Failed My Gestational Diabetes Test

This happened to me too but the fasting 3-hr test was negative. You probably only "failed" the finger prick test because you ate breakfast that morning. I wouldn't worry until you have the full test.

I wouldn't worry unless you fail this next test. I failed my first test and then passed the more extensive test. This is very common (at least that's what other women have told me). I just wish that someone had told me this in the first place because I worried myself sick until the second test came back normal. All of my worrying was for nothing. Good luck and don't worry.
B. K.

Hello Victoria,

Gestational diabetes is something that some pregnant women develop while being pregnant. Sometimes the body does not process insulin that well while being pregnant, so it is not something that you are doing. Gestational diabetes does not have anything to do with whether you are thin or overweight or family history.

I hope this helps some.

B.

I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with my daughter. If all they did was a finger stick (not a 1 hour blood test) I would not be overly concerned until you take the 3 hour test. There were times when I would stick my finger and have a blood sugar reading of 435, think it was wrong, check it again immediately, and have a reading of 215. My Dr. said that gestational diabetes is a very understudied condition. Although they call it diabetes because is an imbalance of glucoses in the blood, it is very different from type I and type II diabetes. Unless you had diabetes before you got pregnant, it will almost definately go away at childbirth (if you have it at all). My case was more severe, but most women that I know that had it only had to take medication and watch what they eat. Even though my case was severe, the diet was still not as restrictive as most regular diets. Don't look at this like you failed, look at it like this is another change your body is facing (like horemones) because you are pregnant. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong or could have done anything to prevent it. Congratulations and good luck!

Don't worry honey, it has nothing to do with a family history or anything. I have a friend, who is one of four herself, who had it with 2 out of 3 pregnancies. I have another that didn't have it with her first but did with her second. It's just something that happens. The worst that may happen is you may need to be induced a week early because the baby may be big. He will be perfectly fine and so will you. You just need to watch your sugar intake. Everything will be just fine sweetie. Congratulations and good luck!

Take a deep breath and Relax!! Just do what you need to do for the "health" of your baby!! It will pass when you have your baby and you'll get back to "normal". Being pregnant does All kinds of Whacky things to our bodies, remember it's only temporary. Don't beat youself up, like it's something you did or didn't do...follow the advice of your OBGYN and you'll be fine! I've never had that happen to me, but my sister who's having her third baby soon, had that with her first pregnancy. Her son is 4, he's great, she's Great( a little uncomfortable with being so huge), but DON"T stress out, you'll be fine and so will your baby!!

Don't worry yet. This happened to me and it was a false positive. Could of came back positive if you were eating sugary foods/fruits the day before or that morning.Once I did the 3 hr test came back negitive. Think "negitive" till you get your results Friday.

So, first, they do the full screen to make sure the finger prick was correct, it can be off by when and what you ate last, etc. But gestational diabetes is just that, caused by pregnancy, changes in hormones can affect your bodies ability to produce and use insulin, so you can get diabetes. But for most women it goes away after the pregnancy. Sometimes diet can help manage it during pregnancy, sometimes it can't. You're not doing anything wrong to cause this, it is truly due to hormone changes that happen in pregnancy. Good luck!!

Victoria,

All the other posters said it :D
I've never heard of the finger prick to check for GD, but I'm military, so they do things differently. Don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Take a book to read and relax. I always had the one hour test and always hated it because what I was given made me agitated and antsy. Just relax and take your favorite book with you to read.

What the other posters said = )
and, really, don't assume you have GD until you get the results from the 3-hr test. The first test has like a 75% false positive rate - they send everyone who 'failed' the first test (they don't like the range of values that came up) to get the 3-hr test, which is much more accurate.
I 'failed' the first test in both my pregnancies, but the 3-hour test came up negative for GD in both of them.

So don't take it personally, you may not even have GD. Even if you do, it isn't a reflection on you or your habits, it's just another zonky thing the hormones have done to your body and it too shall pass (once you're no longer pregnant.)

Good luck!

Don't worry yet, wait until after the 3 hour test to see what happens, maybe you ate something that was a little higher in sugar at that time, I went thru the same thing with my first pregnancy although I see this is your second pregnancy, the testing monitor could have been off too. Good luck!!!!
Just remember don't worry yet!!
My prayers and thoughts are with you.

I wouldn't worry too much about the 1st test. I failed it with my son but my Dr. said it was probably just something I ate the night before. I passed the 3 hour test fine. And like someone else said too I wouldn't say that it's a reflection totally of only what you are eating. Pregnancy does strange things to a body. Good luck.

