Glucose Test

UseTheTriforce94

Did anyone opt out of the Glucose Test or take an alternative? I've head of people drinking smoothies or eating jelly beans instead of drinking the stuff. Has anyone done that? Is it really as bad as people say?

alysemci

I haven't heard of that but I'm sure you could ask your doctor. The glucose test is a certain amount taken within a certain amount of time so it's probably most accurate. It's not that bad if you just slam it down and be done with it.

vulpini

It tasted just like extra sweet orange Fanta when I did it a few years ago. Not awesome but not that terrible. Certainly worth an accurate test. There might be other options if you ask your doctor.

UseTheTriforce94

@alysemciver Thanks!

@vulpine thanks! Lol the way I've heard people talk about it, they make it sound like it's like drinking diabetes

AmberLiz99

It's not that bad, just super sweet and tastes like artificial flavoring. It's just one bottle, not a big deal.

purplefan1

I'm currently eating a chocolate chip cookie cake covered in icing. Bet this would give just as accurate results as the drink.

UseTheTriforce94

@June2016babyw Sweet jesus that sounds sickeningly amazing....

PinkLady2015

I've had a ton of glucose tests... They're not as bad as every makes it out to be... It's sweet but not too bad. Not any more sweet than pounding a handful of jelly beans...

UseTheTriforce94

@pinklady2015 thank you for your comment but oh my god your signature LOL

NicknShan

I didn't think it was that bad...

alw12290

I guess I am the only one who found is horrible!!! I hate orange flavored anythjng unless it is a real orange. The drink was warm and chalky and if I have an option to do/drink something different with the same accuracy, I will certainly do so lol. But I'm sure if you like orange flavored things in general, it may not be all that bad.

peaceinnature

It wasn't too bad too me, but I couldn't chug it down- it was too sweet. Make sure it's cold because it's less gross that way. It kind of reminded me of the "orange drink" they used to have at snack for Girl Scouts.

catherinekate

I had to do an early glucose test and it was gross, but not unbearable. The fact that it's warm (room temp) is super weird and it's a bit thick, so I had a lot of cognitive dissonance because I kept expecting it to taste like Fanta or orange crush. I saw a girl nearby chug the damn thing so maybe there's some logic in getting it over with.

Emztron500

Other methods have been tested (jelly beans, etc) but are not in use because they did not provide as accurate results as the nasty orange drink. Sorry. It's not tasty but it's not a big deal.

You can opt out, but the criteria for qualifying as low risk enough to not take it would not apply to most pregnant women. Criteria are:

• Age <25 years

• Weight normal before pregnancy

• Member of an ethnic group with a low prevalence of GDM

• No known diabetes in first-degree relatives

• No history of abnormal glucose tolerance

• No history of poor obstetric outcome

(source)

I have heard of women using a glucometer and tracking their blood sugar diligently for weeks to establish that they are not diabetic in order to avoid the test, but pricking yourself and testing your blood with a fairly expensive piece of equipment that most people don't just have lying around (and your insurance won't cover if you're not diabetic) for weeks seems like a lot more hassle to me.

hockeyfan42

I don't see why it's a big deal. It's not something you have to do every day.

scotten

I chose the lemon-lime flavor with DD, and it was just like a flat Sprite. Don't stress about it - it's really not bad at all.

Emztron500

scotten said:

I chose the lemon-lime flavor with DD, and it was just like a flat Sprite. Don't stress about it - it's really not bad at all.

Aw, you had flavour options? I'm jealous!

ScoutPout

I've actually been dreading this test. Not for chugging "gross sweet sludge" as my coworker put it but because I'm terrified my sweet tooth is going to end up making me fail this test. Has anyone on here failed it? My work does biometric screenings every year and last spring I had one and my resting sugar was really great.  I haven't changed my eating habits too much since then.  I mean...how bad does it have to be for you to have gestational diabetes?

Emztron500

@ScoutPout there are a lot of factors that determine whether you get GD. Just having a sweet tooth won't cause it. Your activity level before you get pregnant and during pregnancy has been shown to have an affect on it, and your family history certainly makes a difference (in my family it's pretty prevalent, as is type 2 diabetes, so healthy young normal-weight women just get it because they're unlucky). Being obese and being older also raise your risk. But even if you test positive it's totally manageable and you'll be fine. It's just important to know so that you can manage it!

goldie987

scotten said:

I chose the lemon-lime flavor with DD, and it was just like a flat Sprite. Don't stress about it - it's really not bad at all.

