Glucose Screening Coming up...

[veganone]

Any suggestions? It's not that I want to try to trick it or anything, but is there anything I should be doing before the test to prepare and to get my body to tolerate it well? I'm not in the habit of eating large amounts of sugar in short periods of time, so I'm a little confused by the whole idea... I need to take it between now and July 10th.

Thanks!

[HeatherB]

Search for threads in "I'm Pregnant" for lots of info on the GTT. I'm honestly of the mind that one should simply decline it. There are various reasonings as to what one should do in preparation, if you are going to take it, to make sure it's a legitimate reading. And the only time it should be of concern is if you actually have unidentified diabetes before being pregnant. It seems totally bogus for identifying anything else! (As in, "gestational diabetes" is probably nonexistant...except in preexisting cases of diabetes that may not have been recognized earlier.)

Anyhow, lots of reading out there on the subject... Henci Goer has several articles that are particularly good!

[DoomaYula]

Just say no.

I'm of the mind that it's ridiculous and barbaric to force a pregnant woman to fast and then poke her with a stick. And then if she fails, fast LONGER, and poke her again. Not for me.

[Hippiemommie]

Yeah I don't think it's good for Mama or Baby to do that screening. Plus I read that even if the mother does have GD the treatment doesn't improve outcome for either Mother or Baby (found in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth). I'm declining

[MrsAngelic]

There are other ways to test, some docs will tell you what specifically to eat for breakfast and then do a finger prick. I just decline too because I either end up puking and having to come back and do it another day (or 3 times like with DS1) or sick the rest of the day. Declined with last pregnancy. You are supposed to be more likely to get gestational diabetes if you are

•a member of an ethnic group with a high incidence of gestational diabetes. This includes women of Latino, African American, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islands descent.
•over 25 years of age
•family history of diabetes mellitus, including type 1 diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes mellitus in a sibling or parent
•personal history of gestational diabetes
•marked obesity
•previous delivery of an infant with a birth weight of more than 9 pounds
•a previous stillbirth
•previous delivery of a child with birth defects
•recurrent or persistent bladder infections or vaginal yeast infections
•glucose in the urine sample taken in the healthcare provider's office

I am native american but none of the other things apply to me so I feel fine about declining the test again, er well, I would if I was seeing a doc this time.

[marlygf]

I didn't know all of these things everyone is saying about this. I guess I never even thought anything about it. My midwife won't be testing and I have tested negative for my first two pregnancies.

Anyway, I wanted to give you this stuff I was given in my Bradley class. It's things to eat instead of having to drink that crap. I've never even drank that stuff and I'm on my 3rd baby.

Eat and drink normally on the day you will get the test done. To prepare for the diabetes test, you need to eat or drink one of the items (each containing 50 grams of carbs) listed below 45 minutes before your appointment. The blood sample should be taken exactly 1 hour after you finish the selected item.

You may eat one of the following candies:
1 Mars 1.76 oz bar (50 grams carbs)
2 Hershey Milk Chocolate 1.55 oz bars (each contains 25.5 grams carbs)
2 Hershey's Krackel 1.45 oz bars (each contains 25 grams carbs)
2 Hershey's Mr Goodbar 1.75 bars (each contains 25 grams carbs)
1 Nestle Crunch 2.75 oz bar (51 grams carbs)
18 Brach and Brock jelly beans (50 grams carbs)

OR

Eat this snack 45 minutes before your appointment:
8oz orange juice AND 1 small banana AND 2 slices of toast with 2Tpsp of jam, jelly, or honey

[Banana731]

i'm going to decline also, but if my MW gives me a hard time, I will agree to the modified food test only.

[HarperRose]

I'm going to decline partly because the idea of so much FOOD just sickens me and partly because my mw said she'd decline it, too.

[stacey2061]

my m/w advised me not to each much sugar (natural or otherwise) or processed/instant foods for a week before the test.
i know there's some controversy around it, but i don't see it as "harmful" and i'm sure i'll pass the test, so i'm not going to bother declining, esp since i need to have bloodwork done anyway (to check for chicken pox immunity and check iron levels).

[mamablair]

This is great. I've been thinking about whether or not this is needed or not. I had is with DS and 'passed' and I have no risk factors.

i'm going to decline also, but if my MW gives me a hard time, I will agree to the modified food test only.

Can someone tell me about the modified food test? I'll do more research before my appt. (tomorrow) but would love to know what you mamas think.

Thanks!

[blueridgewoman]

I think I'm going to agree to the modified food test as well. I have hypoglycemia so I think it's not a terrible idea to have it done, really, but I'm definitely not putting that much sugar into a body which is sensitive to it to begin with. Yuck.

[Liam's Mum]

Originally Posted by stacey2061

my m/w advised me not to each much sugar (natural or otherwise) or processed/instant foods for a week before the test.
i know there's some controversy around it, but i don't see it as "harmful" and i'm sure i'll pass the test, so i'm not going to bother declining, esp since i need to have bloodwork done anyway (to check for chicken pox immunity and check iron levels).

