The Dreaded Glucose Test

2.15.2010
A few of my pregnant readers have emailed me asking about my glucose test. So instead of a regular pregnancy update, I thought I'd talk a little about my experience.

What is it? 
A one-hour test that determines how well your body is processing sugar. This is usually done when a woman is 24-28 weeks pregnant. They will have you drink a sugary concoction (mine was orange flavored):


You must drink this entire bottle within five minutes. And you must drink it in front of the lab tech/doctor. (Edit: Apparently some labs let you drink and wait at home - hope you get that lucky) For the one-hour it really isn't too terrible. They will set a timer for one hour (you may want to keep track of your time as well. I heard a horror story about a woman whose lab forgot about her, she went over one hour and ten minutes, and may have to retake the test!) You MUST stay at the testing facility during this hour, so be prepared to relax:


(Your lab's waiting room may not look quite this inviting, but let's stay positive, eh?) When the hour is up you will have blood drawn and go on your merry way. A few days later your doctor will call with your results.

What I want to know is - if they want sugar in your system, aren't there much tastier things they could give you???


Suggestions for entertaining yourself during the hour waiting period (especially useful if you have to go back for the three-hour):
  • A good book
  • Magazines
  • Crossword/Sudoku
  • iPod
  • Fill out your baby book
  • If you have a laptop, download a short movie beforehand to watch while you're waiting
  • Take a friend
  • Call your lab/doctors office beforehand and ask if they:
    • Have internet (mine said no on the phone but they actually did have wireless internet)
    • Have a television (mine did have a TV, but it was ancient and made a horrible whining/crackling noise the entire time)
    • Have a separate room available (mine did and it had chairs and beds. The chairs weren't very comfortable. The beds were a little better. I would have felt more comfortable with my own pillow) If they have beds you could always take a nap and pretend like you're here:
    Do I have to fast?
    This varies depending on your doctor. Mine told me to just eat regularly, but recommended that I not eat anything ridiculous like chocolate cake or pancakes with syrup beforehand. Other doctors will tell you to fast for a certain amount of time. Just do what you doctor tells you. Don't follow this advice:



    I ate somewhat regularly as instructed by the doctor. For breakfast I had scrambled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast. For lunch I had a salad with minimal dressing, a piece of whole wheat pizza, and half a banana. (The banana freaked me out a bit - normally I would eat the whole thing, but I know that fruit contains sugar so I was a little worried about this. Since I couldn't decide whether to eat it or not, I compromised and ate half lol)


    Did you pass?
    About three hours after I ate lunch I went for the test. I felt fine. The drink wasn't so bad...AND I failed. Now I have to mention that I had some mild issues with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) before I became pregnant. I control it very easily with my diet. I'm not sure if this affected my results. I'm guessing it probably did.

    'Passing' varies from doctor to doctor, but generally if your levels are over 120-140 you will have to go for a longer test - the dreaded THREE hour glucose test. Ugh. But you know what? It's all worth it for this little one:



    What's the three hour like?
    Well, you have to drink the same amount of liquid, but it is doubly strong.  You do have to fast for this one. My doctor said 10-16 hours. I went for this one early in the morning so I could just fast while I slept. They will take blood before you drink the goo, and then take it again each hour. So a total of four times. Did I pass? Sorry, no results yet. I'll keep you posted!

    What are some tips and tricks for passing?
    To be honest, I don't recommend trying to 'trick' the test. If you have gestational diabetes, it not only affects you, but your baby as well. It's really something you want to know about, as much as it sucks. If you do end up with GD? Diet and exercise are two major things that you will probably have to adjust. You may have to take some sort of medication/insulin. Your doctor will let you know what's best.


    The good news is that it will most likely all go back to normal after you deliver the baby & placenta (the evil thing that's causing all of these issues) And remember, you're going through all of this now, but think of what the rewards are at the end:

    And it won't seem so bad anymore...♥


    If you have any tips, advice, or information about this test that I have missed, I'd love to hear about it!

    9 comments:

    1. I really enjoyed reading this post. Love the photography, especially the belly pic with headphones. Too cute. :o)

      PS: They draw blood FOUR TIMES during the long glucose test? Oh heck no. That's just wrong.

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    2. Glad you found it helpful! And yes - four times - three of the four were no biggie. One hurt like a #*$&! I still have a bruise for that one. But in the end, I survived :)

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    3. I would just like to say, not every doctor/lab will make you drink it and wait at the office. My OB did not.

      They gave me the drink to take home the appointment before, with strict instructions. I drank it at home 1 hour before my appointment, made sure to be on time, and since they knew it was my GD test day, they drew my blood right away. This was in New York City.

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    4. Thanks for the info. Love your blog, pretty pics! I was wondering if you have any idea where the changing table topper/ basket pic came from? I would love to find something like that. Best of luck.

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    5. Thanks Allie - you are so lucky that they let you do it that way :)

      Carissa - the image is from Martha Stewart Baby Spring 2001 issue. Sorry that's not much help!

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    6. Uggg...I just had a 3 hour gluclose test and a ton of other blood tests done for long cycles. You're right those were no fun. I get the results Wednesday.

      ReplyDelete
    7. Uggg...I just had a 3 hour gluclose test and a ton of other blood tests done for long cycles. You're right those were no fun. I get the results Wednesday.

      ReplyDelete
    8. Thanks Allie - you are so lucky that they let you do it that way :)

      Carissa - the image is from Martha Stewart Baby Spring 2001 issue. Sorry that's not much help!

      ReplyDelete

     

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