Was it clear? I saw a woman in my office chugging a clear one for her test and I always thought they were orange colored. I would be super excited if I had flavor options for mine!

huskypuppy14

Mine is in the beginning of April I think. The receptionist told me that my doctor will give me the drink to take home at my 24 week appt in March, and I can drink it on my way in to my April appointment. That's good, so I don't have to hang out at the office for an hour. Not sure if I'll have flavor options though.

totsabounding

huskypuppy14 said:

Mine is in the beginning of April I think. The receptionist told me that my doctor will give me the drink to take home at my 24 week appt in March, and I can drink it on my way in to my April appointment. That's good, so I don't have to hang out at the office for an hour. Not sure if I'll have flavor options though.

That's genius! And that way, you can make sure it's super cold to make it go down easier.

totsabounding

I view the Glucola/GD test as another in the long list of things you just have to suck it up and do. I didn't think it was too terrible. 

Emztron500

I don't understand why it can't be ice cold and fizzy. That's all I ask

scotten

Sgoldberg247 said:

scotten said:

I chose the lemon-lime flavor with DD, and it was just like a flat Sprite. Don't stress about it - it's really not bad at all.

Was it clear? I saw a woman in my office chugging a clear one for her test and I always thought they were orange colored. I would be super excited if I had flavor options for mine!

Yes! It was clear. I had the choice between orange, lemon-lime and fruit punch. I had heard the lemon-lime was the best, so that's why I chose it. Maybe I'll try something different this time to see if the rumors were right!

...And I just remembered that I totally Instagrammed a picture of the bottle nearly three years ago...

vulpini

alw12290 said:

I guess I am the only one who found is horrible!!! I hate orange flavored anythjng unless it is a real orange. The drink was warm and chalky and if I have an option to do/drink something different with the same accuracy, I will certainly do so lol. But I'm sure if you like orange flavored things in general, it may not be all that bad.

They pulled mine out of a mini fridge for me. Warm would have been worse. I heard some places had a cola flavor option instead of orange but I have no idea how common that is.

lyoash31

When I took it three years ago, I was given flavor options, and they were kept on a mini fridge so it wasn't that bad. I had a red one, but I don't remember what it was supposed to be flavored like. Fruit punch? I failed the three hour test, but I was able to keep my GD in check through diet and exercise.

Prior to becoming pregnant, my weight was only slightly above normal, I worked a fairly physically demanding job, and there wasn't a family history of diabetes. I continued to stay active throughout my pregnancy, so I just ended up being one of those unlucky few that don't have many risks but develop GD anyway. With this pregnancy they've already checked my A1c level to see if I might need to take the glucose test earlier. My number was well within normal so my OB says there's not any greater risk that I'll develop GD again, and I'll just take the glucose test at the normal point in my pregnancy. I'm not worried if I do end up developing it again because it really wasn't that difficult to deal with last time.

cy&damonsmommy

With my first pregnancy I had to take the test three times. They lost the first results, I failed the second and had to take the three hour. It was horrible

AmberLiz99

I had flavor options too, and got it in advance song could chill it and drink it before coming to the office.

VikingGirl12

First of all, pleeeease don't opt out of the test unless you plan on following a very strict GD diet regardless. It can be very dangerous for you and baby if it goes untreated.
I didn't think it was that bad! The worst part was sitting in the office for an hour. The one hour drink wasn't nearly as sweet as the three hour drink, it tasted like Sprite to me. The three hour test was worse for obvious reasons. The drink was a lot more gloopy. But still not totally awful.

annaf2011

My OB office also gave me the drink ahead of time. I didn't get a flavor option, but the orange is currently chilling in my fridge in preparation for my 24 week appointment.

GinnyJ2012

I've had two tests at two different offices. Both times I was given an option of flavors, I was given it ahead of time, and it was cold and the bottle said "keep refrigerated". The first time I was nervous and only had toast for breakfast and I was so sick after drinking it. I sat on the cold tile floor of the bathroom with a wash rag on my neck to avoid throwing up. I almost passed out on the exam table during my normal visit. They took my blood and then I threw up in a bucket.

