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High-Risk Pregnancy
Carb Loading before 3 hr glucose test or not?
What is this that I'm reading (not here, just different sites, etc.) about carb loading before the 3 hr test glucose test (before the fast)? I have read several posts here and there about how their dr. told them to eat more carbs/sugar days before the 3 hr test? That seems strange to me and not very healthy when you are considering sugar levels...but of course, I'm not a doctor either.
Then I have read about people eating low carb a few days before the test. I've seen several where there is a combo of passing whether you do the carb load or the low carb.
I'm thinking maintaining a healthy diet regardless and just staying the same a few days before the 3 hr test. My doctor didn't tell me any different or to eat different things. I do want to make a few healthy changes now (more protein for one...I was low in iron as well). But, I do want to pass this thing!
Thanks in advance for any help! 
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Carb Loading before 3 hr glucose test or not?
This one might not be answered by old posts - the questions we were talking about are the "What do you eat? When do you test? What's your go to snack?" type questions. I've seen your question on other boards, but not here, I don't think.
Anyway, to answer your question, different doctors seem to have different ideas of how to prep for the test. I have seen two OB practices and both agree that eating normally and fasting for 8-12 hours prior to the 3 hour test is the way to go. You don't want to do anything to try to "trick" the test into falsely passing. Just follow your doctor's instructions. If you have GD you'll fail no matter what you do; if you don't have GD you should pass no matter what you do.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
This would be considered a unique enough question... PP was right, we were talking more about the "OMG, I failed the 1 hr! Is my baby going to die? Am I going to need meds? What can I eat before I meet with my Dr?"
I've never heard of carb loading before the test... my doc didn't give me any special instructions other than to not eat 12 hrs beforehand. I don't think it really matters, and you don't want to try and "trick" the test. If you have GD, you want to know about it.
This is my second GD pregnancy. The first time I failed the 3 hour, my OB didn't give me any instructions, so I ate normally and fasted. The MFM said that I should have made sure to eat at least 150 gm of carb per day for 3 days prior to the 3 hour test, and fast after midnight. I failed that time.
This time, OB gave no instructions, but MFM gave me the 150 gm carb instructions. I still failed. I failed the same values (1 hour and 2 hour) as last time. I don't think this would have tricked the test, but my specialist wanted to make sure that I was eating enough carb in the days prior to the test. He knew I had been following the GD diet since my BFP. It made no difference to me. Eating 30 gm of carb for breakfast, 15 with morning snack, 45 for lunch and dinner, and 15-30 with afternoon and evening snack will more than cover your carb loading and you didn't do anything crazy (like eat a huge slice of cake with icing). I would follow my doctor's instructions, but do make sure to eat enough carbs in the days leading up to the test. GL!
So, with DS, I had to do the special carb diet before the 3 hour along with the 12 hour fast and passed. This time I ate normally and fasted 12 hours and failed.
For me, the carb thing is a trick. According to my MFM, I honestly failed last time. He counts failing fasting as an automatic fail. That was the only value I failed last pregnancy. This time I passed the fasting and failed the 1 and 2 hour values.