Glucose Tolerance Test

tuxielove93 · April 2022

I thought maybe we should have a separate thread for this? Keep it all organized 🙂

Post your results and complaints as you get them. Questions about the test welcome!

thegeekymom · April 2022

I passed! It was traumatic though, because they kept saying, we won't call you if everything is fine. Then I missed their call, then I called back and had to leave a message, waited for them to call back and it's just my anemia making some of my blood levels low even though I take iron supplements daily. I thought for sure I was going to take the 3 hour test, but nope I just need to find a way to get even more iron in my life.

I took my drink at home, and my closest clinic is 45 minutes away, so I had my husband drive me because that drink always makes me feel terrible. It was nice not having to sit in a waiting room for an hour though!

bearsandbeets7 · April 2022

I have a question I’ve been debating myself. I know you aren’t supposed to fast for the 1 hour test. Mine is at 8am next week one day and I don’t normally like to eat that early. If I opt not to eat in the morning, could that make my numbers go wonky? I don’t want a sharp spike because of not eating. I also feel like I remember when I did these with DD/DS(so 2014 and 2016) I was supposed to fast for the 1 hour test but my doc this time said not to. Just generally debating with myself if I should at least eat some eggs or something for protein(obvi nothing carb heavy). Any advice/experience?

novaghost99 · April 2022

I don't have my 1 hour glucose test until 4 pm. Anyone else have a later test scheduled? If so what did you eat the day of as I'm constantly hungry so not eating alot will be hard.

oli9 · April 2022

I feel like an expert at this test by now. 😓

I was told I need to do an early test at 21 weeks because of my age *HEAVY EYEROLL. That morning I ate a sandwich from Starbucks and had a coffee and I failed the test. I was told to fast for that test, but I don’t follow instructions well so I’m thinking maybe I should have fasted... 😊 jokes on me though because now I had to take the 3 hour test. They told me to fast for that test, which I also failed to do and had a coffee in the morning, but after 4 blood draws, I passed the test. Fast forward to now, I was told I must take ANOTHER 1 hour test because it’s the time they would usually test had I not been mature aged, so I ask my friend who’s a midwife at the practice I go to if I should fast and she said “no way then it wouldn’t be an accurate glucose reading. Eat as you normally would.” HOWEVER the front desk clerk checking me out gave me instructions of her own and she said to fast!!! This is why I don’t do well following instructions. I think you just do what you feel is best for you and what’s best for me is to not be miserable and eat something and if I fail it whatever, then I retake the 3 hour test I guess. 😑😑😑😑😑

inthewoods23 · April 2022

Pretty sure I was told I didn't need to fast. Just maybe not have so many sweets beforehand.

courtneyqdk · April 2022

I have mine this afternoon after school - I had a short lunch because I run an extracurricular club at lunch so I didn't get to finish my normal amount of food... should I force it down btwn school and the test (it's veggies and hummus and a banana) or just go do it and then eat? Hmmmmmm... I really don't want to fail I absolutely hated the 3 hr test last time!! (which I did end up passing)

thegeekymom · April 2022

Don't fast for the first test, they need to know that your levels are fine when you're eating normally. The second test is completely different and it requires fasting. I had eggs, bacon, toast and coffee before my first test and it was fine. My last pregnancy I didn't know they were giving me the test and I had nothing but sugar for breakfast and a treat on the way, and I was still fine.

runnergirl2018 · April 2022

no fasting needed for 1 hour test - i believe the 3 hour test is different. I have mine in a week! i have to go to a separate lab outside of my doctors office so i'm going to have fun sitting there for an hour. my old OB office gave me options of flavors and i'm just hoping the lab does too

flikyerbik · April 2022

My doctor told me to fast for the 1 hour test, and the lab confirmed that I had. I haven't gotten results back because they take 4 days, but I should know tomorrow

velvetblue88 · April 2022

I just had my glucose test this morning at 9am. I was told by the nurse not to fast, but not to eat a lot of carbs. She recommended an omelet. So I had 2 eggs &cheese. 🤷‍♀️
Fingers crossed that I passed. My A1C is lower/normal since I became pregnant, so I have hope!

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

My doctor told me to just not really eat carbs before (like egg and avocado breakfast or something). I have heard this from other doctors. I think the logic is that eating carbs before can make the numbers too high and then you end up doing the 3-hour test for no reason. The point of the 1-hour test is to go from "baseline" to sugar-filled and then back again. If your baseline is also sugar (or carb) filled, it can throw the numbers off. The doctors don't worry about this too much because the 3-hour test will tell them for sure anyway, but it's a hassle for you! On the flip side, if you have GD, the 1-hour test will catch it, even if you only have eggs for breakfast.

