How To Prepare For The Gtt
Dont do excessive exercise: It wont give you better test results.
In fact, it will do the opposite.
Exercise demands more glucose to supply energy to your muscles.
When you have limited insulin available, like in pregnancy, your blood glucose level can actually increase with exercise.
Dont fast for more than 10 hours: Fast overnight and have your GTT first thing in the morning.
Its best to have a high protein late snack, because if you fast for more than 10 hours you can have a false spike of your blood glucose level due to the hormone glucagon being released.
Dont smoke, chew gum, exercise or eat or drink anything other than unflavoured water during the fasting period.
Dont exercise, walk around, vomit , or eat or drink during the test either. Sips of water are ok.
What you should do Book your GTT appointment at pathology prior to the day to prevent fasting and not being able to complete the test due to business.
Tell the pathology staff if you havent fasted appropriately or if you have been sick during the test as this will affect your test results.
Take a book or magazine with you so you can rest for the two hours you have to wait or even jump on The Empowered Mama Project website and get informed about all things pregnancy, birth and motherhood!
Choose Healthy Carbohydrates Instead
Complex or unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and cereals, whole fresh fruits and even baked potatoes are absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream and are less likely to give you the large sugar jolts that can result in excess glucose filtering into your urine.
In fact, since complex carbohydrates contain more fiber, they actually slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. Whats more, they provide lots of essential nutrients for pregnancy .
Why Is Gestational Diabetes A Concern During Pregnancy
Gestational diabetes carries a number of risks for both mother and baby. For mom, there is an increased risk for preeclampsia and cesarean section. For baby, macrosomia , shoulder dystocia and birth injury, and low blood sugar shortly after birth may result. Babies born to moms with gestational diabetes are at a greater risk for childhood obesity, and the mother is at a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Despite this, moms with gestational diabetes and their babies can indeed go on to lead healthy, active, and vibrant lives. So fellow mommas, if youre reading this and have or are concerned about gestational diabetes, please know that the future is still bright 🙂
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The Diabetes Doctor Has Recommended Starting Insulin What Should I Do
Insulin is safe in pregnancy and can help control your blood sugar and reduce some of the risks described above.
If you are started on insulin, let your doctor know. Pregnant women become diabetic in pregnancy because their placenta is making a hormone that makes it harder for them to metabolize sugar. If you find that you are on a certain dose of insulin and then the dose needs to be decreased, this could be a sign that the placenta is starting to get old and you should let your doctor know. It is okay if the insulin requirements keep going up.
It is generally recommended that if you have gestational diabetes requiring insulin, you should have labour induced at 38-39 weeks because of the risk of stillbirth after this. If you do not require insulin to control your sugar you probably do not need to be induced early. Speak to your care provider for more details.
If your insulin requirements suddenly
The Third Thing You Need To Do Is To Try And Get Adequate Sleep For The Majority Of Your Pregnancy
I love sleep :).
It is so important for so many things. Including your sugar levels.
Let me explain a little further.
Sleep deprivation is a highly stressful situation for your body.
High stress = high epinephrine and high cortisol levels.
These hormones can increase insulin resistance, and increase the available amount of sugar in your blood.
In other words, a lack of sleep can impact how your body metabolizes sugar.
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Pregnant People Undergo This Type Of Glucose Screening To Test For Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a condition that develops during pregnancy when too much glucose stays in your blood instead of being used for energy, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says.
If you have gestational diabetes, your body passes more sugar to your baby that it needs, ACOG explains. That can cause your baby to gain a lot of weight and cause complications for you, including labor difficulties, the need for a C-section, heavy bleeding after delivery, and severe tears in your vagina. It also raises your risk for high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can place extra stress on your heart and kidneys.
The glucose screening usually happens near the end of the second trimester, between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. It may be done in one or two steps: The standard two-step version of the test starts with a one-hour test thats recommended for all pregnant people. Then, if your results on the one-hour test show that you have too much glucose in your blood, you may then be required to complete a three-hour test, MedlinePlus explains. In the single-step version of the test, the whole thing is done in two hours.
The test you get depends on your doctor and their preference. No matter which test youâre given, though, they all look for the same thing: to see how your body and blood sugar responds to receiving a load of glucose, Christine Greves, M.D., a board-certified ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, tells SELF.
