Gestational Diabetes Test? - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[lisathena]

^^^^ Same here and i think its Keytones they check for too. I also do every visit :) And am glad she tells me often i need more protine :)

[PhilsBabyMama]

They check for lots of things in your urine. Sugar, which can be a sign of GD. Protein, which is a sign of Pre-E. Blood, which can be a sign of infection. I'll see if I can find the complete list, but the test strips are relatively inexpensive and you can get so much info from them. You can buy your own online if your midwife isn't using them and you'd like to that your urine on your own.

[PhilsBabyMama]

Whoops, never mind. Pastormama has it covered!

Oh, man, the Downton Abbey thing I saw coming a mile away as soon as they said swollen ankles. So sad. A woman died from it on one of the early episodes of Call The Midwife, too. Not what I want to watch while pregnant. :'(

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by PhilsBabyMama 

They check for lots of things in your urine. Sugar, which can be a sign of GD. Protein, which is a sign of Pre-E. Blood, which can be a sign of infection. I'll see if I can find the complete list, but the test strips are relatively inexpensive and you can get so much info from them. You can buy your own online if your midwife isn't using them and you'd like to that your urine on your own.

Hhhm....ya think I should? I wouldn't be against it. 

How do I bring it up to my MW without her feeling like I'm stepping on her toes? I mean, if I said "i want to be tested for X" it would pretty silly if she made me feel like I was overstepping my boundaries right?

A friend of mine said her MW didn't start testing urine until she developed higher than normal blood pressure. 

[PhilsBabyMama]

Hopefully she would be open to addressing all of your questions and concerns. I'd bring it up in a non-confrontational way, obviously, but other than that I wouldn't be too worried about hurting her feelings. One, it's her job to talk to you about this stuff. Two, in my experience with midwives, there hasn't been a power struggle/stay in your lane/authority figure dynamic. They've all been great about discussing any health decisions/concerns and view us as partners in prenatal care. Know what I mean? If anything, when I've brought things up, they were happy that I was taking responsibility for my (and baby's) health and that I felt comfortable asking for their input.

[nstewart]

My MW doesn't test my urine at each appointment, but I did get a urinalysis and blood draw for other things done when I went in for my GD test.  That being said, it also wasn't tested by the low risk clinic I went to last time (physicians), so it must not be common practise here unless something else indicates it is necessary each visit.

[lisathena]

I specifaclly asked to asked to be checked for Vita D defiecency when she took my blood for labs around 16 weeks or whenever that was...She was just fine w/ it and didnt feel like i was stepping on her toes. Good thing i did too..i am now on 4,000iu/day  .....i am also asking for iron checks every visit too since that is low too....and since has been improving...

[jessmn]

Today I was on the phone with my OB's office because I'm trying to get this handicap permit they want to give me sorted out and while I had someone on the line I asked about the gestational diabetes test and if I could do jelly beans instead. The woman on the other end of the phone laughed and said they only do the sugary drink. That irritated me. I'm still waiting on my OB's medical assistant to call me about the permit, so I plan on asking her. But that was a little discouraging. Hopefully the medical assistant will be easier to talk to and explain that I'm a fainter and I really would like an alternative.

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by jessmn 

Today I was on the phone with my OB's office because I'm trying to get this handicap permit they want to give me sorted out and while I had someone on the line I asked about the gestational diabetes test and if I could do jelly beans instead. The woman on the other end of the phone laughed and said they only do the sugary drink. That irritated me. I'm still waiting on my OB's medical assistant to call me about the permit, so I plan on asking her. But that was a little discouraging. Hopefully the medical assistant will be easier to talk to and explain that I'm a fainter and I really would like an alternative.

but dont they have to draw blood regardless? or, maybe i didnt read the details on the jelly bean version

[PhilsBabyMama]

Jelly beans as an alternative to a fifty-gram glucose beverage for gestational diabetes screening.
Lamar ME, Kuehl TJ, Cooney AT, Gayle LJ, Holleman S, Allen SR.
Source
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Scott and White Clinic and Memorial Hospital, Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
This study tested the hypothesis that a standardized dose of jelly beans could be used as an alternative sugar source to the 50-g glucose beverage to screen for gestational diabetes mellitus.
STUDY DESIGN:
One hundred sixty pregnant women at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation were recruited for a prospective study to compare 2 sugar sources for serum glucose response, side effects, preference, and ability to detect gestational diabetes mellitus. Patients were randomly assigned to consume 50-g glucose beverage or 28 jelly beans (50 g simple carbohydrate). Serum glucose values were determined 1 hour later. The test was later repeated with the other sugar source. Finally, a 100-g 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Participants completed a questionnaire recording subjective outcome variables. American Diabetes Association criteria were used to interpret all test results.
RESULTS:
Among 136 participants completing the study no significant differences were found between 1-hour serum glucose values (116.5 +/- 27 mg/dL with 50-g glucose beverage, 116.9 +/- 23.6 mg/dL with jelly beans; P =.84), frequency of discrepant results (P =.47), sensitivity, specificity, or predictive value. Jelly beans yielded fewer side effects (38% with 50-g glucose beverage, 20% with jelly beans; P <.001) and were preferred by 76% of participants (P <.001). Five cases (3.7% incidence) of gestational diabetes mellitus were diagnosed, 3 with 50-g glucose beverage alone, 1 with jelly beans alone, and 1 with both sugar sources.
CONCLUSIONS:
Jelly beans may be used as an alternative to the 50-g glucose beverage as a sugar source for gestational diabetes mellitus screening. The 2 sources provoke similar serum glucose responses. Patients report fewer side effects after a jelly bean challenge than after a 50-g glucose beverage challenge.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10561636

[PhilsBabyMama]

You might have better results talking to the actual midwife or OB that would do the test. Also, I posted a study you could print off (link at bottom of previous post) to use as back up if you need it. Sorry the woman was so rude about it. Obviously she's not exactly up to date on current ways to test for GD. The jelly bean alternative is pretty basic, run of the mill stuff. Even the military doctors I was seeing (who have a very conservative, do as you're told kind of attitude) were aware of and ok with using jellybeans instead of glucola. They actually mentioned using jelly beans when I asked about real food alternatives.

