How To Pass Your Glucose Test

My Alternative Gestational Diabetes Test

Glucose Tolerance Test | Why Low Carb People Fail GTT| How to Pass GTT

Instead of consuming the glucose drink, my doctor recommended that I test my blood sugar four times a day using a glucose monitor. I did this every day for one week, when I hit the 30-week-mark in my pregnancy.

What I love about this approach is that I get to see how my body handles the real food I eat on an everyday basis, which seems like it will provide a more accurate result compared to drinking a glucose beverage that I would have never chosen on my own.

The only downside is that I hate needles, and poking my finger 4 times a day isnt fun. But, after the first few times Ive finally gotten the hang of it and it really isnt that bad. This alternative simply involves testing my blood first thing in the morning , and then I have to test it again 2 hours after each meal, for a total of 4 times each day.

How Often The Test Is Done During Your Pregnancy

Women get glucose testing at 26 to 28 weeks. Some women also get testing for glucose in early pregnancy if they have additional risk factors. If it turns out that you have diabetes, you’ll get regular testing for the rest of your pregnancy. Your doctor may do an A1C blood test at your first prenatal check-up.

How To Monitor Your Blood Glucose Levels

Watch this film from Diabetes UK or read the instructions below.

Tip

There is less sensation in the sides of your fingers than the tips or the underneath. Try to prick the side of your finger, near the tip.

To monitor your glucose, you will be given a blood glucose monitor. This is designed for you to measure your own blood glucose levels at home, or wherever you happen to be, by checking a drop of your blood. You produce the blood by using a finger pricker.

There are many different brands of meter on the market, but they all work in similar ways:

Step 1 Wash your hands.

Step 2 Set up a finger pricker with a clean needle.

Step 3 Insert one end of a test strip into the meter.

Step 4 Use the finger pricker to prick the side of your finger.

Step 5 When a spot of blood appears where you pricked you finger, place it onto the end of the testing strip that is sticking out of the meter to transfer the blood.

Step 6 After a few seconds, the meter will display your blood glucose level.

Step 7 Clean the blood off your finger.

Step 8 Record the results in your blood glucose diary or diabetes journal, or you may have a phone app that you use.

Step 9 Throw away the test strip.

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How Common Is It To Fail The 1 Hour Glucose Challenge Test

In general, anywhere from 15-25% of women will fail the glucose challenge test. But keep in mind that failing the 1-hour test does not give you the diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

According to the CDC, the prevalence of gestational diabetes is about 2-10%.

But failing the test should raise some red flags that you need to pay attention to your diet.

What Can You Do If Youre At Risk For Gestational Diabetes

If youre at risk for gestational diabetes, there are a few things you can do to help lower your chances of developing the condition:

-Get regular exercise. Exercise can help your body use insulin more effectively.

-Eat a healthy diet. Eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help your body control blood sugar levels.

-Maintain a healthy weight. If youre overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can help lower your risk of gestational diabetes.

It is important to consider these things even before pregnancy, so Im glad youre thinking about it.

How To Pass The Glucose Tolerance Test For Pregnancy

If you have no choice but to take the glucose test, Ill pass on this tip that my doctor shared with me: Rather than eating a low-carb meal before you take the test, as so many doctors recommend, she actually recommends eating a low-fat, higher-carb meal because the body seems to respond to the test better that way.

Since false positives are fairly common with the one-hour glucose test, I wonder if this tip might help to avoid that. Also, its not uncommon for fasting numbers to be higher than post-meal numbers, so if I had to do it again, I would definitely eat something 2 hours before taking the one-hour test. I fasted for my one-hour test the last time, and failed it by one or two measly points, but went on to pass my 3-hour test with flying colors.

Reader Feedback: If youve ever been pregnant, did your doctor offer you an alternative to the glucose test? Id love to hear if there are any other options available!

I Have The Results Of My Glucose Screening Test What’s The Normal Range For Blood Sugar

Different providers 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 or more, you need to have the glucose tolerance test. Others put the cutoff 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 screening is higher than 200 mg/dL, most providers 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.

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Your Glucose Test During Pregnancy: How To Pass It

This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission your purchase at no cost to you. Feel free to check my disclosure and terms for more info! Please note the advice on this site is general advice and you should consult a provider before making choices for yourself.