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How To Test For Diabetes
This article was medically reviewed by Shari Forschen, NP, MA. Shari Forschen is a Registered Nurse at Sanford Health in North Dakota. She received her Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s from the University of North Dakota and has been a nurse since 2003.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 41,941 times.
Studies show that diabetes can effect your entire body over time, but managing your blood sugar may help you prevent complications.XTrustworthy SourceCenters for Disease Control and PreventionMain public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human ServicesGo to source Diabetes is a chronic health condition where your body either doesn’t make enough insulin to control your blood sugar or doesn’t properly use insulin anymore. Since it’s so important to start treatment right away, you likely want to know for sure if you have diabetes. Experts agree that it’s important to see your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of diabetes so you can get tested.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
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Why Do I Need A Glucose Tolerance Test
In pregnancy, women who will be offered a GTT will have been identified as having one of the following:
- A raised body mass index over 30kg/m². BMI is a measurement of your weight in kilograms and your height in metres.
- A previous baby over 4.5kg .
- Confirmed gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
- Family origin .
- First degree relative that has diabetes .
Testing For Gestational Diabetes
Breadcrumb
There are some risk factors that increase your chance of developing gestational diabetes. Your midwife will ask you about these at your booking appointment, which happens around 8-12 weeks of pregnancy. If you have any of the risk factors, youll be offered a test for gestational diabetes when you’re between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant.
Gestational diabetes does not usually cause any symptoms, but some women may have some if their blood glucose levels get too high. Speak to your midwife if you have any concerns. Talk to your midwife if you think you are at risk of developing gestational diabetes, but you havent been offered a screening test.
You dont have to take the test if its offered, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- if you have gestational diabetes, you will be offered more care during both pregnancy and labour, to help reduce the risk of problems
- for some women, gestational diabetes can be improved by changes in diet and doing more exercise
- if changes in diet and doing more exercise don’t improve gestational diabetes, youll be offered medication or insulin.
“I wasnt obviously skinny, but I wasnt massively obese either I had no symptoms whatsoever. I had no expectation that the test would be anything other than a formality.”
Beth, mum of two
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Who’s At Risk Of Gestational Diabetes
Any woman can develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, but you’re at an increased risk if:
- your body mass index is above 30 use the BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your BMI
- you previously had a baby who weighed 4.5kg or more at birth
- you had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
- 1 of your parents or siblings has diabetes
- you are of south Asian, Black, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern origin
If any of these apply to you, you should be offered screening for gestational diabetes during your pregnancy.
When Should I Get A Glucose Test For Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes testing is offered between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy.
Your doctor may recommend that you get tested sooner if you have an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. Some of the risk factors for this condition include:
- Becoming pregnant after the age of 25
- Being overweight before becoming pregnant or gaining a large amount of weight during pregnancy
- Having family members with diabetes
- Having prediabetes, which is an elevated level of blood glucose that can lead to diabetes
- Having had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
- Belonging to certain racial or ethnic groups, including people who are Black or African American, American Indian or Native American, Latino/Latina, Asian, or Pacific Islander
- Previously giving birth to a baby who weighed 9 pounds or more
- Having a hormonal condition called polycystic ovary syndrome
- Having high blood pressure
- Having a large amount of amniotic fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds the baby in the uterus
You can discuss your risk factors and chance of gestational diabetes with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the timing and appropriateness of testing in your specific situation.
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How To Pass The 3 Hour Glucose Tolerance Test
Just like the 1 hour glucose test, there isnt any special way to ensure that you pass the 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test aka the ogtt.
Your best bet is to eat a well-balanced diet leading up to the test and minimizing the consumption of simple carbs like cereal, white flour, juice, and soda.
Making these changes the night before or the week before is unlikely to make a big difference. You should make these changes months in advance.
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What Do The Tests Measure
Glucose tests for gestational diabetes measure blood sugar levels under controlled conditions. The tests provide a picture of how well your body is able to metabolize glucose during your pregnancy.
There are two main ways to conduct a glucose test for gestational diabetes: the two-step test and the one-step test. In the United States, the two-step test is more commonly used.
Two-step test
The two-step glucose test can involve one or two sessions, depending on the results of the first step.