[Loogiejane]

Originally Posted by PhilsBabyMama 

You might have better results talking to the actual midwife or OB that would do the test. Also, I posted a study you could print off (link at bottom of previous post) to use as back up if you need it. Sorry the woman was so rude about it. Obviously she's not exactly up to date on current ways to test for GD. The jelly bean alternative is pretty basic, run of the mill stuff. Even the military doctors I was seeing (who have a very conservative, do as you're told kind of attitude) were aware of and ok with using jellybeans instead of glucola. They actually mentioned using jelly beans when I asked about real food alternatives.

I wonder how accurate my test will be given ill be drinking grape juice, not refined sugar like the glucola or jelly beans. The last thing I want is to not get real accurate results. I believe my MW said if get a bad reading on the grape juice then I follow up with the yukky 3 hour test. 

Has anyone done just welch's grape juice before?

[PhilsBabyMama]

I think sugar is sugar when it comes to doing the test. A link I posted a page back had grape juice listed as one of the alternatives. I know my cousin's midwives had their clients do the test after eating a banana.

[AmandaLynnH]

I'm doing juice too PhilsBabyMama.  They brought me the glucola stuff and I asked if there was anything else I could take instead and they said 2 juice boxes from Whole Foods.  Gave me my choice between three flavors too.  I have to go get them since my test is next week.  I think I'm not supposed to eat anything beforehand for 4 hours but my test is at 9 am so I'll just wait to eat breakfast.  I don't even have to drink the stuff there and then wait, I drink it at 8 and then head in.  My MW recommended doing it in the morning since the body is better at regulating sugar in the mornings apparently.  I'm not expecting a negative result as I think I more often have low blood sugar but it does still make me nervous.  

I did just have testing done for life insurance and got my results back and there was 0 glucose in my blood.  I didn't have to drink juice beforehand but it was in the morning and I hadn't had anything to eat (after which I promptly ate some chocolate since I felt a bit woozy).  I took this as a good sign but now I don't know how accurate a predictor that would be.

[TwilightJoy]

Did my test this morning. If doing the glucola i highly recommend the lemon lime. It was clear, so no yucky artificial coloring. It tasted like flat Sprite.

Fingers crossed that i passed!



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[nstewart]

Originally Posted by AmandaLynnH 

I'm doing juice too PhilsBabyMama.  They brought me the glucola stuff and I asked if there was anything else I could take instead and they said 2 juice boxes from Whole Foods.  Gave me my choice between three flavors too.  I have to go get them since my test is next week.  I think I'm not supposed to eat anything beforehand for 4 hours but my test is at 9 am so I'll just wait to eat breakfast.  I don't even have to drink the stuff there and then wait, I drink it at 8 and then head in.  My MW recommended doing it in the morning since the body is better at regulating sugar in the mornings apparently.  I'm not expecting a negative result as I think I more often have low blood sugar but it does still make me nervous.  

I did just have testing done for life insurance and got my results back and there was 0 glucose in my blood.  I didn't have to drink juice beforehand but it was in the morning and I hadn't had anything to eat (after which I promptly ate some chocolate since I felt a bit woozy).  I took this as a good sign but now I don't know how accurate a predictor that would be.

Nice!  Check on the eating thing though, because I was told specifically by both my MW and the people at the labratory services to be sure to have a good, protein rich breakfast that morning.  Unless you are getting a different type of test done?

[AmandaLynnH]

Not sure, they gave me a sheet with info and instructions at my last appointment and I put it away and haven't looked at it since so I'll need to grab that and check.  I'm pretty sure they said no food for 4 hours beforehand though since that was part of the reason we did the morning instead of my usual end of the day appointment because I'm better at waiting to eat if I haven't eaten anything yet at all.

[kimble]

Originally Posted by nstewart 

 I was told specifically by both my MW and the people at the labratory services to be sure to have a good, protein rich breakfast that morning. 

So was I. I had a couple scrambled eggs and some cottage cheese before my test this week, and since I haven;t gotten a call back it means I passed. The drink wasn't too bad - lemon lime flavor.

[Loogiejane]

Eek, I had my test today and passed but, didnt have anything to eat in the hours beforehand. I was told I *could* eat protein that morning but I wasn't told it was a requirement. Shoot, or was it. 

Ok, this is what she said :"You can eat, but limit your eating to proteins and whole grains."

Also, I was instructed to drink 100% Welch's grape juice but got juice cocktail instead, by accident, so I threw the whole test off. I didnt consume as much sugar as a result. So we did the test at 50 minutes instead of 60. My MW is certain that this was a fine way to go about it, I just hope my mistake didn't botch the chance of an accurate result. 

[jessmn]

Supposedly I have my text next Tuesday, but haven't heard anything from my OB's office about instructions. I called earlier and asked about the jelly beans but they weren't into that. I might just decline it on Tuesday and then talk with the OB during my appointment about it, and possibly convince them to let me do it another way (juice, jelly beans, or something) or who knows, maybe they will convince me I'll be just fine with the drink. We'll see.