If youre pregnant and expecting to have a glucose test as part of your prenatal care, you might be wondering how to prepare for the test. What can you eat and drink before the test? And what should you do on the day of the test? Keep reading for all the information you need to know about glucose tests during pregnancy.

But first, how do I know all of this?

Hi Im Hilary The Pregnancy Nurse . I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. I even helped in a diabetes clinic during my 3rd pregnancy. I have helped LOTS of diabetic moms, and fielded lots of questions about the glucose test during pregnancy.

Possibly, similarly important, I have taken the glucose test with my three pregnancies, and I understand your desire to PASS that test.

First, lets chat a bit about what it is.

Follow Directions As Precisely As Possible:

3 Hour Glucose Test | Did I pass?? | Gestational Diabetes | 28 Weeks Pregnant

Follow this diet for 3 full days before the test. This is important so test results will be reliable.
You will not gain a significant amount of weight after only three days of the diet.
Any additional food you desire may be eaten, but please do not delete any portions.
For the final 12 hours before the test, no food, no liquids, no tea, no coffee, no smoking and no gum. Water is allowed. Do not fast for more than 16 hours.

You should take any medications on the same schedule prescribed by you physician, such as blood pressure or heart medication. Do not take any over-the-counter medications for 12 hours before the test, such as cough or cold preparations, vitamins, aspirin, etc. All testing begins the morning after a nights sleep .

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What Should I Eat Before The Glucose Screening Test

You should eat your normal typical breakfast. This is so that we can get a very accurate representation of how your body handles sugar at this point in your pregnancy, even after your normal breakfast.

With that said, its probably a good idea to not consume high glycemic foods right before, especially sugary drinks like juices, smoothies, and sodas.

What If I Fail The 3

Normal Values for the 3-hour glucose test :

Fasting: Less than 95
Hour 1: Less than 180
Hour 2: Less than 155
Hour 3: Less than 140

You actually two of these numbers to be wrong to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. So, lets say hour 1 youre at 190, but the other two are lower, then you should be good to go.

However, if youre failing any of these, talk with your provider to see if they have tips for you to eat in the most healthy way for you and the baby. Thats the key with this one.

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How To Pass The Gestational Diabetes Test

People sometimes ask how to pass the glucose tolerance test. But heres the truth: theres no passing or failing. If youre diabetic, the results will reflect thatand truly, thats important for you and your baby, so you can get the treatment you need to prevent problems. And if youre not, youre not. So no trying to cheat the system here.

How Different Foods Affect My Blood Glucose Levels

As it turns out, my glucose numbers are perfect, so Ive started having a little bit of fun while I have this glucose monitor and must poke my finger anyway. By fun, I mean Ive been trying out different food combinations to see how they affect my glucose levels.

For example, yesterday I had an all-fruit meal for breakfast to see if it would spike my blood sugar the way everyone always assumes it will, and in contrast, I had a low-carb breakfast another morning to see how my blood sugar responded to that. Below are my results!

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Can I Skip Taking Glucose Tests

Yes, you can decline a glucose screening or test, but opting out is not recommended. Since most women with gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms, getting tested may be the only way to find out if you have the condition.

Gestational diabetes puts you and your baby at risk of complications. Detecting gestational diabetes allows you to work with your provider on managing and reducing those risks so you can enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

What If I Fail The 1

Normal Values for the 1-hour glucose test

Fasting: Less than 95
1 hour: Less than 140

If your values fall outside this they will likely have you take the 3-hour test.

However, if your 1 hour glucose is high enough they may just diagnose you with diabetes and make you an appointment with someone who can make an eating plan for you.

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What Is The Two

The two-hour glucose tolerance test is basically a shortened version of the three-hour tolerance test. If you get this test, you likely won’t do the screening test first, which is why the two-hour version is sometimes referred to as the “one-step” glucose tolerance test.

Overnight fast: Typically you’re instructed to eat a late meal the night before the test and then to eat or drink nothing after that, except for sips of water. The fasting period is usually 8 to 14 hours before the test, so you’ll want to schedule the test for first thing in the morning.

