Welp... I did not pass the one hour test. I ate something kind of sugary about an hour before the test so wondering if that messed me up. It's frustrating bc I usually eat well and already exercise so I'm not sure what else to do better. Going for 3 hour test Monday. Also found out I'm slightly anemic and need to take iron pills. I'm just bummed, work is so much right now and so much depends on me but I have to take care of myself. 😞
@runningfortwo81 I was told at my last appointment that I didn’t need to do anything special beforehand but I have been told during other pregnancies to eat a high protein, low carb breakfast before coming. I think I’m another pregnancy I was told to not eat anything before taking it. I wish they were all consistent. I’m sorry you failed the 1 hour. Hopefully you pass the 3 hour with flying colors!
@runningfortwo81 make sure to stay relaxed and do some deep breathing. This next one will give you more concrete information. I see a lot of people who fail the 1 hour and pass the three hour with no problems. Also remember that GD isnt always within your control. Ive known marathon runners and people who eat low carb in general who were diagnosed with GD. So if the diagnosis is that, you didnt do anything wrong. The best thing right now is to drink lots of water, keep exercising, and get a lot of rest. Do not stress yourself out this next week because stress can raise your insulin levels. Self care this week!!! Much love to you and let us know if you need any thing on Monday.
@runningfortwo81 aw I’m so sorry about the 1 hour test! Hopefully the 3 hour will go better. There seems to be so much conflicting advice like @emeraldcity1214 said. My OB recommended I not eat before my 1 hr test, but others say to eat 🤷🏻♀️ He also said I could be doing everything perfectly well but could still get diagnosed like @purplefan1 said. Either way you’re amazing!!
Had my 1 hr drink this morning. I just got back from the beach last night and eating like pure garbage for 5 days (6 lbs in water weight too, yay) so I hope that doesn’t skew this but they didn’t seem too concerned.
@runningfortwo81 good luck on the three hour test - like others have said it really isn't your fault if you have GD, but I also know plenty of ladies who fail the 1 hour but pass the 3. So try not to worry until you do that one. I'm sorry you have to do that, though. And, try not to stress about work. I totally get it because I have a million jobs and I have a hard time turning down projects because $$ but I'm trying to take a little time for myself each week as well because we're important too! Work will be there later if you need to take a break.
@runningfortwo81 I'm sorry about the 1 hour test! Try not to stress too much about the 3 hour one and try to take a moment to relax (I know that's easier said than done). By looking at everyone's responses as to what you are supposed to do before the 1 hour, I don't know how this particular test could be the most accurate reading. I was told to fast beforehand and could only have water after midnight. I also echo everyone in saying, you could be the healthiest person around and still get GD, so don't feel like it's your fault! Hoping you have a more stress-free day today!
@runningfortwo81 make sure to stay relaxed and do some deep breathing. This next one will give you more concrete information. I see a lot of people who fail the 1 hour and pass the three hour with no problems. Also remember that GD isnt always within your control. Ive known marathon runners and people who eat low carb in general who were diagnosed with GD. So if the diagnosis is that, you didnt do anything wrong. The best thing right now is to drink lots of water, keep exercising, and get a lot of rest. Do not stress yourself out this next week because stress can raise your insulin levels. Self care this week!!! Much love to you and let us know if you need any thing on Monday.
Quoting this because @purplefan1 is spot on and always has good advice in this area!
Just remember, GD doesnt care if your an elite marathoner or someone doesn't exercise at all. Its more tied to hormones and genetics and you cant out run that. I'm a marathon runner who was diagnosed with GD with my first pregnancy and I was shocked. But I didnt know all those facts and once I realized it, it did make me feel a bit better because it wasnt something i did or didnt do to get GD. If you get diagnosed, itll be overwhelming at first but you've got this! ❤
But I also failed my 1 hour and passed my 3 hour this pregnancy, so failing the 1 hour doesnt mean much without the 3 hour. Thinking of you and praying you pass the 3 hour with flying colors so you dont have to worry about it anymore!!
@runningfortwo81 Like other PPs have said, try not to worry. Failing the 1 hour and passing the 3 hour is quite common. I failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour my last pregnancy. I had something high carb for breakfast that morning and I will forever consider my breakfast choice as the sole reason I failed the 1 hour.