I know people who have failed the 1-hour but passed the 3-hour, and the story is always like "I ate cereal right before". So I say save yourself the trouble and don't do that.

oli9 · April 2022

@bumblebee0210 I think that’s what I did wrong my first go around. I had carbs the morning of my 1 hour test and I guess your body takes longer to break that down etc which could result in failing the test. I definitely screwed myself with that one and I had to take the 3 hour, which SUCKED. This time around when I take my 1 hour, I’ll follow everyone’s advice here and just eat eggs or something beforehand instead of carbs so my chances of passing are better. I don’t want to have to redo that 3 hour test again.

lilirunning34 · April 2022

I’m gonna do overnight oats. I’ve never failed the 1 hour so let’s hope that streak continues!!

feather_heather · April 2022

I had yogurt with granola before my one hour and passed.

stardustskies · April 2022

I had a Jimmy Dean sausage egg and cheese croissant sandwich and my cup of coffee with 3 tsp of sugar at 8:30am. Drank a half bottle of water on the way to my ultrasound appointment. Drank the glucose drink at 10:30, blood draw at 11:30. Passed with a 120 mg/ dL.

velvetblue88 · April 2022

Booooooo. Glucose screening acceptable blood test results cut off at 140. I tested exactly 140. So I have to do the 3 hour test in the next week. 😭

oli9 · April 2022

@velvetblue88 that sucks! I feel for you. The three hour test was not fun. I have to retake the 1 hour test on the 29th and I’m hoping I pass it this time so I don’t have to retake the 3 hour again. What a process.

zwink1 · April 2022

@velvetblue88, that's exactly what happened to me!! I took the 3 hr last Fri. That gunk made me feel like absolute garbage and spiked a 3 day headache. I hope that the same does not happen to you!

For the 3 hr, they do 4 total blood draws and you have to pass 3 of the 4 to pass test.

oli9 · April 2022

@zwink1 the blood draws were the worst part for me. The nurse had to keep using the same arm because my other wouldn’t cooperate, but not before actually TRYING the other arm with a needle! I left there bruised on both arms. 😓

velvetblue88 · April 2022

Do you get to drink water? Coffee? Walk around? They made it sound like I just sit in a recliner for 3 hours. 😳

oli9 · April 2022

@velvetblue88 you’re lucky there’s a recliner 😂 I had to sit in the waiting room for 3 hours and only be called every hour for a blood draw.

I was able to walk around the waiting room and use the bathroom. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything. I didn’t ask about water but the nurse said “no eating or drinking until the final blood draw”.

zwink1 · April 2022

@oli9 I was worried about that, but the nurse placed an IV line for mine so they only had to do the one poke.

@velvetblue88 I think your movement depends on the particular testing site. I could get up and walk around if I wanted to, but the nurse did suggest that I not do it for the first hour after drinking the glucose drink because most people feel the worst for the first hour after - she wasn't lying. Other than that, as long as I was back in time for the hourly draws, they didn't care where I went in the interim. No eating/drinking, though they did give me water. As soon as the last draw was done, they provided a granola bar and suggested that I eat something with protein asap.

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

Anybody get a really low number on their 1-hour test? Mine was 65, which seems pretty low (I know that's low enough that a diabetic who gets that reading has to eat some juice so they don't pass out.) I did feel pretty shaky and awful so I guess it makes sense. Just wondering if anyone else has gotten pretty low readings and whether it mattered at all. At the very least maybe it's why I'm so hungry all the time?

tuxielove93 · April 2022

@bumblebee0210 I started at a 70 and ended at a 70 the first time I took the test. My doctors never said anything about it. I've always said that I have a low blood sugar problem not a high one though, but I never looked into it more. At any rate, I was fine.

inthewoods23 · April 2022

So... I did one of those biometric screenings for insurance last month and it did include glucose. Now that was while I was fasting for about 10 hours and obviously hadn't drank the glucose drink so I should get different numbers. Do you think my number from the glucose test for the biometric screening might be an indicator of what I could get when I do go for my glucose test?

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

Not a doctor, but I think the issue is that you are distinctly not fasting in this test, so your blood sugar *should* look like a fasting person's (or at least a normal person's) one hour after drinking flat fanta, but if it doesn't that's the problem. It's like a stress test for your pancreas. So I think probably no?

If you have had your A1C tested though, that is more of a long-run indicator of whether you may be at risk for diabetes (incl GD), and if it was borderline, that should give you some indication of whether you might expect to have GD.

I wouldn't worry about it too much-- there is really not much you can do either way, it seems to be genetic who gets it and who doesn't. Most people pass, so just hope the stats are on your side.

inthewoods23 · April 2022

@bumblebee0210 darn haha.

So for those that do take the 1 hour test in the morning, it's best to have some kind of breakfast beforehand?

stardustskies · April 2022

@inthewoods23 Yes, I would recommend a high protein, low carb breakfast.