Here’s what to expect at the lab:

First blood draw: When you arrive for the test, a blood sample is taken to measure your fasting blood glucose level.
Sweet drink: Next, you’ll drink a very sweet drink, which usually contains 75 grams of glucose.
Two more blood draws: Your blood will be drawn at one hour and two hours after the drink.
Results: If any of your blood sugar readings are abnormal you will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

This chart shows the levels that the American Diabetes Association considers abnormal at each interval of the two-hour glucose tolerance test :

Interval
2 hours	153 mg/dl or higher

What Can Diabetes Do

Capillary Blood Glucose Sample (Glucometer) – Clinical Nursing Skills @Level Up RN

As you can imagine, leaving sugar on your counter is an invitation for ants to come find it.

It is similar in your bloodstream. It just kind of messes with the walls of your veins and arteries. It also makes it so you may have periods of really high blood sugar , and then sometimes really low blood sugar . Going between those two extremes can make you feel miserable, especially during pregnancy.

For the baby, youve got to think that its also getting those very high amounts of sugar where it takes a lot and grows quickly, but then it is also affected if you end up hypoglycemic.

These babies often end up large and can have issues stabilizing their own sugars when they are born.

It can also be problematic for the organs and things that formed as they were growing inside of you. It can increase your chances of stillbirth.

This study shows that increase in stillbirds, especially in undiagnosed diabetes

Can I say again how IMPORTANT it is to take the test. It really is SO important, and if youre listening to someone who says not to take it that isnt a person whos opinion you want to value.

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How Can One Tell If I Have Diabetes By Examining My Blood

Your body converts sugar, also called glucose, into energy so your body can function. The sugar comes from the foods you eat and is released from storage from your bodys own tissues.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Its job is to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of tissues. After you eat, the level of glucose in the blood rises sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing enough insulin to handle the increased level of glucose moving the glucose out of the blood and into cells. This helps return the blood glucose level to its former, lower level.

If a person has diabetes, two situations may cause the blood sugar to increase:

The pancreas does not make enough insulin.
The insulin does not work properly.

As a result of either of these situations, the blood sugar level remains high, a condition called hyperglycemia or diabetes mellitus. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, blood vessels and other organs can be damaged. Measuring your blood glucose levels allows you and your doctor to know if you have, or are at risk for, developing diabetes.

Much less commonly, the opposite can happen too. Too low a level of blood sugar, a condition called hypoglycemia, can be caused by the presence of too much insulin or by other hormone disorders or liver disease.

How Is The Diabetes Test Done

The gestational diabetes test is normally ordered around 28 weeks, but if you have issues including previous larger babies, a close family tie that has diabetes or other issues they may recommend you take it earlier .

They may take a fasting blood sugar , and then everyone drinks a sugar drink .

They then take your blood sugar at regular intervals.

If youre just having the 1-hour test youll just have the one blood draw and then youre done.

If youre doing the 3-hour test youll have blood taken before the drink , and then at 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours after drinking it.

Most labs will want you to stay within the lab for this process. They will likely also have other guidelines like not smoking, eating, drinking , or exercising during the test just to make sure its accurate.

Ok, keep going though, were going to talk about diabetes for a bit

Oh, grab my hospital packing list while youre here. I bet it will help you!

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We recommend that you still follow this list even after the glucose test, as this can manage your blood sugar levels to avoid such conditions. Besides what to eat, you can also follow these extra tips when taking your glucose test:

Schedule the test appointment in the morning to help make fasting easier
If youre thirsty, youre allowed to take small sips of water
Create a meal plan after the test or pack snacks in your bag to avoid feeling ravenous and lightheaded

Who Is Most At Risk For Developing Diabetes

The following categories of people are considered “high-risk” candidates for developing diabetes:

Individuals who have overweight or obesity.
Individuals who are 45 years of age or older.
Individuals with first-degree relatives with diabetes .
Individuals who are Black, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asia American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders.
People who developed diabetes while they were pregnant or gave birth to large babies .
Individuals with high blood pressure .
Individuals with high-density lipoprotein below 25 mg/dl or triglyceride levels at or above 250 mg/dl.
Individuals who have impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
Individuals who are physically inactive engaging in exercise less than three times a week.
Individuals who have polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS.
Individuals who have acanthosis nigricans, which are dark, thick and velvety skin around your neck or armpits.

In addition to testing the above individuals at high risk, the American Diabetes Association also recommends screening all individuals age 45 and older.

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