For the three hour, I had to fast for 10 hours before the test and by the time the three hour mark had come, I was starving and felt very lightheaded. Be sure to pack snacks so you can eat right after you're done. Also, bring a good book. It can get quite boring sitting around waiting for each blood draw.
Me: 36 DH: 40 Together since 2007 |Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
BFP: 11/9/16 | EDD: 7/22/17
DD born 7/16/17
TTC #2: December 2018 BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19 DS born 11/3/19
@runningfortwo81 I haven't gotten my results back for my one hour yet but I had also failed my one hour last pregnancy.. I echo what @klstone25 said about a good book and maybe even headphones so you can binge your favorite netflix or hulu show for those 3 hours. It helped mine go by much faster during the 3 hour!
Thanks, ladies. Unfortunately, with the craziness that is my job right now I will be working as I've confirmed that my doctor's office has WiFi. Fun times. Haha.
@running4two I hope your 3 hour test goes better but sorry you have to deal with doing it.
I have a flip side question for any STM- have you ever been told your results were too low? I had my test a month ago and they don’t call if you pass. I had my 28 week visit yesterday and she told me what my number was and said it was great. But then I made the mistake, per usual, of googling and came upon something that said anything under 88mg/dl indicates hypoglycemia. I’m definitely going to ask at my next appointment in two weeks but just wondering anyone has been told this before and if there was any cause for concern.
@kopp5988 Anything in the 80s is perfect, both for a fasting or a post meal number. If your doctor isnt concerned, then I wouldnt worry about it. But definitely ask your OB more questions if you need further reassurance!
Really if you do have hypoglycemia, the biggest thing is to to eat small snacks throughout the days to keep your sugar from dropping too low. It's a little easier to manage I think vs hyperglycemia. ---‐----- I edited my original post so I don't freak anyone else out! 😂
Was it true fasting or post fast/1 hour level @mc0303? Post 1 hour levels are a bit broader, I should have specified that. For purposes of the 1 hour test they look for under 140, so your number should be fine!
I didnt mean to freak anyone out! I was just trying to reassure the PP that if her number was in the 80s and her doctor wasnt concerned, shes most likely ok!
@gumby22c hmmm well I didn’t eat after dinner the night before and then did the 1 hr first thing the morning....didn’t have breakfast. Yeah, I heard anything under 140 is fine and my OB didn’t say anything about it.
@mc0303 if it was post 1 hour test your number is perfectly normal!
The range I shared earlier more so applies to someone trying to manage GD. The ranges for that are lower than the 1 hour test, which I didnt think to specify since Kopp was asking about low sugar numbers instead of high. I edited my other post so I dont confuse anyone else 😊
@kopp5988 mine was 83 as well. Not fasting, had dinner the night before and breakfast probably too close to test time (abt 2 hrs). The number did concern me but I regularly eat a lot of beans and nuts (not big meat eaters) and so I imagine it probably spiked after that 1 hr test sometime due to that.
@runningfortwo81 if you ate very close to the test it might push your numbers up artificially, as the test is based on a specific amount if glucose. They usually recommend not eating fir two hours before the test for the 1 hour.
That said, what you eat in the days leading to to the test should not matter. If your body is functioning as it should, your body should be able to release insulin and process the glucose irrespective of what you have been eating. That is what these challenges are designed to test: how well that system is working. In people with any type of diabetes or insulin resistance there is something inhibiting that system, the origination of the problem varies by type, but in each kind there is a biological block or deficit. You don't eat your way into diabetes. In the case of gestational diabetes, the placenta gives off a hormone that interferes with this regulation, some bodies don't adequately compensate for that. The reasons vary and it *might* indicate some amount of insulin resistance already existing for a person, but that isn't necessarily the case. People with GD do have an increased likelihood of eventually developing type 2 diabetes, but it is an increase in risk not an inevitability or even necessarily the case that most people who get GD will get type 2. Incidentally about 1/3 of the people with type 2 are ideal weight and active. The biggest predictor is genetics. All of this is to say, GD doesn't discriminate and it isn't your fault. It is however important to know if the place ta is interfering in your glucose processing.
The good news for you is that the false positive rate for the 1 hour screening is very high, as I recall it is around 40%, so there is a good chance you will pass the 3-hour. If you don't pass don't shame yourself. Often it can be controlled through lifestyle changes, but if not there are safe medications to use. What is important is controlling the symptoms. Best news of all is that the symptoms resolve at the end of pregnancy, no more placenta means no more interference in the processing. After that they will have you do follow ups to be sure it wasn't type 2 or prediabetes in disguise and they might recommend more regular screenings (A1c every 2 years) but otherwise, fir the vast majority of people, you go back to normal.
