FAILURE!!!

Ok, so I got the call - I failed the 1 hour glucose screening.....so now I get to do the 3 hour long glucose tolerance test - blech. I go in at 7am tomorrow morning and may not eat anything after midnight tonight. My score was 158 and anything above 130 is considered too high.

Everyone around the hospital says not to freak out because this is a fairly common thing and the score wasn't totally off the charts, there is about a 3-4% chance that I actually have gestational diabetes - we'll see what happens!!!


What is an abnormal blood glucose level?
Different practitioners use different standards for determining whether your level is too high. Some will say that if your one-hour blood sugar level is 140 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood plasma (mg/dL) or more, you need to have the glucose tolerance test. Others put the cut-off at 130 mg/dL to catch more women who may have gestational diabetes, even though there are likely to be more false positives this way.If your blood glucose level for this test is higher than 200 mg/dL, most practitioners will consider you diabetic and you won't be required to take the glucose tolerance test. But any score between 140 and 200 means that you'll have to take the three-hour glucose tolerance test for a definite diagnosis.

What is the glucose tolerance test like?
For three days before the test, you'll be told to eat at least 150 grams of carbohydrate a day. If you eat a normal diet and have an extra piece of bread at each meal, you'll likely be getting enough carbs. For eight to 14 hours before the test, you can't eat or drink anything but sips of water (and you're not supposed to smoke or exercise either), so you'll want to schedule it for first thing in the morning.

When you arrive for the test, the technician will take a blood sample to measure your "fasting blood glucose level" and then ask you to drink either a more concentrated dose or a larger volume of the glucose solution. Then brace yourself for three more arm pricks, as your blood is tested every hour for the next three hours. The technician should alternate arms each time she draws your blood.You'll definitely need something to distract you this time, because you'll have to stay seated in the waiting room between blood drawings. And bring something to eat right after your final blood sample is drawn because you'll probably be starving. If one of the readings is abnormal, you may have to take another test later in your pregnancy. Or your practitioner may ask you to make some changes in your diet and exercise routine. If two or more of your readings are abnormal, you'll be diagnosed with gestational diabetes and you'll need to talk to your practitioner about a treatment plan.