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

@inthewoods23. I had scrambled eggs and avocado, but also I passed by a really wide margin, so I'm guessing toast would not have made the difference. I think most people without GD pass regardless of their breakfast, and for some people without GD, having carbs vs. no is the difference between passing and not passing the 1-hour. To be clear-- I think it's really really unlikely that someone with GD passes the 1-hour, even with a carb-less breakfast (it's meant to catch as many people as possible), hence the recommendation to not eat carbs in case you would be in the case of failing the 1-hour without actually having GD. So, medically, you can eat whatever you want, just if you have carbs, you might fail even if you don't have GD, which would mean you have to go back for the 3-hour test.

You definitely don't need to fast, and it's generally not good for preggos to fast in the morning for no reason, so I would recommend eating something.

runnergirl2018 · April 2022

@inthewoods23 yes for the screening have breakfast before. I read to have something with a little complex carbs and protien/fat. I had a piece of whole grain toast with PB. although i don't know if i passed yet since i just had mine this morning!
i don't really remember adjusting much of anything during my first pregnancy for the screening test

inthewoods23 · April 2022

Has anyone ever been told just how close to 1 hour from finishing the drink your blood draw should be? I know labs can be terrible at being on time and/or slow AF so I'm curious what kind of buffer is acceptable. I have an appointment scheduled for it so it shouldn't matter. But is 5 minutes over and hour too long? Or 10?

I wish my engineer brain didn't ask so many questions 😆

stardustskies · April 2022

@bumblebee0210 Idk that that's necessarily true. Numbers should be below 130. Last pregnancy I passed with a 128. This go around it was a 120. If I would have eaten a donut or a fruit smoothie or something, I doubt I would have passed.

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

@stardustskies. Sorry if that was unclear-- that was exactly my point! I think for some women (probably me, in retrospect), you are not going to be close to the line, so it doesn't matter what you eat. For other women, you will be close to the line and so a fruit smoothie or a bowl of cereal could put you over the 1-hour threshold. So for me, I would err on the safe side and not eat carbs before (because doing the three hour test seems awful), in case you are close to the line.

On the other hand, if you actually have gestational diabetes (which, to be clear, you do want to catch), I think you will be over the line no mater what you eat. So not having carbs won't hurt you.

flikyerbik · April 2022

I passed mine. Idk if they do things different here, but I was 100 percent told to fast. They didn't take my blood at the beginning, either, like some of you talked about. I ate a granola bar and two slices of toast after, but I was still completely sick about two hours after drinking the stuff/an hour after the blood draw. I would suggest people not fast if they don't have to

inthewoods23 · April 2022

I did my glucose test this morning and got the results an hour and a half later. I passed! Big relief. I opted for just an apple and skyr (yogurt) for breakfast.

Regarding fasting... When I was looking up what foods are good to eat before the test it seems it depends on the type of glucose test you're taking that determines if you would fast or not. Maybe some 1 hour tests do require fasting and others don't? I was not required to have my blood drawn before taking the drink so maybe for tests in which they want the baseline level you are supposed to fast 🤷‍♀️

jessie_95 · April 2022

Just did the one hour test this morning, got my results around 4pm, I passed but with a very low number. @bumblebee0210 I believe you mentioned a low number too? I’ve always had low everything (blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate).

I was told to not eat anything carb or sugar heavy but to eat something, which I did (egg white omelette with some cheese and veggies) but was definitely feeling shaky after the test, and chugged a bottle of apple juice once I left the office.

That drink … yuck! My doc is a 30 min drive in traffic and that was the worst 30 min drive I think I’ve ever had (minus some close calls needing to pee haha).

Regardless, just happy I passed.

knottie1534db0994dee0b4 · April 2022

Mine is also early and I was told not to eat anything in the morning.

practicallypierson · April 2022

I had to do an early 1-hour, and I was told to eat something low-carb and avoid fruit juices. I had sausage, vegetables, and cheese for lunch and came in at 139, so I had to do the 3-hour test as well. That one passed with no problems at all. I go back in two weeks to do a repeat of the 1-hour, this time first thing in the morning instead of mid-afternoon. I've not been told to fast for this one either, so we'll see what happens with round 2.

Regarding having to retake it, I was told that taking it earlier would only tell them if I actually had diabetes (which I wish they'd told me because we had just done a 2-hour test less than 6 months before, which is how I go the insulin resistance diagnosis that got me doing an early glucose challenge...). GD apparently doesn't show up until second trimester, per the OB who put in the orders both times, so anything earlier than that would not actually be indicative.

velvetblue88 · April 2022

Failed the 3 hour. Bummed, but I've gotta do what I've gotta do to make sure this baby is ok. ☺️
I was already following the GD diet before the test, so now I'll be able to monitor my sugar to make sure the diet is doing what it needs to do. Knowledge is power. 👩‍🎤

bumblebee0210 · April 2022

@velvetblue88. Bummer. I wish we didn't use the language of "pass" and "fail" for this, because it makes it sound like you've, done something wrong. This is just how some bodies react to pregnancy (like crippling nausea! No one is like "I failed the vomit test"), and you're totally right that now you have more knowledge about how to best feed you and baby for the rest of pregnancy! GL with the diet- it can be a hassle, but it works very well to control complications.

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