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Glucose test - anyone else getting high numbers even though they have no risk factors??

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pregnancy
1K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  cynthia mosher 
#1 ·
I am 30 weeks right now and in the hospital on bed rest for placenta previa (and vasa previa) and they did the glucose test last week and it was insanely high - like 200. They thought it was probably from a betamethasone shot I got a few days earlier, so no one was worried and we retested yesterday. My numbers were still at 175 (below 130-140 is normal), so I have to do the 4-hour test.

I have no risk factors. My pre-pregnancy weight was 100 pounds (now I'm somewhere around 118 or so) and I eat a healthy diet. I was originally going to do a home birth before all this placenta craziness happened and my midwife wasn't even going to do the test because I had no signs or risk factors for it. So, it's a little shocking that numbers are out of whack.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen and what the outcome was with the 4-hour test. I have been thrown so many curveballs throughout this pregnancy that another one like this seems unimaginable.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I bombed all my initial glucose screens, as well as the 4 hour tests for both successful pregnancies. However, when doing the actual real-life monitoring I *never* had a high reading and was well within even non-pregnant healthy normal.

I was told that some people just do not handle the glucose syrup "challenge" well, but day to day stuff with a good diet they're just fine. I monitored for about a month each time but then my doctor told me it was optional since there was never a bad reading after all those weeks of religious monitoring/food tracking.

So even if you do bomb the test, hard to say what will happen when you start monitoring. It may be there's a problem, but it may not too.
 
#3 ·
Thanks Tigerchild - it's interesting you say that because I keep thinking, how do we bombard our bodies with this much sugar and then expect it to be okay?? I am never doing that in real life, so wouldn't it make sense that my body is like, "WTF??" and may not handle it well?

Well, that at least gives me hope that even if I get the diagnosis of GD that it may be okay day to day. I am also skeptical of the "diabetic diet" that the hospital might talk to me about. I am already mostly gluten free, so I don't do breads or cakes or sweets of any kind really except some dark chocolate. But the docs were telling me that even veggies and fruit have sugar, which sounds insane that i wouldn't be able to eat fruit and veggies (and I don't OD on fruit).

If I get the diagnosis, I may see if after a week of blood draws (3 a day, ughhh) and checking it, if we can see how my blood sugar acts in real life and if it's not high, then we can stop with the draws/paranoia.
 
#4 ·
i just got my results back yesterday and my levels were slightly elevated (142) even though i have no risk factors and totally thought the test was a waste of time. i now have to go back for a 3hr test.

even though the levels were elevated, i still think the test is pointless for some reason.. but my OB (who seems trustworthy) didn't present the test as "optional" to me so i'm gonna have to take it.
 
#5 ·
I requested to be tested early because of a drastic weight gain at 23 weeks. Passed with no problems. Then the midwife said it's protocol to test everyone at 28 weeks so I had to drink the gross orange "soda" again. Failed big time. Passed the 3 hour, but barely so they referred me to a diabetic nurse for "diet teaching". I walked in and she handed me my shiney new glucose meter with test strips and lancets. WHAT?!?!?! Apparently "my OB" (some doctor I have never heard of) ordered this meter and said I should be testing 4 times a day and be on a strict diabetic diet. The most frustraing part is all the thinly veiled threats and insinuations that if I don't do as told then I'm going to cause permanant damage to my baby and "might grow a baby that's too big to give birth to". So sick of all the fear mongering around pregnancy and birth. Of course I want to do whatever it takes to take care of my baby, but I want to make well educated clrearly reasoned out decisions. Not be bullied into submission. I am one cranky pregnant lady!!! On the up side I have heard of lots of people failing the screening, but passing the 3 hour so I hope that works out for all of you ladies:)
 
#6 ·
Man, what a complicated issue. After doing some research about possible risks to the baby if you leave GD untreated, I declined the test. The risks that I found are: a baby that's too big and therefore possible cesarean delivery and premature baby. Well, my baby has been on the small side (was even in the 10% for a bit) and I am delivering by cesarean at 35 weeks anyway because of the placenta previa and the vasa previa. So, those things are already happening to me.

I also wanted to look at the whole picture here - I am going through some serious shit right now. This is quite stressful being in the hospital for 5 weeks and worrying everyday that my baby might not make it. The LAST thing I need right now is something else on top of it and blood draws everyday. That would seriously break my already fragile spirit. I have had no appetite today with all that's going on and now I'm super critical of what I'm eating, which means I'm eating less because I'm worried that it will spike my blood sugar. I am petitie and need the calories.

I told my OB yesterday that I wanted to decline it and he was like, "I can totally understand that. Let's just pretend that you didn't take it and we'll forget about it. The least of your worries right now is possible GD." Yes, he got it! (I would've probably still declined it even if he didn't). Ever since I made this decision to decline it, I have felt sooooo much better.