Victoria,
I would not worry about it. I like you are very thin with good eating habits and I failed the first 1 hour test with both of my pregnancies. It was only one or two points over normal and I have no idea why this happened, but my doctor told me that some people just metabolize the sugar slower. When I took the 3 hour test (and yes it stinks) everything turned out fine. I hope this helps. It is probably the same kind of thing. Take care and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
B.

Don't stress out about it just yet!! I am pregnant with my 4th child and this pregnancy I also failed my first test. After 4 hours at lab corp my tests came out negative. I also am in really good shape and have no history of family diabetes. So stay confident and if you have gestational diabetes be sure to follow your doctors orders and you will be fine!! Good luck!!

I failed my one hours test. I passed the three hour test. Don't stress until after the test Friday. But, that test made me sick. I think it is because I am sensitive to sugar anyway. If I get too hungry I get shaky and if I have too much sugar I get headaches.

Hi Victoria! I failed my first one too. I passed the three hour one after fasting the day before. I wouldn't worry about it until after the 3 hour one. I am also thin, have a good diet and get regular excercise...I'm not sure why some of us fail the first time. Even if you end up having gestational diabetes, it can be controlled with diet. Good luck!

Hi, Victoria. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my twin daughters. Please don't be upset. Gestational diabetes is not caused by the same thing as regular diabetes. It has something to do with how everything is processed by your placenta. I am not a thin person, but have never had any problems with my blood sugar. I have good eating habits as well (my cholesterol is only 165). I never had to take any medication for my gestational diabetes, I controlled it completely by diet (and you can, too). Just listen to the doctors and follow the diet to a "T." Your baby may have a high birth weight (some babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes can weight more than 10 lbs) and it puts you at a higher risk for developing Type II diabetes later in life. Once you deliver, the diabetes goes completely away -- mine did as well as my two sisters (who are thin) who had gestational diabetes. Good luck!

As many other women have said, I also failed my first test. My doc told me I didn't need to fast before it, the experienced mothers on my "baby board" all recommended that that you do fast. I listened to my doc and had to face that grueling 3 hour test. I was fine (just STARVING by the time it was over.) It was the only time during my pregancy that my husband said "Well, why didn't you listen to the ladies on the board?" (Normally, he wanted the doc's advice to be what I followed.)

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll turn out fine.

I am a thin person, fairly good eating habits and no family history of diabetes too and I failed my first test for gestational diabetes!! I was very upset about it and very nervous about doing the three hour test! Turns outs I was fine and I worried myself over nothing! Apparently a lot of people fail the first test and then are fine after doing the three hour test. Try not to worry yourself too much. You are probably just fine!! The three hour test isn't bad but make sure you bring plenty to keep yourself occupied.. books, magazines, etc. Also, be sure to eat something immediately after you are finished with your test! Good luck!!

Alot of people fail the finger test and the one hour test but, go on to pass the 3 hour test. Reason is the 3 hour test is done by fasting. I have gestational diabetes and they but me on a pill 2.5 mg and that's been keeping my sugars down. It really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I'm 32 weeks now and they are inducing me at 39 weeks due to my age and diabetes.

T. age:44 baby girl (my first)

Don't fret yet. I had a preliminary test show positive for Down's which did not end up happening. Not all the preliminary tests are accurate.

Not to worry. You will probably pass the three hour test. This is what happened to both my sisters. They failed the first one (one sister failed with both her pregnancies) but passed the second one. Both are thin and eat healthy as well.

Hi Victoria,

Don't worry. This happens alot. Follow your diet the Doctor gave you and you will do fine. Good luck. D.

I failed the first test with my second, third and fourth pregnancies. However, I never had gestational diabetes. I don't know why the test is positive the first time and negative on the three hour test, as I'm not a nurse or doctor.

I have a student in my class whose mom is pregnant with her third child. She has had gestational diabetes with all three pregnancies, but is otherwise healthy and has no problems after the pregnancies. The two children she has are healthy.

I hope this brings comfort to you.

Did you eat before your test? Also, what did you eat and when? I had GD with 2 of my 3 pregnancies. While being overweight and having bad eating habits can raise your risk, it isn't the reason people get GD. The placenta can affect your body’s ability to process insulin. Check out the ADA’s site for more info on GD, http://www.diabetes.org/gestational-diabetes.jsp. Luckily I was able to control my GD with diet alone. If you can do it, it does reduce your risk for Diabetes later in life. But don’t despair yet… lots of women fail the first test and go on to pass the 3 hours test with flying colors. Good Luck!

