GD Testing- what are my options? need med links!

[is it puppies?]

My doctor wants me to do the sugary drink test, especially because of my "risk factors" (which she didn't name but I am assuming because I am heavy since I am unaware of having any of the other risk factors, except poss that I am nearly 35).
Anyways, she was not very nice to me at all this appointment (ie booking my rhogam despite me saying I don't want it and won't go for it) and I am feeling especially cranky towards her and would like to go in next appointment with info on what alternate testing I can do, because it seems to me there are better ways to do it. Can somebody point me towards some info or particularly links that I can show her when I go in? It will be at about 27-28 weeks when I will see her next (three weeks from now).

[katelove]

I have recently been looking into this too. The most reliable test is the 2hr GTT (if you are in the US I think they do a 3hr one). It will detect 80-90% of people with GDM depending on what reference range is used. There are other tests but they are even less sensitive than the GTT so probably not as valuable if you really want to know whether you have GDM or not.

[CorasMama]

My doctor is letting me take a monitor home, and test my blood sugar at (I'm not sure when) a number of times a day for a couple of weeks. I simply explained that I'm A: allergic to corn, and afaik, much of the sugary drinks they have are full of corn syrup, and B: I had a bad reaction to it when I was pregnant last time (I hadn't developed the corn allergy yet), and threw it up twice before we had to just give up. If my needle phobia gets the best of me, though, I'm just going to bring in a couple of the whole foods brand sodas that have sugar.

[khaoskat]

There are many alternatives to the sugary drink.

1) The Brach's Jelly Bean test - I think it is 18 Brach's Jelly Beans and testing like you would normally for the 1 hour test.

2) Some eat a normal breakfast and then do a test I think at 2 hours.

3) You could have them do an A1C, it wont tell you anything except what your levels have been like for the last either 30 days or 3 months (trying to remember which one it is).

Or, you could be just like me and just refuse it. Which maybe is why Mother Nature keeps ensuring that I need to reschedule my appt that would have that test as part of it.

[Calleiah]

I personally plan to refuse my test as I already know Im hypoglycemic. Last time I failed the test the wrong way and ended up with a 1 hour sugar level the same as it should have been after all night fasting. It also made me soooo sick and then I had to drive afterwards. So Im simply not doing it. I have a glucometer if I need it.
My advice would be to offer alternatives to the test if you dont want to take it. Offer to keep a sugar level diary for a few weeks (using a glucometer) and take it to your doc for evaluation. You might offer to modify your diet (since thats the most common treatment for GD. But dont just do it because she says to. Theres nothing wrong with making your doctor give good sound reasoning for requiring the test.

[Oztok5]

I am using a midwife, but she was completely supportive of me using a glucometer to monitor my blood sugar over a 2 week period. I'm doing five fasting readings (before breakfast in the morning) and five readings two hours after a normal meal. I'm trying to be sure to take the post meal readings after realistic meals that have my normal amount of carbs in them instead of just after super healthy meals.

It was hard to poke myself the first couple of times, but honestly, it doesn't hurt. I'm glad I picked this option because I feel like it gives me a realistic idea of what's truly going on in my body.

[DeChRi]

I spoke with my OB about alternatives when pregnant last time, and after a bit of back and forth, I monitored at home for a week. This time I assume I will do the same. My next appt is at 27 weeks so I am sure it will come up. I am considering just tracking the week before and taking it in before it is even brought up in hopes to pre-emptively avoid a "discussion".

[umsami]

There's the jelly bean test.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...m&ordinalpos=1


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8...m&ordinalpos=2


As somebody who has had insulin-dependent GD for three pregnancies, I honestly think the most effective thing is to borrow a blood glucose monitor, and track your fasting a.m., and two-hour post-prandials (after each meal) for a week or so. If your fasting number is above 100, or your two-hour post-prandials are above 120, then you probably have GD. (Those are the goals that people on GD strive for.)

[claddaghmom]

Have you read this?

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/gdhgoer.html

My maternal grandma had type 1 diabetes so I have always had the presence of a meter growing up. Depending on my symptoms and weight gain, I might consider pricking myself in this pregnancy.

I pricked myself all last time with great results, only to gain 40lbs and give birth to an 11lb baby. So...

[MyFour]

Originally Posted by DeChRi

I spoke with my OB about alternatives when pregnant last time, and after a bit of back and forth, I monitored at home for a week. This time I assume I will do the same. My next appt is at 27 weeks so I am sure it will come up. I am considering just tracking the week before and taking it in before it is even brought up in hopes to pre-emptively avoid a "discussion".

This is what I plan to do. I actually took the monitor out today in prep for starting to record my levels for the next week since I have an appt next Thurs.