That darn glucose test!

dlBinger61713 · March 2013

Today, at my 25 week appointment, the doctor looks at me and says "The nurse told you you were going to take the glucose test today, right?" Um, NO! I knew it was around the corner somewhere, but thought it would be at the next visit. All I could think about was the cup of icecream I had yesterday afternoon...that piece of chocolate I had last night...and that cup of coffee with a little sugar and that bagel that translates into sugar, this morning. How easy is it to fail a glucose test? How many of you had to do the follow up one? All I can say is at least my BP looked really good...

kducharme · March 2013

I haven't had mine yet, but for some reason this test is giving me anxiety. From what I have read it's pretty common to fail the first test.

dlBinger61713 · March 2013

I appreciate your keeping it real...but man, I'm really anxious now! They did tell me that if I didn't hear anything from them in a week or two that I passed. I wish they'd call me either way.

kducharme · March 2013

OMG! That sucks you have to wait 2 weeks to hear! That seems really long! Good luck, I'm sure everything is fine

paigenicole23 · March 2013

Honestly, what you ate the night before and even 4-6 hours prior to taking the test doesn't matter unless you have GD, meaning it takes longer for your body to process. I had my test last thursday-I had 2 reese's pb eggs as a 2am snack, a giant spoon of frosting at 10 am and a normal diet until I took my test at 2pm and I passed. Unless they tell you to fast, I wouldn't worry about what you ate. You want accuracy, and to me eating a normal diet and doing the tests seems like it would be more accurate unless advised otherwise. GD isn't brought on by what you eat-it can be controlled by what you eat. People who eat nothing but veggies and lean meat can fail. There are many women who fail the one hour and go on to pass the three hour.

I advise reading this:

https://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/gestational_diabetes

RussianMommy · March 2013

eating too much sugar doesnt cause GD. it's the placenta that controls all of that

dlBinger61713 · March 2013

paigenicole23:
Honestly, what you ate the night before and even 4-6 hours prior to taking the test doesn't matter unless you have GD, meaning it takes longer for your body to process. I had my test last thursday-I had 2 reese's pb eggs as a 2am snack, a giant spoon of frosting at 10 am and a normal diet until I took my test at 2pm and I passed. Unless they tell you to fast, I wouldn't worry about what you ate. You want accuracy, and to me eating a normal diet and doing the tests seems like it would be more accurate unless advised otherwise. GD isn't brought on by what you eat-it can be controlled by what you eat. People who eat nothing but veggies and lean meat can fail. There are many women who fail the one hour and go on to pass the three hour.
I advise reading this:
https://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/gestational_diabetes

Thanks for the link! Very helpful material here. Encourage others to read this too.

amarissa85 · March 2013

I hadn't eaten 4 hours before my test and failed it, I had to follow up with the 3 hour and still ended up on the GD diet since I failed so early on. (Test was taken at 10 weeks because I am high risk for it)

katiebenes · March 2013

I failed my one hour because I had carbs about 3 hours before the test. only by 3 points though.

I am awaiting my 3 hour results. (note : I tested early because of family history and weight and twins)

JocelynB0911 · March 2013

To me its strange that if you told them she didnt mention it to you why they wouldnt just have you stop in the lab on a day that you've been fasting to take it. I passed each of my tests the first go round with each pregnancy. If you have to do the 3 hour one then so be it, just make sure the date is clear this time.

JocelynB0911 · March 2013

katiebenes:
I failed my one hour because I had carbs about 3 hours before the test. only by 3 points though.
I am awaiting my 3 hour results. (note : I tested early because of family history and weight and twins)

Oh no, Katie! I called my doc on this today and he's not going to test me until between 24-27 weeks. Hes basing that solely on the fact that I had two healthy pregnancies with no GD issues and some lab work that they did.

keep me posted on the results. The High Risk board has a ton of ladies with GD on it and it could be a good starting point.

katiebenes · March 2013

The doctor isn't worried with me because of the carbs and the fact that it was BARELY over

ariaforte8 · March 2013

It really is best to eat as you normally would before the glucose test anyway. Avoiding sugar for awhile may "trick" the test, but it won't change whether you have GD or not. Instead, you may put yourself in the 10%-20% of women who HAVE GD, but the screen misses.

achadwick19 · March 2013

I get mine on the 18th because of my BMI being high. I am pretty nervous hearing about how so many people fail it. My aunt told me that the 3 hour test was awful and she was positive after that and she had to prick her finger every day. I don't want to prick my finger! lol.

JilllyBean · March 2013

ariaforte8:
It really is best to eat as you normally would before the glucose test anyway. Avoiding sugar for awhile may "trick" the test, but it won't change whether you have GD or not. Instead, you may put yourself in the 10%-20% of women who HAVE GD, but the screen misses.

I thought you were supposed to fast before. I know I am.

CPBP · March 2013

I failed the first one but it was probably because I ate about 20 vanilla Tootsie rolls in school that day. Idiot! What was I thinking? If you fail, the 3 hour is boring and annoying, but not the end of the world. My 3 hour one was fine.

amarissa85 · March 2013

JilllyBean:
ariaforte8:
It really is best to eat as you normally would before the glucose test anyway. Avoiding sugar for awhile may "trick" the test, but it won't change whether you have GD or not. Instead, you may put yourself in the 10%-20% of women who HAVE GD, but the screen misses. 
I thought you were supposed to fast before. I know I am. 

