Why no Glucose testing?

[homebirthbaby]

Can you all give me some simple easy to understand reasons to decline the glucose test? (a little more detail than it's not necessary )

Thanks!

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by homebirthbaby

Can you all give me some simple easy to understand reasons to decline the glucose test? (a little more detail than it's not necessary )

Thanks!

For some people the GT makes them sick. That would be me. I took in two previous pregnancies and declined in my last and with this one. I really have no risk factors and never failed. They can have false positive results, or you could actually have a problem and it not be detected. I think if you fall in a certain risk category then it might be something to consider. (a family history of diabeties comes to mind, or being border line before pregnancy)

[BelgianSheepDog]

The GTT results can be skewed by having a healthy lifestyle. That is, if you normally don't eat tons of sugary foods or if you eat them only in balance with high protein/high fiber foods, the little "glucola" thing can make your blood glucose levels freak out and give you a false diagnosis of "gestational diabetes."

Also, as OnTheFence said, it can make you feel quite ill, maybe even throw up or pass out.

It's more accurate to test blood glucose after a normal meal.

I have a family history of diabetes but that's part of why I declined the GTT. If I had a problem for real, I wanted to know. And I didn't want to drink something that would make me feel ill. So I opted to have my blood glucose tested randomly. And it was just fine.

[pamamidwife]

Exactly what BSD said.

Random blood sugar tests with a glucometer are far more accurate in pregnancy than the GTT. If you google "Henci Goer + Gestational Diabetes" you'll get tons of good, evidence-based information on it.

[Momma Aimee]

We were seeking to avoid a medical pg -- thus we avoid ALL pre-natal tests....

I didn't want to deal with any "oh well the test was normal, but just barely so we want to redo it / do this other..."

and I felt fine refuseing it as I had only ONE risk factor (over 30) -- I researched it well and felt there was not good to come of it -- as there was no real reason to feel i needed it -- so we refused it as a "routine" SOP -- had ther e been an indication WITH ME that the test was needed we would have worked fromt here.......

I doubt you want this much info but here is my notes sheet i created

Glucose Tolerance

Problems with the test:

From Mothering Magazine Issue 120, September/October 2003
can be duplicated only 30 to 50 percent of the time

many birth practitioners believe that elevated blood-sugar levels actually represent a healthy response to the inherent dynamics of pregnancy

No controlled studies have proven that high blood sugar leads to problematic or high-risk pregnancy.

Test is not “real life” – 50 grams of sugar on empty stomach is not a real life activity. More than 4 candy bars after fasting 12 hours.


From http://www.unhinderedliving.com/glucosetolerance.html
Researchers have found that screening with the GTT makes NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on perinatal mortality. In other words, routine use of the GTT has not been shown to significantly benefit pregnant women and babies. The only people who benefit from this testing are those in whom previously existing diabetes is suspected.

During pregnancy, blood sugar levels will be higher than normal because the baby is always growing and glucose needs to be readily available in the blood stream to meet the baby's immediate needs

From Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
test isn’t reliable: between 50 and 75% of women retested have a different result.

From http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pre...alth/1483.html (part of babycenter.com)
Only 1/3 of women who test pos at the GTT actually experience GD
Only 2 to 7% of pg women develop GD to start with

From The Sear’s Preagny book
The GTT 50 gram of sugar doesn’t account for mother’s weight and thus is a hard test for a 110 mom than a 215 mom
Large baby and bad delivery is mostly based on observation of diabetic woman who were not in control of their heath


Risk factors for GD and reasons to have the test

From March of Dimes Web site ---
You are at increased risk if you
Over weight or excessive weight gain
Over 30
Family history
personal history of diabetes,
previously gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds or was stillborn
fast weight gain in pg
constant thirst
urine tests have shown high sugar during pg

from Dr Sear’s
GD More common in:
Older moms
Over weight moms
Family history
Pervious big babies

[Arwyn]

: What everyone else said plus I think heavy dosing on straight sugar can NOT be good for the babe. Aren't we told again and again to avoid doing just that??

[clavicula]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

: What everyone else said plus I think heavy dosing on straight sugar can NOT be good for the babe. Aren't we told again and again to avoid doing just that??

ITA.

[MsElle07]

Does anyone know why a previously large baby (over 9lbs) puts you at risk for GD? (Even if there was no GD present in previous pregnancy?)

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by MsElle07

Does anyone know why a previously large baby (over 9lbs) puts you at risk for GD? (Even if there was no GD present in previous pregnancy?)

Because they assume that if you had a large baby they must have gotten a false negative on the GD tests for the last pregnancy. Isn't that lovely?

[homebirthbaby]

Thanks everyone for the great info!
I'm 35 weeks and so far have gotten by without my OB asking about me taking it....she gave me the drink a while back with a script to take to the hospital lab, and said for me to call and schedule with the lab, but I didn't do it. Right now we're working with a "don't ask, don't tell" policy!

[MommytoTwo]

My mw does the test but after a normal meal, not that glucola crap. My first OB actually just did a random blood draw, I never had to drink it that pregnancy.