Gestational Diabetes Testing Thread

adventuresawait1

@beanship So glad you were able to work it out with your doctor! Doctors can be so intimidating and hard to get answers from - well done. 

My quick update is that I had my 3-hour test last Thursday and was able to view my results online yesterday. I had one high result - on the one-hour, 174 against a 170 target - but the other three were all well within range. The online description says two high values are needed to diagnose GD and I haven’t heard from the doctor’s office, so I’m guessing it’s ok. I also understand that some doctors use a higher cutoff of 180. 

zande2016

@adventuresawait1 it sounds like you're good! You're correct that you would need 2 high numbers to be diagnosed. 

Ugh I'm so confused. My fasting numbers have been great for a couple weeks now, high 80s and low 90s (my goal is less than 95), and I even had a high 70s the other morning. Then today it was 106. I literally did nothing different. I wonder if this is the start of the dreaded hormone surge. I'll make sure to get a lot of exercise today and see if that helps tomorrow. I was getting so hopeful I could avoid insulin since I've been well controlled with diet and exercise, but now I am looking at 16 more weeks and increasing hormones and losing hope. My main issue with going on insulin (besides it being so expensive) is that would risk me out of using the birth center, and increase the chances of being induced early. 

moguippy

@zande2016 Do you think you might be getting sick? your numbers always go up when you are sick. Or it could just be one random result (hopefully).

zande2016

@moguippy that's so interesting, I never thought of that. My son had a cold this weekend and I have started coming down with it over the past couple days. My after breakfast was high too, even though I ate my normal breakfast. 

moguippy

Yup.. sounds like you are getting sick. I had an upper respiratory infection and my fasting numbers where like 15 pts higher than normal (was only testing fasting at that point) the entire time I was sick. Went back to normal when I got better. Hopefully that's the case for your numbers (although being sick sucks)

purplepelican

@zande2016 Hoping that your numbers are just being sick and that you can avoid the insulin!

I'm behind the 8-ball this morning with work and a bunch of other stuff and I forgot to test my blood sugar when I woke up. Oops. My appointment with the diabetes educator is tomorrow, so I'm mentally preparing myself to say goodbye to all my favorite carbs. Last night I had ice cream with dinner and discovered that ice cream is wayyyyyy better for my blood sugar than potatoes are. So @zande2016 you were right about the dang potatoes doing crazy things to blood sugar that other foods don't do. 

zande2016

Ice cream has been great for my numbers @beanship - so strange. I miss potatoes but I guess ice cream will have to replace it for now  

purplepelican

@zande2016 I'm totally down for considering ice cream to be a health food for the next 4-ish months. 

zehcnasella

Literally just got the call that my 2nd time (last time was at like 12 weeks) taking the 3 hour Glucose Test I failed. I am 26 Weeks now. I see a nutritionist tomorrow. 
I am super bummed (been crying for like a half hour) I feel it’s my fault since I’m over weight. About to tackle this GD diet hard though. Anyone else get diagnosed? Need support :-( 
I feel ashamed to tell anyone else besides my husband and my mom. 

purplepelican

@zehcnasella It's definitely not your fault and is nothing to be ashamed of! Women of all shapes and sizes get gestational diabetes. 

moguippy

would now be a good time for the thread for ladies needing support for a GD diagnosis/ sugar issues in general? 

morethanamama

@zehcnasella it's not your fault! Please don't blame yourself. As long as you work on getting it under control everything will be fine. And maybe some of the good habits will stick around for the postpartum time!

Also, I know lots of people who are super fit and healthy and still have GD. I started at a healthy weight and very active and I'm open to the possibility I may still have it!

zande2016

@zehcnasella I totally understand how you feel. I felt the exact same way when I was diagnosed at 18 weeks. Last pregnancy I didn't have it, and this time I started out much heavier, so I convinced myself it was my fault. I also felt really ashamed and only told my H and my mom. Eventually I told more people, now feel less embarrassed, and have accepted that my body just couldn't handle insulin with the pregnancy hormones this time. Take some time to process the diagnosis. It's okay to feel the way you do, but know that it's not your fault. Once you start testing and controlling your sugars, I think being actively involved in the condition makes it easier to handle emotionally. I'm sorry you're in this crappy boat, but you're not alone! 

@moguippy yes I think so! I was diagnosed really early so I've been waiting for others to get the diagnosis before suggesting a support thread (not that I want others to be diagnosed of course). It seems as we approach the 3rd trimester, it's a good time to do a check in or support thread. 

adventuresawait1

@zande2016 Thanks, and much support for you as you figure out why your numbers are going up.  If you're getting sick, hope you feel better soon!