Failed the 3 hour. Kind of expected it, since I failed when my doctor had me do it way early on also. He said it wasn't a dramatic fail, so hes confident I can control it through diet alone. Still wants me to go see someone, idk if it's like a dietitian or what, but I already don't like them. They're in the city north of us, about a 30-40 minute drive, and told me i can either come in at 7:45am or 12:30. Asked if they possibly had like a 2:30pm or 3 because then I can go to work early and not have to go back and make up hours, and the lady just very snottily said "no." Didn't offer to check another day or pretend to try to work something out. So now I have to go to work at 5am, leave at like 11:45, then go BACK to work after my appointment and work another hour and a half-ish to make up the time from my appointment. I'm just glad my supervisor and manager (even though I currently am not speaking to him) are super chill and willing to work with me on this.
@angieeeeee sorry about the office being awful about scheduling something more convenient! That can be super frustrating. I had to go see a dietician in our MFM office and it was like a 3 hour appointment including getting the monitor and learning how to use it as well as dietary tips. And it was a group setting so that was interesting. Hopefully once you get to the office they will be kind and give you a lot of support. Dont forget about the gestational diabetes thread because some people have been posting some good tips on what has worked for them in past pregnancies to manage. I go for my 2 hour appointment (my doc doesnt do 1 or 3 hours, only 2 hour testing) on Tuesday and I have a feeling I will be joing that thread more often once the diagnosis is official.
Are you scheduled for glucose testing yet: Yes I did it in april & again last week. I've taken the 1 hour with my previous 3 and passed.
Any experience with taking the challenge in the past? Yes
How does your office do testing? (I.e. 1 hour followed by 3 hour; 2 hour; or just 3 hour?) I did the 1 hour back in April and failed, took the 3 hour in April and passed, and then I just took the 3 hour again last week and passed.
If you had to pick a flavor to drink, which one would you grab? Orange. Always.
Any advice for people getting ready to take the challenge? Watch what you eat the day before. When I failed my one hour we had pizza for dinner after my daughters softball game, and i was told it is what made me not pass my first hour.
Questions/Concerns about the challenge? None!
DD born 8/12/11 DD born 10/3/14 DD born 10/10/16 Twin boys due Nov '19
@angieeeeee sorry the scheduling is being such a pill. My experience was similar to @purplefan1 : group setting, a couple hours, education about how and when to test, how to count to carbs, and dietary strategies. I hope it goes smoothly in person.
@purplefan1 my office only does the 2-hour as well.
@drama_llama@purplefan1 if it's a group setting I wont be as mad about the completely inconvenient time. It would have been nice if the receptionist had explained that if that's the case. But since she didn't, I'm assuming it's going to be a one-on-one thing. I guess I'll find out Thursday.
@angieeeeee my dietitian meeting was also a group setting when I had GD. So was a friend of mine recently, seen at a different place than I was. That does seem to be the more common option from my experience. I'm sorry itll be an inconvenient time for you, regardless!
@purplefan1 Thank you! I just left, ready to eat!! I should find something out within the next day or so. I got a little flushed and woozy after the drink this time so they gave me an ice pack and told me to lay down if needed. The worst part was that they had to stick my right arm 3 out of the 4 times bc my left one got all swollen like a goose egg. Oof.
Glad you got it over and done with and hope you find out results soon. My office only calls if you fail and sends a card if you dont. Which is awesome unless you are impatient and angsty like i am!
I'm curious about the turnaround of results. I did the glucose test Thurs and I'm anxious to know.. I'm worried about having GD this go around and my OB is awful about updating the patient portal. Do you think I would have heard by now? They drew blood in office, not a lab...
@ABabyMarshall I would think if you'd failed, you would have heard by now. But it's hard to tell since every office is different, especially if you OB is slow to update the portal.
I received a call the very next day when I failed the 1 hour and then again when I passed the 3hr.
