Doc office saying to load carbs 3 days before 3 hour glucose test- will this hurt my chances of...

[JFTB1177]

As some of you know, I failed my 1 hour glucose test recently. I just got my info in the mail on how to make my appt with Quest Diagnostics for the 3 hour and what to do beforehand. Here is what it says:

1. Eat an unlimited diet high in carbohydrates for three days before your scheduled testing. Your diet is to include four or more servings of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.

2. The night before the test, you may eat up until midnight then you must fast after midnight - nothing to eat or drink with the exception of water. You will continue fasting throughout the completion of the testing period.

Okay guys, I need help on how to pass this test (or how to not fail it!). I've never failed a glucose test before so this is all new to me. I am scared to death of failing b/c I have a planned hospital VBAC this time (had a HBAC last pregnancy) and do not want ANYTHING to mess up my chances of success!

On another thread some said to not carb load... can someone please tell me what to do?? I don't have any risk factors for GD and actually think I may have failed the 1 hour this time because I pigged out on Halloween candy the night before (my test was the next day), and I had juice and pizza before I took the test (I had NO idea! lol).

[allisonrose]

I remember reading online with my first pregnancy that eating good, complex carbs in the several days before GTT is a good idea. That way your body has ample stores of nutrition (glycogen, I think, in particular). That way your body has those stores of nutrition to tap into during the GTT.

The juice before the test may have stacked the deck against you because your body was dealing with more sugar than the test was intended for. I would suspect that the candy the night before didn't have anything to do with your test results since that sugar had already been processed by your test.

[javilu]

I've read that carbo-loading is a good idea, too.  So the glucose doesn't shock your system and so you can sort of "practice" an adequate insulin response.

[bella99]

I have also read that carb loading before the test is a good idea, and may also make the test less hard on you (should the test make you feel sick normally).

I passed the one hour test this time, but last time I didn't, and my OB didn't tell me anything about carb loading, I figured it out the day before the test.  I increased my carb intake that day but not by much.  I passed the 3 hour just fine though.

But yeah, the juice probably stacked the deck against you and the pizza probably didn't help.

[JFTB1177]

Thanks for the replies, ladies!! :) Ok, I will carb load then. Just had to ask the "experts" first! ;)

[~Adorkable~]

Does anyone have any resources for the info on this? It seems counter intuitive on some levels.

On the other hand, I can see some sense in it, but only if they are very good complex carbs and not just a pile of starch or sugar. And it is done without reducing a good high protien intake.

[javilu]

There is where I first heard about it:

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_testing.htm#More%20on%20the%20Three-Hour,%20100g%20Diagnostic%20Test%20(Glucose%20Tolerance%20Test)

And here is some of what they say:

Things that can interfere with the accuracy of this test include smoking, caffeine, bedrest (meaning no exercise), excessive stress, illness, and many medications (such as prednisone or other glucocorticoids, progesterone supplements, terbutaline, etc.). Also implicated in questions on the test's accuracy is whether the woman consumed adequate carbohydrates for 3 days prior to the GTT.

Generally speaking, the woman is supposed to "carbo-load" for several days before a GTT. This apparently stimulates her body to produce more insulin and be more prepared for the overload of the 100g test. However, many doctors do not instruct their patients on this at all, and some even forget to tell the patient to fast ahead of time. In addition, even those who tell their patients to carbo-load do not give consistent advice. Some give a specific diet to follow, specifying exactly how many extra carbs to eat and when (usually >150g--10 servings or more--of carbs per day; remember that carbs in this case includes all starches, fruits, sweets, and dairy products). On the other hand, other doctors just tell the woman to eat a few extra servings of carbs 1-2 days before the test. Be sure to press your doctor for more details on this and question your care closely if the doctor seems careless in attitude towards the test protocols. The official recommendation is to carbo-load for at least 3 days before the test, but since many doctors do not follow this, the lack of uniform testing conditions is a major criticism of this test.

[~Adorkable~]

Wow, thank you that was really good reading, wish I had this much to read with thesex many studies and referances on every I want to learn duringbthis pregnancy.

One thing that would be good to keep in mind is the types of carbs that are used on carb loading for the days before this test, I'm guessing that matters a lot in how healthy and useful it is.
Sad that doctors and midwives leave this so so vague. Really does us a disservice.

Thanks again for the link!

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by javilu 

There is where I first heard about it:

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_testing.htm#More%20on%20the%20Three-Hour,%20100g%20Diagnostic%20Test%20(Glucose%20Tolerance%20Test)

And here is some of what they say:

Things that can interfere with the accuracy of this test include smoking, caffeine, bedrest (meaning no exercise), excessive stress, illness, and many medications (such as prednisone or other glucocorticoids, progesterone supplements, terbutaline, etc.). Also implicated in questions on the test's accuracy is whether the woman consumed adequate carbohydrates for 3 days prior to the GTT.

