A three hour tour... I mean test. « Back to Group Discussions

[poppyseed2012]

So I'm at the lab this morning taking the long glucose test. Yesterday the glucola wasn't so bad. Today (double concentrate) it was terrible. I'm trying to remember what everyone has said about the tests and gone back to read some posts.

Not totally freaking out, but the whole experience is less than fun.

[shastalily]

Oh yuck, sorry you have to do that!  I hope it turns out fine.

[persephassa]

i thought it wasn't so bad at first (like a soda) but apparently i didn't like it; i threw it up all over the men's room (closest i could run to). gross! i hope your test goes better :)

[poppyseed2012]

I passed all four blood draws with "flying colors!" I'm relieved. And also feel like I wasted a morning.

Oh well.

[smilingsara]

Mine was hell! I passed and thats good, but still hell. I went to a work meeting before it and I work in food so those smells were killing me. The test wasn't done till noon, so by then I hadn't eaten in over 12 hours and was starting to feel really sick by the last half hour before the last blood draw. I thought I was going to throw it up, but I managed to keep it down (thankfully). 

Hope everyone has a better experience than me!

[janellody]

Mine was simple, I never got a call so does that mean I passed LOL?  No news is good news??  I hope so!  I took in Monday and it's thursday so you would think if there was an issue I would know by now right?

[casmer]

Originally Posted by janellody 

Mine was simple, I never got a call so does that mean I passed LOL?  No news is good news??  I hope so!  I took in Monday and it's thursday so you would think if there was an issue I would know by now right?

I would give them a call, just to be on the safe side.

[forestmushroom]

So... I think I am just ditching mine!  My last midwife group let me drink the equivalent of OJ since OJ is basically sugar water!  But this group wouldn't let me... they said their lab wasn't so flexible ...

And the midwife was like, oh can you come back in 3 weeks, and I was like-- sure... but then later I looked at the printout she handed me and it said 3 days!

Which was like a few weeks ago....

But I think I am going to refuse the test... I can't make AM appts. since I have a new work schedule, and am just not doing this. 

No. no. no!

[smilingsara]

more power to you forest! 

I think I'm going to skip it next time for sure. I basically only did it because I was curious as to how my body handles sugar processing. My dad is really worried about diabetes so now he knows I process sugar fine and hopefully will stop worrying about it so much!

[AmyW]

I have to go in for a 3hour test which is a 1st for me :( any tips or suggestions? I'm concerned the 1st was high because I was dehydrated, and I ate before going in. I have read that you need to "prep" for a few days prior to nothing needed other than fasting. Tips?

btw.... I have been using the lab waiting time for hypnobabies study time. I'm really nervous I won't do well on the 3hr one 

[poppyseed2012]

Hi Amy, I too think I failed the first one because I had breakfast, even thought they said to eat normally. All four of my draws on the three hour test came in way below the danger range, so I feel like the one hour was a fluke and I wasted three hours. But such is life.

I would suggest having a peanut butter sandwich at 8:00 the night before so  you aren't terribly starving the next morning and having something in your bag to eat right after the final draw. I also suggest having something to read or do or watch. It sounds like you'll have your hypnobabies stuff, which is good. I brought my computer to work, but didn't feel like working and wanted to watch something instead... but I forgot my ear buds in the car. They weren't going to let me go get them, because they want you to be very still during the testing, but I promised that I would walk very, very slowly and they gave in. :)

Good luck! Let us know how you do.

[janellody]

My doctor told me to eat breakfast that wasn't high in sugar like eggs, so I had 2 eggs and that's it. 

[DoubleDouble]

I was told to not eat anything after 6 pm, and no breakfast. The test was early in the morning.

[DragonflySky]

I just found out that I failed the first screening test and need to do the longer one. I'm bummed - but I guess I'd rather know if I have gestational diabetes than not know, so that I can really focus on correcting my blood sugar levels. 

[sosurreal09]

My MW said if you don't normally eat a lot of sugar not to bother with the test b/c the drink can sway the results. So if you eat a healthy non processed diet normally you may show up with GD but it's basically false. She told me to skip the testing.

[poppyseed2012]

Dragonfly, most people (I forget the percentage, but it's way over half) who fail the first test pass the longer one, so don't be too worried about it! And good luck!

[DragonflySky]

Thanks Poppyseed.  My midwife did say that they have a high percent of fails - I think she called it a false positive for the first test.  I have definitely had more of a sweet tooth than I normally do since being pregant (no more Oreo cookies for me).  I do generally eat healthy - mostly fresh whole foods, other than the cookie thing. I'll let you know how it turns out.  

[lightheartedmom]

I went in today for a consult w/ the diabetes center because I refused the 3hr test my mw wanted to do (they said the 1hr is no longer considered accurate? This time they were requiring a 12 hr fast, followed by fasting draw, glocola drink, then 1hr 2 hr and 3hr draws...I would have puked for SURE). I have to stick myself 4x a day for the next week. Totally having a hard time pulling the trigger on that meter - I'm so squeamish about the pinprick, even though it doesn't hurt! (<---wimp)

The RD told me that these days they basically consider any baby over 8lbs13oz as a GD baby, even if the mom passed the GD test. Which means that all but two of my mom's 5 might have been (I was 8lbs even). I sort of want to roll my eyes at that because...some babies are big and it seems wrong to just categorically say 8lbs 12oz is the highest weight that can be considered healthy/normal for a baby...but whatev.

I took my blood sugar about 55 minutes after dinner tonight (homemade pizza w/ chicken, asparagus, artichokes and garlic) and it was 75. That's low, right? After lunch (risotto made w/ white rice and asparagus) it was 97. And an hr after dessert tonight (some chocolate) it was 94. So I'm thinking I'll be okay...

The whole system annoys me, but I do appreciate the intention, which is to protect babies from getting diabetes later in life...

[sosurreal09]

My DD was 8lbs 6 oz and I did have the GD test with her and was no where near GD according to my OB at the time. I didn't stick with the OB though and went on to a MW and birth center. Wondr if they would have told me that? My sugars and BP are always low though...

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by lightheartedmom 

The RD told me that these days they basically consider any baby over 8lbs13oz as a GD baby, even if the mom passed the GD test. Which means that all but two of my mom's 5 might have been (I was 8lbs even). I sort of want to roll my eyes at that because...some babies are big and it seems wrong to just categorically say 8lbs 12oz is the highest weight that can be considered healthy/normal for a baby...but whatev.
I took my blood sugar about 55 minutes after dinner tonight (homemade pizza w/ chicken, asparagus, artichokes and garlic) and it was 75. That's low, right? After lunch (risotto made w/ white rice and asparagus) it was 97. And an hr after dessert tonight (some chocolate) it was 94. So I'm thinking I'll be okay...
The whole system annoys me, but I do appreciate the intention, which is to protect babies from getting diabetes later in life...

Wow.  That RD is SO out of the loop.  I'm amazed, considering where you are.  I probably shouldn't be, though.  8'12" does not mean anything except that you grow bigger babies.  And I'll point out that the only reason the national average birth weight is so low (7 lbs) is because there are 2 categories of babies being counted in there - premature babies and babies born to people of SE Asian ancestry (which may genetically be as small as 5 lbs).  If they'd start categorizing by race (or gestational age even), you'd start seeing different numbers. 

And your blood sugar numbers are really low.

And it does nothing to protect babies from getting diabetes later in life.  That is complete BS.  There has been no link whatsoever between birth weight and diabetes.  Nor has there been a link between GD diagnosis and later diabetes for mom.  That is total misinformation aimed at scaring parents into doing what the doctor wants.