@zehcnasella Sorry you got a tough result.  I have read up a lot in the last few weeks, and sounds like it's a pregnancy thing that all sorts of people with all sorts of body types get.  Sending good vibes your way as you figure out how to tackle this.

moguippy

@zande2016 would you mind starting it?  you are probably the most knowledgeable about GD at this point. if not, I can start one, no biggie

zande2016

@moguippy sure, let me stalk other BMBs and see if I can find a format to copy - will try to post something tonight. 

zehcnasella

Thank you guys. You made me feel better. I have the nutritionist appointment tomorrow and pick up supplies tonight. I’m not joking around I want to get on top of this as soon as possible. Thanks for the support.

 And I would love a separate thread for support :-). Thanks guys

Sarafuss

I still have some time before my glucose test but as far as the new thread, we did a weekly check-in on my last BMB.  I think we said how far along we were, if we were diet controlled/med controlled, a section to ask questions, a section to suggest foods/meals that worked well or foods that spiked blood sugar, etc.  Just thought I'd mention those if @zande2016 or whoever is creating it needed ideas.

zande2016

Thanks @Sarafuss! Strangely there don't seem to be any recent boards with GD check ins that I could find so I hope I did okay. The thread is up. 

WorkinWeezel

I just got the call that I failed my f*cking 1 hour test.  My number was 178 . I had a cheese stick before hand, and went at 615am.  I just don't get it.  I was fine with my other two kids, and I had to get the test at 13 weeks because of my age and history of gigantic babies and I passed that just fine.  I know I could still pass the 3 hour and that's all well and good, but I'm already so stressed out and this is not helping.  I have absolutely no idea where I'm going to find 3 hours to go and sit in a hospital/lab to take the damn test.

Sorry, /vent.

adventuresawait1

@WorkinWeezel Sorry to hear it - that's tough!  Agree with the skepticism around these tests 100%.  Sending positive thoughts your way!

WorkinWeezel

Thanks @adventuresawait1I'm just super annoyed. I already eat super healthy and workout all.the.time.  I don't know what else I could do to make a lifestyle change.  I'm going to start a food diary just to be sure, and luckily we have a dietitian at school that can help me through . Oy.  I'm going to start now just in case!

ckmb_1250

@WorkinWeezel any chance they'll let you prick your finger and check your glucose after meals for a week as an alternative? I just started mine today and was surprised at how easy it is / doesn't hurt at all & you don't have to artificially overload yourself with sugar.

WorkinWeezel

@ckmb_knottie they did not offer.  I go to the doc on Tuesday afternoon, and the earliest I can get in for the 3 hour is Tuesday morning, so I'll go then.  Maybe I'll call today and see what they say.  

noideawhatshesdoing

Just got back from the 1 hour test, won't know if I passed or failed for a couple days. But dang, that drink was not my favorite thing. It was like drinking Sprite that hadn't been mixed with the carbonated water, just the pure syrup part. Thankfully the bottle isn't that big. Prefer not to do that again. DH came with me for moral support.

wildtot

There are 105 posts on here and i haven’t kept up so sorry if this has been answered.
My one hour test is scheduled in about 3 wks and it’s in the afternoon. The paper they gave me said to eat normal but when my insurance nurse called to check in she thought it was weird there were no restrictions. She advised to not eat 3 hrs before the test and a heavy protein based lunch. I seriously considering changing my appointment to AM so i don’t have to deal with this and potentially fail. Any advice? 

paytonpedro

wildtot said:

There are 105 posts on here and i haven’t kept up so sorry if this has been answered.
My one hour test is scheduled in about 3 wks and it’s in the afternoon. The paper they gave me said to eat normal but when my insurance nurse called to check in she thought it was weird there were no restrictions. She advised to not eat 3 hrs before the test and a heavy protein based lunch. I seriously considering changing my appointment to AM so i don’t have to deal with this and potentially fail. Any advice? 

I just went for my test on Thursday and on my paperwork it said non fasting and when I asked the phlebotomist she said it was non fasting, but I went at like 6:30am and therefore fasted. I guess I don’t have any advice except maybe try to avoid carbs/sugar before you go. I could have sworn I was told to fast last time so that’s why I did this time as well. Maybe just change the appt. if you’re more comfortable?

paytonpedro

I posted in randoms and then I saw that I somehow missed this thread and that it fits much better here. 

Question!
I did the GD test on Thursday morning. The doctor would obviously call me if I fail right? I went at 6:30am so I’m sure they were able to run it same day, but I had to go to a lab because they don’t do it at the office. Anyone know how this works or how soon I would expect to hear from them if something was wrong? Like is it safe to over indulge in peeps this weekend orrrrrr......? Kidding. Kind of. 