Step one of a two-step test is also called a glucose challenge test or glucose screening test. In step one, you will drink a solution with glucose and then have your blood glucose levels checked after one hour. If your blood glucose level is within the range expected for healthy people, your testing will be complete, and you will not need to perform step two. If your blood glucose level is higher than normal, you will need to return for step two.
One-step test
The one-step glucose test may also be referred to as an oral glucose tolerance test. For the one-step test, you must not eat or drink anything but water for eight hours beforehand. The one-step test begins with a baseline blood draw. Then you will drink a glucose solution, and your blood will be tested after one hour has passed and then again another hour later. Each sample will be analyzed to determine its glucose level.
The one-step test is done in one appointment that usually lasts about two hours.
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Gestational Diabetes Testing: Which Method Is Best
The glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes is something of a second trimester rite of passage.
If your pregnancy has proceeded uneventfully so far, nearly all the standard tests are behind you. Only one standard test left. And for this final one , you get to choke down a disgustingly sweet drink* and have your blood drawn repeatedly. Sounds fun, right?
Two major methods of screening women for gestational diabetes exist: The two step method and the one step method. Interestingly, these are not equivalent. Which test you receives can have a big impact on whether or not you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Most providers in the U.S. use the two-step method. This results in 7-9% of pregnant women in the U.S. being diagnosed with gestational diabetes each year.
If all these providers were to switch to the one-step method, the percentage of women diagnosed would double to 18% of all pregnant women according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Does this represent a potential overdiagnosis or current underdiagnosis?
Before we dig into this question, lets back up for a minute to define the tests.
How Do I Get Ready
To get an accurate result on the OGTT, eat about 150 grams of carbohydrates each day for 3 days before the test. Don’t eat or drink anything except water after about 10 oâclock the night before.
You don’t need to do any special prep before the pregnancy glucose challenge test. You can eat in the morning. Just avoid foods with a lot of sugar, such as doughnuts or orange juice.
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What You Can Expect
The glucose challenge test is done in two steps. When you arrive at your health care provider’s office or the lab, you’ll drink a syrupy glucose solution that contains 1.8 ounces of sugar.
You’ll need to remain in your health care provider’s office or the lab while you wait for your blood sugar level to be tested. You can’t eat or drink anything other than water at this point.
One hour later, a blood sample will be taken from a vein in your arm. This blood sample will be used to measure your blood sugar level.
After the glucose challenge test, you can return to your usual activities immediately. Your health care provider will give you the test results at a later time.
About Glucose Tolerance Tests
Glucose is a simple carbohydrate that the body uses as its most basic form of energy. Diabetic patients suffer either from insulin resistance or insulin deficiency depending on the type of diabetes they have. Physicians must perform a test to determine if a patient is diabetic or âpre-diabetic,” a condition known as impaired glucose tolerance . Pregnant mothers often have the test performed between their 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy to screen for a condition called gestational diabetes. This affects pregnant women during the later stages of pregnancy and, if untreated, can have negative consequences on the child.
Some physicians use the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, although many may order the test in a duration of between one to six hours it is also known as an oral glucose tolerance test to differentiate it from the intravenous glucose tolerance test . The three-hour test is becoming less common, but at one time was the gold standard of diabetes diagnosis.
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I Failed My Prenatal Glucose Screening Test Here’s What I Did Next
You failed, shared the nurse to me on the phone after my prenatal glucose screening test.
I was crushed. Disappointed. Frustrated. And fearful of what might be at risk for me – and more importantly, for my baby.
I had just completed the 1-hour glucose screening test for gestational diabetes, which involved drinking 50 grams of glucose within 5 minutes, waiting patiently for an hour, and receiving a one-time blood draw to test how much sugar was still circulating in my blood instead of being transported into my cells, as it should. Its a test that is routinely recommended to pregnant women sometime between their 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.
Ideally, shared the nurse, my blood glucose number should be in the 130s. Mine was 190. I realized then that not only did I fail, I failed by what I considered to be a large margin. I was shocked.
But when I heard the news that I failed my screening test, I thought that I had done something wrong. I just didn’t know what. I felt embarrassed – naively thinking, I am a dietitian after all, how could this happen to me?! – and confused.
Youll have to go into the hospital for a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test with 100-grams of glucose to see if you have gestational diabetes and we encourage you to do it within the next 5 days, the nurse instructed.
Heres what I found out: