GD/glucose test advice

kzangs15 · July 2015

I just took my 1 hour (which I failed) and 3 hour (which I passed) glucose tests and thought I'd pass on some advice.

My husband's aunt, who is a phlebotomist, just told me that if you take your 1 hour glucose test in the afternoon you are more likely to get a false positive for GD. For those of you that don't know, when you fail the 1 hour, most clinics make you come in to take a 3 hour test, which involves fasting 8-10 hours beforehand and having your blood drawn 4 times (a baseline and one draw each hour after drinking the glucose).

I wish I had known that, I could have potentially saved myself 3.5 hours of my time having to go in for the second test!!
My DD is Sept 27th, so I'm actually a part of the Sept birth month group but wanted to be helpful for those of you who have your test coming up
Good luck!!

FrozenMommy · July 2015

I was told to fast for all tests. It makes sense to me. If there is already some sugar in your system when you test, yes of course it can make a positive. The point is to see how well you metabolize just the drink.

kzangs15 · July 2015

I was only told to eat low carb/low sugar for the day of my test. I'm sure you're right, had I skipped lunch, I probably would have passed.

komorebi · July 2015

I fasted for the test for the first time and it was my first afternoon appt. I'm curious how it'll go because it was the first time i felt awful from it. I don't think i have gd and a three hour test sounds awful.

momming247 · July 2015

Mine is first thing in the am...I'm thinking maybe a couple of eggs and some water 2 hours before the test is good? I've been looking g for advice about what.not to do, but see a lot.of backlash on blogs for girls asking this question bc others assume they are trying to cheat the test.

kzangs15 · July 2015

I don't see how you could really "cheat" the test, they watch you drink the glucose and time you while you wait in the office - they know the amount of sugar in your system. Really, people are just trying to avoid a false positive on the 1 hour, which I've heard is very common.

momming247 · July 2015

Exactly @kzangs15 . No one wants to take the 3 hour bc they failed the 1 hour over a simple mistake.

christina4436 · July 2015

My doctor gave me the drink to drink before I came so I don't need to wait there for an hour. But obviously cheating wouldn't benefit me or the baby and that's why you are getting it after all...?

michellelynn6 · July 2015

christina4436 said:

My doctor gave me the drink to drink before I came so I don't need to wait there for an hour. But obviously cheating wouldn't benefit me or the baby and that's why you are getting it after all...?

This is how my doctor does it. I don't think anyone means "cheating" but my doctor did say that I didn't need to fast before the test, but to absolutely NOT eat anything sugary for breakfast before the test because it can give a false reading. This is good to know. Personally, I don't like savory breakfast foods, so if I hadn't known that, I would eat my normal cereal breakfast and probably get a false reading.

kzangs15 · July 2015

I'm really surprised they would give it to you to take outside of their office...I've never heard of that.

plumpous · July 2015

I wish I knew that too because I went in for a GD test after work and failed by very little. The 3 hour test is no walk in the park. It pretty much wrecks half your day. 3 hours of just wasting time at the doctor's office, then getting poked 4 times, and then after that being so dizzy that it take a few hours to get back to normal.

Grazil17 · July 2015

So this is my second pregnancy and I didn't have to take or was never offered the test with the first one. Can that happen? I have the same OB this go round, I guess I should be asking some questions.

adriennerose80 · July 2015

I definitely agree on no sugar and LOW carbs beforehand. I had some plain greek yogurt with walnuts for breakfast, not even coffee, and I passed. It was the false negative that scared me into going into that thing hungry!

TrinityJoy · July 2015

This is good advice. I however fasted for my one hour and did it first thing in the morning and I failed. I'm going back in for the 3 hour on Tuesday and I am not looking forward to it.

Knottie12323835 · July 2015

I'm also lurking from the Sept. 2015 board (EDD 9/28) and passed my one hour. I did it early in the morning and had "fasted" (which meant I was running late and didn't have time to eat. Lol) I would advise that if your doctor allows, drink as much water as possible during the 1 hr wait after drinking the glucose. I didn't drink enough and they had a very hard time with the blood draw and my Doc said that I wouldn't be as dizzy if I was hydrated because it would help balance the high sugar.

satori15 · July 2015

I fasted this time too- because I was crazy busy and didn't have time to eat! Passed. Didn't pass with DS and had eaten a low carb breakfast so there you go.

ameares721 · July 2015

I wish I had read this on Tuesday! I (barely) failed my one hour on Wednesday and I took it at 3:30 in the afternoon with high protein, low carb, low sugar diet. Now I have to do the three hour first thing in the morning and I'm dreading it. I had no risk factors for GD going in, so my midwife was surprised but is hopeful I will pass the three hour. I'm pretty sure fasting for 12+ hours and loading up on sugar (and not getting to drink water during the three hours!) will leave me with a giant headache. Best of luck to all those getting ready to take it!

Knottie59387608 · July 2015

I passed my one hour test, my doctor told me not to fast but not to eat anything high in sugar like cereal, but foods that had more carbs in them. I ate toast with melted cheese for breakfast and I passed fine. I don't think I could handle fasting then getting my blood taken 4 times lol just once makes me dizzy.

ashxduhh · July 2015

I take my test Monday morning at 8am and I am not allowed to eat anything after midnight on Sunday. I am honestly really nervous cause blood samples already make me a wreck so I can't imagine going in on an empty stomach. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes.

Kbabs47 · July 2015

Unfortunately i failed my one hour

BUT I ate horrendously the weekend before (test was Monday at 9a). So was told for the 3 hr I now have this coming Monday again at 9a to avoid too much sugar and carbs and basically eat a high protein diet with lots of vegetables. So I'm doing my best. But if it helps me avoid a false positive I'll do it. There is no cheating the test. You either have GD or you don't and the scores will show that. But failing by a few points is what is trying to be avoided.
I'm nervous about fasting from midnight on and now having to do the 3 hr though! I was so sick after fasting for the 1 hr! I live 30 mins from my OB and on the way home actually had to pull off the highway to stop and get nuggets at McDonald's and then luckily instantly felt better. This time around I'll be sure to pack a snack for the ride home!

twogirlsandagreen · July 2015

Has anyone eaten 28 jellybeans instead of the glucola? I found some dye free, corn syrup free jelly beans at whole foods that I would much rather have than the glucola (it has made me feel absolutely horrible in both previous pregnancies and I want to cry just thinking about feeling that badly). My ob won't agree to letting me keep a food journal and use a blood sugar meter at home.

hmross33 · July 2015

I was given the bottle of orange flavored glucola at my last appointment to drink an hour before my next ob appointment. (Same process with my first son!) With my first son, I failed the test and they had me retake the 1 hour test a couple days later, which I passed! Neither time did they instruct me what not to eat prior, if anything. However, I definitely think what you eat in the few hours before taking the test affects the results!

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