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Glucose test alternatives

5K views 31 replies 13 participants last post by  tiqa 
#1 ·
So I really, really don't feel comfortable drinking the glocola drink. Did anyone drink any alternatives?
 
#5 ·
My midwife has a meal that we eat instead of a drink. It's just a regular, balanced meal and she tweaks it for me since I don't eat gluten.

The glucose dink = 50 grams of glucose and the meal also = 50 grams of glucose:

  • 50 Gram Carbohydrate Test Breakfast
    A two hour post meal blood test can be done to find out precisely how your body handles sugar. In order for the test results to be accurate and meaningful, you will need to eat breakfast, which contains an average of 50 grams of carbohydrates. A blood test needs to be taken TWO HOURS after you have eaten this meal.
    PLEASE EAT ALL THE FOODS IN THE AMOUNTS LISTED
    4 ounces of unsweetened juice (orange, grapefruit, or apple)
    2 eggs - scrambled, poached, or boiled
    2 slices of whole grain toast with butter OR 1 slice of toast with butter and 1 cup of unsweetened dry cereal
    8 ounce glass of milk
    NO SUGAR, HONEY, COFFEE, OR TEA!

I can't remember exactly what the gluten-free version is, but I don't think you're GF?

My midwife's paperwork says that anything below 140 is normal, but I think that's really high... I like to be below 100, closer to 80. But that's besides the point. :)
 
#6 ·
I don't want to do it either, but my midwife won't let me out of it...she says the only alternative is for me to check my blood sugar at home every single day. But I have a strong family history of diabetes on both sides and once I got a borderline A1C reading, so I guess that's why she's being so firm about it. It's the only thing she's not been flexible about. I hope you are allowed to do something else though, and I'm glad you are too, Metasequoia!
 
#8 ·
Maybe if you guys showed your midwives the meal plan above and they knew it was 50 grams of carbs/glucose, they'd allow it instead? It sounds like a pretty yummy meal! And definitely more indicative of how your body reacts to glucose, I think, than drinking some disgusting syrup. If you're not used to drinking something like that, I just can't see how your body is expected to react normally to it. Barf.
 
#9 ·
I worked in a practice that had a specific number of jelly beans or smarties a woman could eat to equal about 50g glucose, it's not super evidence-based but then neither is the Glucola drink. The research about all diabetes screening options (including not screening at all) is so wishy washy and confusing... for my clients I offer them the standard test, no testing at all, a purely random glucose or a glucose test 2 hours after eating a normal, balanced meal for them (protein/carbs/fat not just glucose). I think they are all just really one time snapshots of how the body is metabolizing sugar but if it's motivating for women to eat well and stay active then that's a good thing. :)

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/gestational-diabetes-and-the-glucola-test/ This is a good article that elaborates a bit on the confusion.
 
#10 ·
I know my blood sugar balance changes based on the state of my adrenal health, so yeah, one time snapshot is a good term. It also varies for me depending on what my diet is like. If I've been eating more carbs, my blood sugar tends to be more out of whack with uncomfortable dips in the mornings where if I'm eating more fat and protein and not a lot of carbs, my blood sugar is more stable around the clock.
 
#11 ·
(First time poster so I hope I do it right!)
I have a corn allergy (as well as sugar cane and honey and many other things) so as soon as my midwife mentioned scheduling the glucose test I immediately reminded them of the allergy and that I absolutely would not be drinking any sugary drink. They said it was totally fine and gave me an order for a fasting and hemogram blood draw. I still think it's silly because I only eat a whole foods, plant based diet that I cook from scratch, the only sweets are fruits and even those I usually eat with nuts at the same time. Only complex carbs that I often sprout myself and eat with vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats.
But I digress. A blood draw first thing in the AM is a pretty simple option if your provider will go for it.
 
#12 ·
I declined the glucose test entirely and my midwife was okay with it because of my healthy diet.

I still think it's silly because I only eat a whole foods, plant based diet that I cook from scratch, the only sweets are fruits and even those I usually eat with nuts at the same time. Only complex carbs that I often sprout myself and eat with vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats.
But I digress.
I ate this way during pregnancy but with some eggs/dairy occasionally (was vegan before pregnancy). She said that if my glucose test was unfavorable she could not recommend anything diet related to treat it because I was already such a healthy eater!
 
#13 ·
Wait, I'm confused, is it impossible to develop gestational diabetes if you eat a healthy diet? I didn't know that.

Type 2 diabetes runs on both sides of my family (although that has a genetic component there's also a pretty high lifestyle component, too) but I have no idea if that puts me at higher risk for gestational diabetes or not. I eat fairly healthy, I exercise, and I'm at a healthy weight, but I do have occasional treats.

Long story short, my OB office doesn't offer an alternative to the icky sugar drink for the glucose test so I'll probably just go with that.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Wait, I'm confused, is it impossible to develop gestational diabetes if you eat a healthy diet? I didn't know that.
I suppose it's not impossible but my midwife's point was that treatment for it is diet and exercise. If you can't control it by following those recommendations and it is severe, they will prescribe insulin in addition.