I was dreading ever taking the test again and asked if I could opt out at my new OB office during my second pregnancy. My OB said I had to take the test. That time I had two eggs for breakfast and had no issues. I had the orange flavor both times and it didn't taste bad. I'm not sure why I had such an issue with the first time since my results were normal.

Tawny87

I will be opting for a different test after having a hard time with the test last pregnancy. The first test I got sick from all the sugar and thankfully was able to barely get through the draw before running and puking in the lab bathroom. (I failed that one) second test I only made it a 1/4 of the way through the bottle and spent about 30 min in the lab bathroom puking my guts out (which made me pee myself) I looked really amazing with a sweatshirt tied around my waist to hide the pee lol. I called my office and her solution was to wait two hours, have a huge breakfast and go get drawn again. My practitioner has agreed that I don't have to do the traditional test again since it is counter productive but I don't know which alternative she will have me do.

emmyfreeman27

My midwife prefers her patients keep a glucometer for four days and check your sugar after meals, with a food diary. It tells you what foods keep your sugar in check, and tells her if your levels are right. My mother had gestational diabetes with her pregnancies and now has Type 2. Checking my sugar over a four day period gives me and my health provider a much clearer picture of what my body is doing than a GTT, which is very important to me, considering my family history (hence, my diet/exercise lifestyle is very different than my mother's was/is).

I've never taken a GTT in three pregnancies, and likely wouldn't (it's not normal for me to ever consume that much sugar in a setting; the results wouldn't be terribly accurate). If it's the thought of stomaching it that bothers you, you can always discuss eating a candy bar with the same amount of sugar consumed in the GTT.

berky84

I had the orange kind and really didn't think it was bad at all. It tasted like a melted Otter Pop... If that reference means anything to anyone. I was a little embarrassed I kinda liked it because I've heard so many people complain.

PBear93

Mine was fruit punch and wasn't bad. I don't remember if it was cold or not though.

UseTheTriforce94

Thank you ladies so much for your input!! In the post, it was saying that most people opt out because of all the artificial ingredients in the juice stuff. But If it's not a huge deal, I won't stress it ^_^

SoEnamored

I've made it through worse shots of liquor. Chug it and enjoy an hour to yourself to read magazines. For most, it's mild in comparison to all the other stuff you're about to go thru during delivery. That was supposed to be comforting, I swear.

noslen0519

Mine was fruit punch flavored and cold the first time around. Not my first choice of beverage at 8am, but bearable. Luckily I passed and didn't have to do it again! Though I got annoyed cause they almost missed the hour window to draw while they were dealing with another annoying patient who refused let them stick her with a needle. I sat there waiting, and even had to go put to the desk to remind them of the time. The were BARELY able to use the results...

zanaerob1

I'm really confused about all these posts about being told to drink the stuff on the way into the office, and particularly eating breakfast.

In Australia a GTT requires you to be fasted, they take a fasting blood sugar level, then get you to drink the drink, then check your blood sugar again at 1 hour and 2 hours. This is how this test has been validated to check for GD.

If you drink the drink on the way in, you can't have a fasting BSL taken. And if you eat breakfast the test is useless. It's supposed to check your response to a specific amount of glucose at a specific time after eating it. If you've eaten beforehand there's no way to know what time you ate or how much extra glucose you've had, which makes the test useless?

MrsAlliKat

zanaerob1 said:

I'm really confused about all these posts about being told to drink the stuff on the way into the office, and particularly eating breakfast.

In Australia a GTT requires you to be fasted, they take a fasting blood sugar level, then get you to drink the drink, then check your blood sugar again at 1 hour and 2 hours. This is how this test has been validated to check for GD.

If you drink the drink on the way in, you can't have a fasting BSL taken. And if you eat breakfast the test is useless. It's supposed to check your response to a specific amount of glucose at a specific time after eating it. If you've eaten beforehand there's no way to know what time you ate or how much extra glucose you've had, which makes the test useless?

People who drink it before the appointment are taking a 1 hour screening test. If that is passed, then they don't have to take the test you are referring to. Everyone I know in the US only has to do the test with fasting and multiple measurements if that first screening is failed.