best outcomes during and after birth).
Don't restrict calories - eat to hunger - but doing so on unprocessed foods from the Atkins lists, along with taking appropriate supplements, exercising daily, and getting sleep every night? I defy any doctor to indicate such things are deleterious to your health or your baby's, simply because of the presence of ketones (which, dirty little secret, most pregnant women deal with almost daily. Overnight they tend to go ketotic, and with severe morning sickness it can be a constant state. Yet there are no warnings of the safety relating to either of those).
When I mention I low carb I get looks and all sorts of warnings. When I show people my activity and food logs, and just say I avoid sugar and starch in favor of more nutrient dense foods, I'm praised as some sort of health nut maternity saint
. Methinks a fair bit of nutritional ignorance and bias is standing in for actual data in the recommendations against low carb during pregnancy. When I researched it I came across a weak correlation (relating to gestational diabetes, essentially) and an overall lack of evidence for or against ketosis during pregnancy. An absence of data does NOT equal a negative result scientifically, not by a long shot. And while I was nervous to self experiment when the general advice was that what I was doing was dangerous, I went with my gut and listened carefully to my body's feedback throughout my eating and exercise - all I came up with was energy, vitality, and a healthy mama and baby.
Oh, and I'm low carbing while nursing, too. Did I mention this is the first baby I have NOT experienced any supply issues with? I'm thoroughly convinced that I won't be succumbing to the call to add back in carbs any time in the future, pregnant or not. My body clearly responds well to low carb, whole foods, and light daily activity. The consensus on the other board I am a member of is similar - some of the doctors and midwives actually put their patients ON low carb as a healthful way to control their blood sugars and morning sickness when they have a tendency toward gestational or general type II diabetes. So while it is going against recommendations to go low carb during pregnancy, I have had nothing but brilliant results from no grains, sugar, legumes, or starchy vegetables, and a carb ceiling of about 35 net on a daily basis (usually lower, occasionally higher).
I can't praise OWL during pregnancy enough. Especially when your calories are sufficient, what's wrong with nourishing your body with a core of rich vegetables and meats, with dairy, nuts, and some low sugar fruits added in? Is anyone really convinced a bran muffin or potato is better nourishment for a mommy and baby than fried eggs, sauerkraut, or salmon? Really? I'm a skeptic of dietary advice from the medical establishment as a rule - pregnancy and nursing had proven no exception for me!