I think I'll just do it as well, m/w did clearly say it was optional, but seemed to be leaning toward recommending it (esp. as I had an over 9 lb baby last time...) so I figured, why not. I don't expect to have any problems.

Someone mentioned fasting, my m/w seemed to say you only fast for the second test (if you "fail" the first one). I honestly can't remember with DS, though I feel like I fasted at some point (and I only did the first test). Guess I'll ask again next time.

The orange goop wasn't as gross as I expected last time (was expecting it to be thick, shudder), but I'd sure as heck rather eat jelly beans or chocolate!

[kleines]

I will do the test. I have extensive family history (both sides even) of diabetes. I am native american as well. I have always had issues controlling my blood sugar, just never bad enough to do anything other than diet changes. I don't mind the orange drink though. After avoiding sweets most of the time, it tastes like an ice cold orange Crush to me! I know, that is nuts! My sister had GD with all three pregnancies and had a 10lb 9ouncer the first time b/c they didn't catch it. Yipes! I will say though, if I didn't have family history I would NOT do the test. There is so much good research saying it isn't necessary.

[roostery]

From my reading it looks like you should eat lots of carbs for the three days proceeding the test. Your body gets accustomed to dealing with a certain level of sugar. If you don't eat much sugar for the days proceeding the test and then they give you a big sugary drink your body will freak out and be unable to deal with it.

I negotiated with my midwife and she is letting me do fingersticks 4 times a day for two days instead of the drink. Because I had a large baby before I was asked to do this early in pregnancy as well as the regular later in pregnancy testing. I ate normally and tested fine. It was actually interesting to see what meals raised my blood sugar.

[Dena]

I have declined with my mw as well, and will with my ob - if they even bring it up, which they haven't so far, which is cool. My only risk factor is my age, and, like a pp said, I have heard it doesn't really change anything in terms of outcome for mama and baby.

[marlygf]

The only other thing I was told was to eat a good protein breakfast.

Oh yea and with eating all those things I suggested, I believe you have to eat them within 5 minutes. Eating that much candy is really hard to do in 5 minutes just a warning.

Ladies, I went and searched and I couldn't find anything. I probably didn't get far enough in but I have dial up and it takes forever! Could anyone explain to me, in short, why it's such a bad test and some don't believe it really exists? I guess this is something I've never even thought of researching! My dh's family has a history of diabetes but my family doesn't, so I guess I'm not worried about it. I do have a friend who was tested positive and freaked out when I said I wasn't going to be. She also had all sorts of other problems (high blood pressure, and other stuff I can't remember) and ended up having a baby a month early.

[stacey2061]

Originally Posted by roostery

From my reading it looks like you should eat lots of carbs for the three days proceeding the test. Your body gets accustomed to dealing with a certain level of sugar. If you don't eat much sugar for the days proceeding the test and then they give you a big sugary drink your body will freak out and be unable to deal with it.

ok, now i am confused because that is the opposite advice my m/w gave me...

[rik8144]

Actually, if you do have diabetes and you do not control it you can have a HUGE baby ( like the 14-15 pounders you see on the news). Then, when the cord is cut and the baby is on his/her own the body is so used to the high sugar content of moms blood and the baby body has been over producing insulin to make up for it. So, the baby continues to produce the high insulin and the blood sugar drops fast and hard in the baby. Then you have a child with Low low low blood sugar which is a risk to the brain (the 'food' of the brain is sugar). Anyway.....it actually IS important to control diabetes if you have it in pregnancy since it can affect the baby greatly.

[HeatherB]

I *totally* agree that it's important to control diabetes in pregnancy, if one has it. And I even am fully supportive of discovering pre-existing undiagnosed diabetes in women who are pregnant.

BUT, the beef comes with testing all pregnant women and the old protocols and unfounded testing limits, etc., that are used in this test. Here's a link to background info on the GD test: http://hencigoer.com/articles/

I also tend to be hypoglycemic so there's very little reason for me to do this test. My MW did do a finger prick after a meal at one visit during my last pregnancy. Apparently all was normal and that was that! I expect the same this time.

But, yes, it's very important to control things like diabetes, especially in pregnancy. In fact, baby's reaction to sugar is one reason that everyone should watch sugar intake, especially in late pregnancy. Not only does it make bigger babies, but baby's blood sugar will drop significantly after birth if mom's had lots of sugar and then baby is suddenly on its own. Not fun!

(Yes, this is why I'm eating my Cinnabon NOW and not in 12 or 16 weeks! )

[Hippiemommie]

Originally Posted by marlygf

The only other thing I was told was to eat a good protein breakfast.

Oh yea and with eating all those things I suggested, I believe you have to eat them within 5 minutes. Eating that much candy is really hard to do in 5 minutes just a warning.

Give me that mars bar and see how long it takes me