Hi Victoria
There is a wonderful book called Empowering Your Health by Dr.Asa Andrews
If you can buy it I encourage you to do so.I got it from Amazon and it changed my life
All the best
D.

Hi Victoria,
I wouldn't worry too much about the how. Also, wait for the 3 hr. test results. Some people fail the quick test, but pass the long one. Did you eat anything with lots of sugar before the test?

My Aunt had this with both of her pregnancies. She was not diabetic before hand. As soon as she had her babies, the diabetes went away. Both of her kids are healthy.
M.

I am not sure how you failed given you have no family history and arent overweight. Dont stress it too much. I failed my finger prick w/ all my kids but my 3hr test always came back w/ flying colors. So it may have been something you ate in the last 24hrs. Gestational diabetes isnt a fat girl disease either, lol. Your body is just having a hard time w/ your sugar right now prolly just because you are pregnant. Pregnancy does all sorts of odd things to your body. Just continue to watch what you eat. I think you need to watch your sugar intake and that doesnt just mean, cakes, cookies and candy, that also means your white starches: potatoes, bread, and pasta. You can sometimes control the diabetes w/ your diet and I beleive they will give you the opportunity to do so. If its not controlled by diet then they can put you on drugs. But they prefer for the babys sake that you control your diet and exercise. I am sure you dont want to push out a 9 or 10lb baby. It will most likely go away when the baby is born. But you dont want your baby born w/ the diabetes so take care of yourself while pregnant.
Here is a helpful link: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/gestational/index.h...

Victoria, I have four children and I failed the one hour glucose test with three of them. I passed the three hour glucose test each time. Try not to worry about the test. There is a good chance that you will pass the next test.

It doesn't necessarily mean anything. I failed the 3 hour GD test as well, but testing my blood every morning until I gave birth, my fasting blood sugar was never higher than normal. That makes me question the validity of the test--and a little research online will find you a lot of people who think it's a bogus measurement when applied to health in pregnancy for really good reasons.

Hi Victoria,
I am the same way although (I am 35 and part hispanic-2 of the factors)...and I failed both tests. It has nothing to do with your eating habits really. It's that particular pregancy/placenta. I didn't have it with my first but I am now 36 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and monotoring my blood sugars. It's really not that bad. A bit of a pain to measure and keep track of the low carb/sugar diet at first, and I have to go to maternal fetal specialist every week now...but it is definitely manageable. Once you get used to figuring out what works for you diet and exercise wise...you'll be OK.
Someone also said to walk 10 minutes after every meal (or the meal that you may have the highest blood sugars)etc...If you do have it, there will be a nutritional counselor that will guide you with what you have to do. Also,there is still a good chance that you will pass the 3 hr glucose test and be just fine as I did with my first.
So relax, don't stress out and good luck!
M.

i am in your same boat at the moment. I didn't have it for the first, but have it for the 2nd. evidently it's not you -- it's the placenta and the hormones it's releasing that cause it, so don't beat yourself up over it. there was nothing you could have done in terms of diet or exercise to prevent getting it.

i'll be honest and say the diet they put you on if you indeed have gestational diabetes sucks. i'm having major carb withdrawl. on the other hand, this low-carb diet will most likely prevent me from putting on 50 pounds like i did the last time, so there is a silver lining...

good luck! don't sweat the test either. just get there early for it so you don't have to fast for too long.

Victoria:
Don't get upset at this point. And don't get upset even if you find the 3 hour test shows that you have gestational diabetes. IT IS MANAGEABLE and you can still be in control of your pregnancy. I was pregnant with my only child at 42 AND have PCOS - 2 factors to pretty much guarantee that I would be GD (your body weight and eating can have nothing at all to do with it - It's about how your body handles all food as it is broken down into sugars in the bloodstream.) I did not have to take meds to control it. Cos I followed the Diabetic food plan (per DR) and controlled it that way. Also - walking daily is key to controlling blood sugar levels. I actually found it a blessing - I was worried about putting all the weight back on that I had lost in order to get pregnant. The food plan regulated all that and I only gained 24 lbs and had it off (with nursing - in 2 weeks)The Diabetic food plan is the name - but it's really the "Way everyone should always eat" food plan. The GD issue concerns birth weight and baby size. I was monitored closely and scheduled to be induced about 2 weeks before my due date. Because of that I did not require a c-section which is one reason GD is monitored so closely. He was a perfectly healthy 9 lb-er and his height and weight were right on par. Let us know the outcome of the long test and if you'ld like more info. I'd be happy to help!
Blessings, S.