No you fast before the 3 hour. For the 1 hour you eat normally.

ariaforte8 · March 2013

amarissa85:
JilllyBean:
ariaforte8:
It really is best to eat as you normally would before the glucose test anyway. Avoiding sugar for awhile may "trick" the test, but it won't change whether you have GD or not. Instead, you may put yourself in the 10%-20% of women who HAVE GD, but the screen misses. 
I thought you were supposed to fast before. I know I am. 

No you fast before the 3 hour. For the 1 hour you eat normally.

A small minority of doctors ask you to fast before the 1 hr, but that is not the standard procedure. They would also expect a much much lower number from you than if you weren't fasting.

The standard is you eating normally, and your numbers would be considered high if above 130 to 140 depending on the doc and other risk factors.

ETA: In a woman without GD, a normal meal shouldn't cause a spike above 130 to 140 because her body produces enough insulin to keep up with the sugar. In a woman with GD, it would not. GD can be controlled with diet. This is why purposely changing your diet and eating little to no sugar can be bad because although you may still have GD, you were "treating" it on the day of your test. When you go back to your normal habits it will cause problems, but unfortunately for you the screen didn't catch it.

HZ2012 · March 2013

Don't worry about what you've eaten day of the 1 hour. I know people who've eaten carb loaded breakfasts and went on to pass it. I ate 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast that morning, and failed it by 3 points. There's really no rhyme or reason, it's how YOUR placenta reacts to the sugar. I had to fast for the 3 hour, and passed it. I was told that the 1 hour has a very high false positive, and that 9 out of 10 women will pass the 3 hour. Good luck!

ariaforte8 · March 2013

HZ2012:
Don't worry about what you've eaten day of the 1 hour. I know people who've eaten carb loaded breakfasts and went on to pass it. I ate 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast that morning, and failed it by 3 points. There's really no rhyme or reason, it's how YOUR placenta reacts to the sugar. I had to fast for the 3 hour, and passed it. I was told that the 1 hour has a very high false positive, and that 9 out of 10 women will pass the 3 hour. Good luck!nbsp;

Scientifically speaking, it's not about how your placenta reacts to anything. Yes, your placenta creates the hormones that causes all pregnant women to need 2 to 3 times more insulin than normal. In most women, that's not a problem. In women with GD, her Pancreas is the problem: it cannot keep up and create the needed insulin. Hence high blood sugar. This can be controlled in some women by restricting diet to keep the blood sugar down . This doesn't create more insulin, but the body has less sugar to deal with. This is why changing your diet the day of the 1 hr is bad. If you have GD you're temprarily treating to trick the test. Other women need synthetic insulin to make up for her lame pancreas and keep her blood sugar down.

williswifey2 · March 2013

That sucks they didn't tell you beforehand...so that means you had to drink the glucola and then wait around to have your blood taken? My test is in a couple of weeks and I am axious for it, as I failed the 1 hour with DD. BY ONE POINT. Had to the 3 hour and passed with flying colors they said. You'll be fine if you don't pass. Just make sure they tell you about the 3 hour test this time! That's bad planning on their part!!!

EMunion777 · March 2013

I was told to not fast but just have a light breakfast of a piece of toast or 2. I ended up failing my first test but I passed my second. I'm super nervous about taking it. More so because going 3 hours for the second test last time was hard for me. I was super hungry and people were eating in the waiting room. I eat about every 2 hours (just in small amounts) when i'm pregnant or else I feel sick.

JilllyBean · March 2013

amarissa85:
JilllyBean:
ariaforte8:
It really is best to eat as you normally would before the glucose test anyway. Avoiding sugar for awhile may "trick" the test, but it won't change whether you have GD or not. Instead, you may put yourself in the 10%-20% of women who HAVE GD, but the screen misses.
I thought you were supposed to fast before. I know I am.
No you fast before the 3 hour. For the 1 hour you eat normally.

Not mine

AmeliaKris · March 2013

I failed the one hr by 3 points and had to do 3 hr. I passed every draw on that with flying colors.

magdalina.h · March 2013

My dr says to eat like normal because you want accurate results.

liz&chris1017 · March 2013

I had to do an early one at 20 weeks and I was terrified. I think I got myself more worked up than necessary, it wasn't as bad as I expected. They could tell me I passed the second they pricked my finger so I would just ask while your there if it looks good or bad. Worst part for me was getting my finger pricked. Good luck

NewMomy2013 · March 2013

When do they usually do the glucose test?

ariaforte8 · March 2013

NewMomy2013:
When do they usually do the glucose test?

Traditionally sometime between 24 and 28 weeks.

dlBinger61713 · March 2013

williswifey2:
That sucks they didn't tell you beforehand...so that means you had to drink the glucola and then wait around to have your blood taken? My test is in a couple of weeks and I am axious for it, as I failed the 1 hour with DD. BY ONE POINT. Had to the 3 hour and passed with flying colors they said. You'll be fine if you don't pass. Just make sure they tell you about the 3 hour test this time! That's bad planning on their part!!!

Yeah, I don't know why everyone just assumed someone else had told me. The only reason I suspected the test would happen soon is because I read up on the time frame they usually try to test you in. Ugh. You can bet I'll be asking more questions if they call me for that 3 hour one.

Diana909 · March 2013

The same thing happened to me but they told me to go in anytime between now and my 28 week mark to do the test. They told me to fast for just two hours before I take it. I'm surprised they even let you do the test, but every doc office has different protocols. I am sure you are totally fine.

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