Generally speaking, the woman is supposed to "carbo-load" for several days before a GTT. This apparently stimulates her body to produce more insulin and be more prepared for the overload of the 100g test. However, many doctors do not instruct their patients on this at all, and some even forget to tell the patient to fast ahead of time. In addition, even those who tell their patients to carbo-load do not give consistent advice. Some give a specific diet to follow, specifying exactly how many extra carbs to eat and when (usually >150g--10 servings or more--of carbs per day; remember that carbs in this case includes all starches, fruits, sweets, and dairy products). On the other hand, other doctors just tell the woman to eat a few extra servings of carbs 1-2 days before the test. Be sure to press your doctor for more details on this and question your care closely if the doctor seems careless in attitude towards the test protocols. The official recommendation is to carbo-load for at least 3 days before the test, but since many doctors do not follow this, the lack of uniform testing conditions is a major criticism of this test.

 Wow!!! Lots of great info, thank you so much!!!!!! :)

[JFTB1177]

Hey there, I'm back! I just made an appt to do the 3-hr glucose this Thursday (my doc called me and asked me to schedule it). The only appt time they had available was 8:10am... does it matter if the appt is in the morning vs. the afternoon? Will different times give different results??

[allisonrose]

You have to fast right? I'd want to get it out of the way with the earliest appointment available!

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by allisonrose 

You have to fast right? I'd want to get it out of the way with the earliest appointment available!

lol yeah! I guess I'm just worried if I don't fast long enough it'll mess with the results and since I am having another VBAC I don't want my docs to have any excuse (like GD) to push a c/s, you know? That's my true worry.

[rottpaw]

Hi all,

My 3 hour is tomorrow. Bleh! I am so annoyed that I failed the 1 hour.  I suspect what happened there is my doc allows patients to eat (low glycemic foods, like eggs and whole grain toast) before the 1 hour. I am always starving in the morning and my test wasn't till 10, so I had a light breakfast in line with those guidelines, but felt really full even before I drank the nasty orange stuff and I suspect that I failed because I already had some sugar in my system. I've been reading up on it a fair bit and apparently, they have consistently lowered the bar (meaning it's harder to pass) every few years recently, to try and catch more cases of GD.  Great for those who need to be treated, but I read the current standard causes as many as 2/3 of people to fail unnecessarily! GAH!  That's a LOT of us who are now forced to take the icky 3 hour test.  I've read the standard is now 130 in many labs, and when you consider that 95 is considered a normal fasting blood sugar, an extra 35 points is not much recovery time for an hour after a 50g glucose load.  Sigh.

I realize there is always the possibility that I have GD and I certainly want them to catch it if I do, but I do not have any tendency toward it in my family so I am hoping I am one of the false positives.  Just annoyed at having to take another (and longer) test!

JFTB - good luck and I hope we both pass!!

[allisonrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFTB1177 

Originally Posted by allisonrose 

You have to fast right? I'd want to get it out of the way with the earliest appointment available!

lol yeah! I guess I'm just worried if I don't fast long enough it'll mess with the results and since I am having another VBAC I don't want my docs to have any excuse (like GD) to push a c/s, you know? That's my true worry.

Did they tell you how long you should be fasting? I don't think fasting for too long during pregnancy is a great idea.

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by rottpaw 

JFTB - good luck and I hope we both pass!!

GL to you too, and I hope we both pass as well. :) I took my 3 hr yesterday, so I guess my results will be back soon... did you get your results yet?
 

[JFTB1177]

Originally Posted by allisonrose 

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFTB1177 

Originally Posted by allisonrose 

You have to fast right? I'd want to get it out of the way with the earliest appointment available!

lol yeah! I guess I'm just worried if I don't fast long enough it'll mess with the results and since I am having another VBAC I don't want my docs to have any excuse (like GD) to push a c/s, you know? That's my true worry.

Did they tell you how long you should be fasting? I don't think fasting for too long during pregnancy is a great idea.

They said starting at midnight and lasting until the test is over. I took the test yesterday morning and got sooooo dizzy and weak afterwards, ugh! I hadn't eaten and had my blood drawn 4 times. So glad it's over and I hope and pray I pass!!
 

[allisonrose]

Crossing my fingers for you!

[Sunflower223]

My MW told me to carb load before the three hour.  I didn't do it because I didn't really understand why, I thought it seemed like a bad idea.  I wish I had looked it up.  I failed the 3 Hr too, so go figure.  After I failed I have had two months of perfect readings at home just by cutting out sugar from my diet, so I haven't been too worried about it, in my case.  I hope that you pass it though.  Good luck!

[JFTB1177]

Hey guys, just wanted to update: I passed the 3hr glucose with "flying colors"! Thanks everyone for all of your support!! :)

[allisonrose]