Just to ease your mind....I know how you felt. When I was pregnant...I also failed the test and became stressed out about it. Because, besides that...my pregnancy was doing very well with NO other problems. I went for the LOOOONG 3 hour test and it turned out I was alright. Do not stress out about it right now. Take a book to read, a pillow for a nap :-) or just something else to bide your time. It was all fine for me in the end (though I am not a tiny person - I was probably more prone to it than you would so I was REALLY stressing out). Hope it all works out for you. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

I had gestational diabetes with my second child only. If you look into it and read about gestational diabetes, you will see that it is not the end of the world. My daughter was a bit bigger than my first, but only by a few ounces, and right after I had her the diabetes went away. I will advice this, if you are positive for it, take the class offered and really listen to your dietician. It is managable and as long as you follow the strict diet, you and your baby will be fine!! It is imperative that you follow the guidelines that your doctor gives you. It's just you body is not able to break down the sugars (carbohydrates) in large doses. I hope this helps.
C.

First of all, try not to worry...stress affects your glucose levels as much, if not more, than what you eat! Be sure you fast for your 3-hour test...nothing but water before your test and nothing once your test begins.

Second, being thin and having healthy habits doesn't mean a whole lot when you are pregnant thanks to all our hormones! It should help you regulate your GD (IF you have it) via diet.

With my son, I was 95 pounds before pregnancy and I failed the 1-hour test presumably because I had eaten before the test for lack of a better reason (if you test a pregnant woman at 2 PM, she has most assuredly eater!). The three hour test came back so low, they didn't understand the first test's results. All that stress for nothing!

With my daughter, the one-hour test came back a little high. The three-hour test came back that I did have GD. As is typical, it became a bit harder to regulate as my pregnancy progressed. Also typically, they will not let you go all the way to your due date (usually will want to induce about a week early) but I went in labor two days before they were going to induce. My daughter has no issue with her glucose level and is very healthy. My levels also returned to normal although they did have me check them for a few days.

However, during delivery, my levels were quite elevated even though I had not eaten all day...hence my first comment on stress.

Just relax, continue eating healthy. Have your test and wait to see what happens. Best of luck to you.

This is nothing to stress out about. It may have been what you ate the night before. I'm not a pleasingly plump person either. I failed my first test; it was borderline. I passed the next after eating a healthier meal(baked fish with steamed veggies and some brown rice), minus the dinnertime soda, the night before. I hated the idea of going for another 3 hours. Remember, it's for you and your baby's own good that you may have to watch your diet, even if you fail the second. Good luck and take care!

God Bless!!

The only thing I can tell you is the problem lies within your diet. If when you take the other test and you fail, they should send you to a dietitian to give you the diet you should have with gestational diabetes. It will tell you what and how much you can eat. I had this same problem when I was pregnant. I also had to take insulin twice a day. The good thing was that immediately after I delivered my daughter everything went back to normal and I did not have to take insulin anymore. I did stick to the diet I was given and I am sure that made a difference. 15 years down the road I don't have to take insulin. I really watch my diet. Try not to worry about it because whatever you have to do just do it and try not to pass worry to your new baby. Watch what you eat and follow the doctor's orders regarding what you eat.

First of all, YOU didn't fail anything! Get that thought out of your head...
Next, gestational diabetes has nothing to do with family history of diabetes, IF that's what's going on here. The tech who did your finger stick may have forgotten to wipe off the first little bit of blood off your finger tip before putting your blood on the strip, too. It may just be a test error.
If it IS gestational diabetes, most women have normal blood sugars after they have the baby. So, just take a deep breath, know that it's nothing YOU did, and try not to worry.

I went through this gestational diabetes with my son and yes I am thin too. Do not worry it usually goes away after pregnancy, but they should check you to be sure. Hopefully they monitor you and the baby plus schedule you on certain foods to eat or not to eat. They need to monitor your sugar level and they need to monitor the baby to avoid a big baby and make sure he is healthy. I had a big baby even when I followed all the rules, but that was because he was built like my husband. My sugar was always high in the morning so the first thing I did was go for a walk or use my eliptical to bring my sugar level down enough so I could eat. Now, I do diabetes that runs in my family so you may not have it as bad as me, but do not worry this happens to a lot of woman. Also, if sugar levels were as high as mine you may require insulin shots. That is not usaul, but I have a higher risk for that due to diabetes in my genes. My son is 3 1/2 now and HEALTHY with no diabetes and I was a stickler for following the doctors rules... plus reading more on gestational diabetes helps. I only weighed 3 more pounds after birth due to the very light exercise and eating properly.
GOOD LUCK!