Granted, if I thought this was a huge issue, I'd do whatever I had to. But from the research I've done, if your baby has insulin problems because of your GD, they grow rather big. And that's something that can be detected (and lord knows I'm getting ultrasounds frequently), so this is something that can be monitored and if it looks like it's an issue, I'll deal then. I also told the resident that I would be happy to chat with a dietician so that I know how I *could* fine tune my diet to be more diabetic, but that ultimately it would be my choice. Already this AM for breakfast I skipped the potatoes and had double bacon instead :)
 
#7 ·
Yep, I'm at 34 weeks and my prepregnacy weight was way Higher than yours, but i'm 5 ft. 11 so its a bit different. My health was perfect and until now I had no problems, my numbers are just over 140 for and they told me I have Anemia and that i need Iron pills on top of my prenatal. I just went and did the 3 hr glucose test yesterday and I felt like crap after because they made me fast before it. I think all that sugar and not eating causes more problem than not doing the test. My baby and I hated it. As soon as I drank it, she had a kicking fit and didn't let up until it was out of my system. Hate those test.
 
#8 ·
I feel very fortunate that my midwife prefers to send me home with a glucose monitor for 3 days rather than have me overdose on a single shot of the orange stuff (or anything, for that matter). We've looked at my glucose numbers the last couple of visits, and they've been about 121 or below both times, but I came into the pregnancy overweight so I definitely want to make sure to keep an eye on this.

But it's like they're TRYING to make someone fail with the way these tests are designed.
headscratch.gif
 
#10 ·
I have had GD in 3 out of 7 of my previous pregnancies. It is carefully controlled with a low-carb diet...still lots of fruit and veggies, just no sugar or breads. The only baby who seemed to have a problem was my youngest, 10lb, 2oz and he had shoulder dystocia, which made for a scary delivery. THis time around, I switched OBs and we are just skipping the test and acting as if I have GD again...following the low-carb diet, and testing blood at home, keeping weight gain low, exercise every day, etc.

For happy2bemama, being on bed rest can affect your sugars because your body is used to being active and now is just still. The sugar in your blood is used for energy for your muscles, which are currently resting.
 
#11 ·
Personally, I had several risk factors but came through the test with flying colors. I was surprised that I was even able to perform for the test, as prior to the test, I had been throwing up anything that I ate or drank that was sugary at all, and I had been super-nervous about that orange drink I'd heard so much about (since it actually stuck around, I was actually kind of thankful to have a little bit of something sweet at all, since it had been a big pregnancy no-no for me!). With that said, I felt sick and had trouble eating normally for about two days afterward, starting after my very next meal after the test!

I do think there must be better methods of testing, as I hear of many women with no risk factors (and no signs of GD in later testing or during monitoring) who fail the test, and it doesn't make any sense to me to overload a pregnant woman's bodies with sugars after fasting just to see how her body responds.
 
#12 ·
JenVose,

Yes, that's it exactly! I tried to argue with one of the OB's in my old practice using your argument. What is the point of seeing how my body responds to 100g of glucose if I am NEVER going to eat 100g of glucose in real life?? And if I do have gestational diabetes, then we just made my blood sugar skyrocket, and it will take a day to get it back in line and get rid of the ketones in the system caused by the sugar overload. She had no response other than to say "You have to have the test!"
 
#13 ·
Yes, the test doesn't really make sense. You all are right - why not just check your blood after a normal meal??

After I had completely dropped the whole GD thing, my OB brought it up again since I will be delivering early and he said that he wanted to give my baby the best chance of not being in the NICU and IF I had a raging case of GD, perhaps the medication would help control things so that would be one less reason to go to the NICU. This had some validity to me and I was finally in a place where I could wrap my head around exploring it further. The only test we did was a morning fasting and then blood sugar check 2 hours after breakfast. My numbers were perfect. I'm so happy I didn't down that 3-hour glucose. I think it would've made my numbers go all screwy.

My OB said that most women who fail the 1-hour test pass the 3-hour test, to which I said, "Sounds like there needs to be a more accurate 1-hour test." What is the point??!
 
#14 ·
The one hour test screens moms who are borderline and catches more GD cases. They don't make everyone do the 3 hour test because it's overkill. If your numbers were over 150 in the hospital, at least do yourself a favor and don't eat a lot of carbs. 175 is really high! Anything over 140 can cause long term organ damage. Good luck to you!
 
#15 ·
happy2bamama-sorry you're going through so many curve balls :(

Ladies-you can request the test w/ eating a meal. The glucose drink has a lot of false +, just because if we are healthy eaters, it throws our bodies into crazy sugar high. If you present your ob w/ the facts about it, it would be stupid of them to fight you. Of course some probably will anyhow.
 
#16 ·
I suppose being overweight is considered to be a risk factor though I've always had really good numbers on everything, really. I don't have any sugar spill in my urine so my Midwife is suggesting that I just have a normal meal of whole wheat/Flax waffles with maple syrup and then she will take a finger stick. If it checks out, I'm good to go. So much better than the glucose drink, always made me queasy to drink that awfulness.
 
#17 ·
Just wanted to invite all our pregnant mamas to join a Due Date Club here at Mothering. You can chat with other moms due the same month as you and get mutual support and sharing of experiences through your pregnancies. You'll find the Due Date Clubs here. Just find yours and click Join This Group to have instant access and posting privileges: http://www.mothering.com/community/groups/tagged/tag/2013-due-date-clubs
 
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