Edit because randoms not ransoms 

adventuresawait1

@wildtot. I failed in the afternoon (didn’t fast) and my sister (a doctor) says false positives are more likely if you don’t fast. I’d suggest rescheduling if you can. (I passed the three hour, but it was not fun!)

@paytonpedro When I failed my 1-hour, they called me the next day. They seemed to feel some urgency around scheduling the next test. Took them a few days to call me the second time around when I got a better result for the three hour. But also, if your doctor uses Labcorp or a company like that, you may be able to sign up online and then view your results. There is a waiting period before they release, but you may at least be able to look on Monday. 

zande2016

@paytonpedro my first pregnancy they called me the same afternoon when I failed the one hour, then with this pregnancy they called me I think the next day. They do act fast when you fail, and my office wont call at all if you pass the one hour. 

@wildtot fasting isn't necessary but you're more likely to get false positives if you eat before. I'd just fast a few hours and avoid anything sugary or carb heavy that day. 

noideawhatshesdoing

@paytonpedro I had my test yesterday morning and results were ready and in my online portal at the end of the day. I hope they will call me Monday to confirm, but with the results I have it looks like I passed. Glad that I did because I had a wicked rebound headache from the drink the rest of the day and really don't want to drink it again. Seems like they call pretty quick if you fail it, but it might vary from region to region.

morethanamama

Going in tomorrow morning! Eating well today even though all I want is a ton of breakfast tacos...

stlmegs

@wildtot my dr told me I could eat before hand, just nothing super sugary or high carb.  I had 2 hardboiled egg whites and half of a protein shake and my result was 69 (which I thought was super low considering I did eat something in the morning but my dr wasn't concerned.  I also have thyroid issues so maybe that plays into it?)

@kissableviv I ate SO MUCH SUGAR last Thursday and took my test Friday am.  My team facilitated a leadership retreat that was opening day/baseball themed and all I ate all day was crap. Crackerjacks, nachos, hot dog, cookies, ice cream.  Terrible!  lol.  I was worried about it throwing off the result but it ended up being fine.  

paytonpedro

Thanks ladies! I know last time I never got a call because I passed. It’s past 5pm now on Monday and I haven’t heard from them so I’m *assuming* all is well! I really really hope so! I also got a terrible headache after. I’m not signed up for any of the online stuff. Not for any reason, I’m just old school and stubborn. Lol. I guess I could always call tomorrow and see what they say.

SmashJam

At my appt yesterday I got the drink to take on my own before my next appt. in May. The midwife was like, don't eat right before, and I said, "Yeah i know, fast." and she was like, "NO! Don't fast! I didn't say that! Just don't eat like, the hour before you take it and eat completely normally the rest of the time." I thought that was weird, I just ate french toast and a protein smoothie with fruit in it for breakfast, and the french toast had maple syrup on it. I wonder if she really meant ANYTHING was ok, lol, or assumes I don't eat sugary carby things.

wildtot

Thanks ladies. I just changed my appointment to earlier that morning to avoid any false results. 

morethanamama

Sitting here waiting for the blood draw. The lime flavor was perfectly fine TBH. Tasted like flat seven up. I hate that I cannot drink water. Blah!30 min to go.

stlmegs

@kissableviv good luck!!

WorkinWeezel

@kissableviv I didn't know we couldn't drink water...?!

@paytonpedro I wonder if the holiday had anything to do with delaying results?  I always get mine the next day.  I failed my 1 hour this time around, and they called the next morning.  Went for the 3 hour today.

@wildtot for my other two pregnancies, I fasted before the 1 hour and passed both times.  For this one, at 13 weeks I had to take it and I ate a scrambled egg and passed.  For the 1 hour at 26 weeks I ate a cheese stick and failed.  I fasted today for the 3 hour.

Now I'm worried that I drank water through my 3 hour test today.  I drank it through the 1 hour test, too.  And I'm talking I drank about 84 oz of water today, 30 oz at the 1 hour.  Why can't you drink water?  They never told me not to, and I literally sat in the lab chugging water and peed like 4x.  Woops!

zande2016

@WorkinWeezel I believe it's because water can dilute your blood sugar...possibly leading to a false negative. Same reason they don't want you to move around much, they just want you to sit there. I have GD and I know when I drink a ton of water after I eat, my reading an hour after the meal is usually lower than if I did not drink water. If you pass, you might want to mention to your doctor that you drank water. I know re taking it would suck, but I wouldn't want to have undetected GD either. If you fail, then I would think you really do have it and did not fail because of the water, but still wouldn't hurt to check with the doctor.