They tightened the standard for the test just before I took my last one. Don't worry about failing it.

I failed it (barely) because my OB neglected to tell me that I was not supposed to eat before it. Even knowing that, I got stuck doing the 3 hour test, which I passed with flying colors.

It is annoying, but likely nothing. I know many people who failed the one hour test.

I have a 9 month old daughter, which was my first, and I also had diet controlled gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. I am 5'4 and 110 lbs, I also felt like I had very good eating habits. I was very upset when I got the news and blamed myself for it. The only risk factor I had for GD was my first pregnancy was after 25 years old (I was 27. I felt like I was doing something wrong. I am a nurse practitioner and most of my patients that develop diabetes have poor eating habits and are overweight and don't take care of them selves.
After going to a class for the gestational diabetes, that my insurance required me to go to, I learned why it was happening and that it was not my fault.
My body was not able to keep up with the amount of insulin now required to take care of my body and the babies. My body was not used to producing that much insulin so it could not catch up when it needed to. I ended up being able to control it with diet and never needed insulin. I would suggest going to a class if you can, I learned a lot about eating certain things together to keep my blood sugar low. I hope this helps!

Victoria,
It could just have been there was alot of sugar in your system before the test, the three hour test is not that bad, except bring a book to read because it is long. I am 39weeks and have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (boarderline) I failed 2 of the three tests, It has required me to watch my diet, try to exercise, and test my sugars two hours after I eat. I did have a family connection but beyond that I was in your shoes, why. After doing reserach on the American Diabetes (ADA) Webpage and March of Dimes pages, I found from ADA that they now think that sometimes it happens because the placenta is blocking your insulin from being used, so there is not much you can do to prevent this. Gestaional diabetes is not the end of the world and more then likely you'll pass the three hour test and not have to worry, or if there is something then you will probably have to trade some of the full on ice cream for Sugar free. I hope this helps.

Don't beat yourself up about it. I know people that were the picture of heath that had it and those that weren't and did not. It's sometimes just one of those things. If you are positive they will teach you some diet controls that hopefully will keep it in control and you both will be healthy. Enjoy the pregnancy!

I was in the same boat as you, only I had the diabetes with both of my pregnancies. It's not a failure on your part. Be happy that they caught it and you are able to treat yourself. Just make sure that you eat correctly and take the insulin if you need, if not, just monitor your blood and eat the right things. It could be that you tested false positive too. And the 3 hour test will show that you don't have it. Don't be down on yourself. The point is to have a full term healthy baby. Good luck and remember there are a lot of really great sugar free products on the market these day!!!

It seems as though most Moms are reassuring you to not worry at this point.

I would have to second their opinion. I failed the first test in both of my pregnancies and passed the 3hr test later.

The only additional advice that I would give you in regards to taking the 3hr test is the following because after fasting you may feel weak or light-headed...

1) Have someone pick you up after the test. You don't want to drive if you're not feeling well.

2) Pack a lunch to eat in the car. You will be very hungry.

3) If you don't pack a lunch, plan to stop somewhere on the way home.

4) Plan to take it easy for a couple hours after you have completed the test. Maybe take a nap.

Hope you find this information helpful. Make sure to let us know how things turned out.

Hi Victoria! I completely understand your frustration! I had gD and was so upset since I take very good care of myself and eat a very strict diet. I am 5'6, pre-pregnancy was about 115 lbs, at 28 weeks had not put on more than 5 or 6 lbs. I thought that my diet and exercise routine would keep me free from something like gD. I was able to control my blood sugars 100% with diet alone. Don't be concerned, just be ready to monitor your sugars to see what sets your levels off. It's completely manageable, and something that just happens sometimes due to hormonal changes.

Take care!

Hi Victoria. Unfortunately our bodies do not always cooperate with us. Hopefully your test will be negative but I had GD with both of my children and today have no issues with blood sugars. Just eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and if they give you a diet plan stick to it. Also try to walk about 2 miles per day. I did all of these things, had very healthy babies, and my insulin levels returned to normal. I still watch what I eat and exercise because I know I am now predisposed to having diabetes but if you take good care of yourself, you should have no issues. I even had to take insulin shots with the 1st pregnancy and it really was not that bad. Hopefully your situation is much better. Just relax, don't stress because that too can raise blood sugar levels, and exercise. Good luck to you!