Glucose Testing

[Gina209]

Morning ladies! I was supposed to have my Glucose Testing weeks ago but since I've been in the moving process for the past 8 weeks I just got in to see my new Doctor last week and he scheduled my Glucose Testing for today. He said usually its done around your 27th week but better late than never. My question is, he didn't really say what I needed to do as far as prep. Am I supposed to not eat or drink hours before? Or is there a certain amount I'm supposed to drink before hand? Or do I just show up and drink the stuff? I'm not even really sure of the procedure. I figured since he didn't say anything there was nothing special to do but I figured most of you woman have done one so I was just looking for some help. Thanks!

[KM604]

I didn't have any special things I had to do before hand, though some women have to fast (I would assume he would have told you that though).  Basically you'll go in and they'll give you this orange drink (sometimes have other options) that you have to drink in 5 minutes.  Then you wait an hour and they will draw your blood (they see how your body breaksdown the sugars I think).  I've heard some places draw your blood first, then you drink the drink, then an hour later they draw your blood again.  But they just drew my blood an hour after I drank the stuff (it wasn't that bad tasting but mine was cold, I've heard it isn's as pleasant warm).  My doctor told me my results were really good but also found out I'm slightly anemic based on whatever labs he requested be completed.  it's painless but if he didn't say you needed to do anything special before hand I wouldn't worry about it.  The only thing my doctor said not to do is eat anything sugary right before hand, but I went at 8am so I just waited until after that appt. to eat anything.

[Avanaar]

For the one hour glucose test, I was given instructions not to eat or drink anything sweet (soda, candies, cakes, etc), but could eat normally otherwise.  Then I had to drink my orange "glucola" within 5 minutes ...then you wait an hour and get your blood drawn.  Because I had my anatomy scan scheduled for the same day, I drank my glucola on the way to the Dr's office, did the scan (which took about 45 min), then had my blood drawn afterwards.

When I failed my screening, I had to go to the hospital and do the 3 hour glucose test.  For that one, I was told not to eat anything after midnight and get to the hospital as early as possible (so that I could get the blood draw done sooner and be able to eat!  lol).  I got to the hospital around 8 and had my first blood draw at about 8:45 ...my last blood draw was at 11:45 and I was out the door to McD's for a chicken sammich!  lol

[ovaz129]

Yes... eat as you normally would, minus carbs or anything with sugar.  You only have to fast if you fail the 1 hour test and they want you to do the 3 hour test.  The 3 hour test requires you to fast, but not the 1 hour.  Good luck today!

[Gina209]

Okay great, thanks ladies! I had no clue what the test even consisted of! Now I gotta think of something I can eat that doesnt contain sugar! And I guess I should bring a book?? 1 hour..ahh everything is such a process!
Thanks ladies!

[Avanaar]

Luckily, my dr's office let me bring the bottle of glucola home with me.  So even if I didn't have my ultrasound, all I had to do was drink it about 30-45 min before my appointment then go in and tell them I needed my blood drawn 'cause I'd drank the glucola.

I hated the waiting in between my 3 hr glucose test ... so, if you're going to be stuck doing nothing for an hour or more, bring a book, some music ...anything to keep you busy and keep your mind off the time.  =D

[KM604]

Where I go to get my lab work done, they have a TV in the waiting room so that helped my time go by.  But you will be there for an hour.  My doctor made it seem like I just shouldn't eat a bunch of candy before the appointment, so I'm sure if you just eat something semi-healthy it'll be ok.  I don't know what the numbers should be, I just know he said mine were great.

[Avanaar]

It depends on the doctor's office what number they go by.  Some doctors use 140 ...anything over that and they send you for the 3 hour.  But other doctors use 130 in an attempt to 'catch' more borderline patients with gestational diabetes.

In the 3 hour test, you need two or more of your blood draws to be abnormal (higher than the base).  The bases for those blood draws are:

Fasting blood draw: less than 95
1st draw after drinking glucola: less than 180
2nd draw: less than 155
3rd draw: less than 140