See here - > http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/how-to-treat-gestational.html

So if you already eat the way they would recommend to treat it, theoretically you should not develop it. :)
 
#18 ·
Thanks for your suggestions about alternatives. I wrote them down to talk to my midwife about on Monday. I was reading that as many as 25% of women may get a positive from the test, and 67% of those women may be experiencing false positives. So after getting a positive, the next step is the glucose tolerance test, which requires fasting for 10 hours and then drinking an even more sugary drink, with testing every hour for three hours, and no regular food. I'm inwardly freaking out about this possibility because I don't think it would be possible for me to go close to 5 hours after waking up without eating anything (by the time I factor in getting dressed and driving time) without making myself completely ill for the whole rest of the day. I looked online and couldn't find any alternatives at all for this glucose tolerance test...apparently A1C tests don't work for gestational diabetes and fasting blood tests might not be completely predictive of post-eating glucose levels. I'm more bothered by the idea of not eating for this long than I am by the idea of drinking the gross and chemical-laden glucola, I think. Does anyone know of any alternatives for this second test, if one tests positive at the first screening?
 
#19 ·
I think just checking blood sugar after eating is telling enough. If you "fail" the first test, you could get a glucometer and check your blood sugar throughout the day and keep a record. If it falls in the normal levels regularly, I wouldn't worry. I think that's a perfectly reasonable alternative to forcing yourself to drink something you'd NEVER drink, you know? I don't know how anyone expects our bodies to react normally to something we'd never normally consume.

Just remember that it's your body and you're allowed to decline what you feel is harmful. :) They can't force you to drink the drink.
 
#20 ·
Interesting thread! I am going to ask my provider if there is an alternative, but with them being a standard OB practice in a hospital setting, I doubt it. I did inquire about the ingredients of the drink they give and this is what they listed. They said it's pretty gross, so make sure it's cold when you down it. Going to inquire about alternatives before my next visit.

Glucocrush brand: water, dextrose, natural flavoring, citric acid, sodium benzoate, FD&C Yellow No. 6 and FD&C Red No. 40.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Check this out! I did ask my provider (a team of OB's at a hospital) if there is an alternative, and to my own greatest surprise, this was their response. I do wonder how they equate the 50g of dextrose in the Glucocrush drink with sugar in 1/4 syrup, plus the waffles, plus the OJ. Seems like not quite the same. They do say to wait 1 hour after the drink and 2 hours after the waffles/syrup. What do you think?

"Have a meal comprised of 1/4 cup of regular (NOT DIET) maple or pancake syrup over your choice of waffles, pancakes, or french toast, and 1 large glass of fruit juice. Please finish the meal quickly. You may have bacon or some other protein with the meal, but DO NOT have anything else to eat or drink (except water!) until after your blooed test as this could alter the test results. Finish the meal about 1 hour and 45 minutes before your scheduled appointment. It is VERY important that you have your blood drawn EXACTLY 2 HOURS after you finish the meal. Some may feel jittery after so much sugar, so feel free to bring a protein snack for after your test."
 
#23 ·
I think the carbs in the waffles/pancakes/french toast = that amount on sugar. When carbs hit our bloodstream, it's the same to the body as sugar, right? Then add in the OJ (tons of sugar!) plus the maple syrup.
I'm surprised they say it's okay to eat bacon as that would balance out the sugar/carbs somewhat with the protein/fat...

Sounds better than the drink!
 
#25 ·
I only took the test with my first. My midwife was fine with me declining this time (and the last two times). I gain a lot during my pregnancies (50lbs+) and my babies are always quite average-sized. I wonder what the chances of getting it are after having three non-GD pregnancies.
 
#26 ·
So I did a lot of research on this and apparently none of the food-based alternatives to the glucola were as sensitive in identifying women who really did have gestational diabetes (food-based sources of sugar were only half as effective as the drink, perhaps due to individual differences in metabolism)...so if you're at higher risk for developing GD, it's probably better to stick with the gross glucola. But if you're just taking the test to satisfy your doctor or midwife, the waffles sure do sound like a better option. (By the way, I should have saved the link to repost, but this is from a comprehensive 2011 study that was on the first page of search results). I talked with my midwife on Monday, and while she gave me permission to use the food-based alternative, she strongly encouraged me to just go with the glucola, based on my strong family history of diabetes. She doesn't want me to test okay if I'm really not, which is more likely with the food-based alternative. So I'm just going to drink the stuff; it's just one day, and at least I don't have to go to the hospital for the test. I can drink the glucola at home (she sent me home with a bottle) and then come to her office two hours later to have my blood drawn. I'm sure I probably consume other things I would rather not as ingredients in food when we eat out, so this probably isn't any worse overall. Sigh.
 
#30 ·
I'm dreading it too. My doctor said that the type of sugar in a can of orange Crush was close enough to the glucose drink that he was comfortable with it, even despite my iffy history with pregnancy glucose tests (I always test borderline) and my family history of diabetes. The official glucose drink makes me throw up though, and last time I even almost fainted, so I would prefer not to repeat that again.


(Incidentally, when I do stick sugar checks, I always come out fine, so... *personally* I'm not concerned with it, even if the test does ping back positive (or barely positive). My babies are average sized (minus the first, who was LBW, even) and don't have sugar issues after birth. But, I know they can vary with different pregnancies, so I do want to at least test - especially since I can't really exercise, which is something that helps women not develop GD. So... yeah.
 
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