Re: Glucose Challenge
Just remember, GD doesnt care if your an elite marathoner or someone doesn't exercise at all. Its more tied to hormones and genetics and you cant out run that. I'm a marathon runner who was diagnosed with GD with my first pregnancy and I was shocked. But I didnt know all those facts and once I realized it, it did make me feel a bit better because it wasnt something i did or didnt do to get GD. If you get diagnosed, itll be overwhelming at first but you've got this! ❤
But I also failed my 1 hour and passed my 3 hour this pregnancy, so failing the 1 hour doesnt mean much without the 3 hour. Thinking of you and praying you pass the 3 hour with flying colors so you dont have to worry about it anymore!!
For the three hour, I had to fast for 10 hours before the test and by the time the three hour mark had come, I was starving and felt very lightheaded. Be sure to pack snacks so you can eat right after you're done. Also, bring a good book. It can get quite boring sitting around waiting for each blood draw.
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3: January 2024
Mirena out 1/23/24
I have a flip side question for any STM- have you ever been told your results were too low? I had my test a month ago and they don’t call if you pass. I had my 28 week visit yesterday and she told me what my number was and said it was great. But then I made the mistake, per usual, of googling and came upon something that said anything under 88mg/dl indicates hypoglycemia. I’m definitely going to ask at my next appointment in two weeks but just wondering anyone has been told this before and if there was any cause for concern.
Really if you do have hypoglycemia, the biggest thing is to to eat small snacks throughout the days to keep your sugar from dropping too low. It's a little easier to manage I think vs hyperglycemia.
---‐-----
I edited my original post so I don't freak anyone else out! 😂
I didnt mean to freak anyone out! I was just trying to reassure the PP that if her number was in the 80s and her doctor wasnt concerned, shes most likely ok!
The range I shared earlier more so applies to someone trying to manage GD. The ranges for that are lower than the 1 hour test, which I didnt think to specify since Kopp was asking about low sugar numbers instead of high. I edited my other post so I dont confuse anyone else 😊
That said, what you eat in the days leading to to the test should not matter. If your body is functioning as it should, your body should be able to release insulin and process the glucose irrespective of what you have been eating. That is what these challenges are designed to test: how well that system is working. In people with any type of diabetes or insulin resistance there is something inhibiting that system, the origination of the problem varies by type, but in each kind there is a biological block or deficit. You don't eat your way into diabetes. In the case of gestational diabetes, the placenta gives off a hormone that interferes with this regulation, some bodies don't adequately compensate for that. The reasons vary and it *might* indicate some amount of insulin resistance already existing for a person, but that isn't necessarily the case. People with GD do have an increased likelihood of eventually developing type 2 diabetes, but it is an increase in risk not an inevitability or even necessarily the case that most people who get GD will get type 2. Incidentally about 1/3 of the people with type 2 are ideal weight and active. The biggest predictor is genetics. All of this is to say, GD doesn't discriminate and it isn't your fault. It is however important to know if the place ta is interfering in your glucose processing.
The good news for you is that the false positive rate for the 1 hour screening is very high, as I recall it is around 40%, so there is a good chance you will pass the 3-hour. If you don't pass don't shame yourself. Often it can be controlled through lifestyle changes, but if not there are safe medications to use. What is important is controlling the symptoms. Best news of all is that the symptoms resolve at the end of pregnancy, no more placenta means no more interference in the processing. After that they will have you do follow ups to be sure it wasn't type 2 or prediabetes in disguise and they might recommend more regular screenings (A1c every 2 years) but otherwise, fir the vast majority of people, you go back to normal.
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3: January 2024
Mirena out 1/23/24
i kind of expected to since I failed with my first pregnancy but still a little bummed
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3: January 2024
Mirena out 1/23/24
How far along are you/EDD: 11/14/2019
Are you scheduled for glucose testing yet: Yes I did it in april & again last week. I've taken the 1 hour with my previous 3 and passed.
Any experience with taking the challenge in the past? Yes
How does your office do testing? (I.e. 1 hour followed by 3 hour; 2 hour; or just 3 hour?)
I did the 1 hour back in April and failed, took the 3 hour in April and passed, and then I just took the 3 hour again last week and passed.
If you had to pick a flavor to drink, which one would you grab? Orange. Always.
Any advice for people getting ready to take the challenge? Watch what you eat the day before. When I failed my one hour we had pizza for dinner after my daughters softball game, and i was told it is what made me not pass my first hour.
Questions/Concerns about the challenge? None!
DD born 10/3/14
DD born 10/10/16
Twin boys due Nov '19
@purplefan1 my office only does the 2-hour as well.
I received a call the very next day when I failed the 1 hour and then again when I passed the 3hr.