This is going to be my third child. I failed my one hour and passed the three hour on my first. I passed my one hour on my second. I barely failed my one hour with this one and now I've been ordered to take the three hour glucose test. The reasons I'm considering not taking it are that:
I dry heaved bad during the fast waiting to take the test. I have a one hour window in the morning to eat or I dry heave. As it is I'm up 2 hours before the lab even opens. The glucose drink also makes me want to vomit, though not as bad as having nothing in my stomach. I really doubt I can do two hour fast before the lab opens and then continue not to vomit in the lobby during the three hours of the test. I've been a puke machine this pregnancy.
Child care is a problem
and i only have one risk factor, I'm old (37). (not overweigh, no family history, I'm not a nonwhite race, never even come close to having high blood pressure, even during pregnancy)
I would rather just go on a diabetic diet for the remaining 10 weeks than take the three hour glucose test. Frankly, the diabetic diet is how I mostly eat anyhow. But seriously, I'll skip desserts for 10 weeks if I can skip the three hour glucose test. Am I being reasonable? Any health care professionals care to give me their two cents?
Not a health care professional, but if I had the choice to do the test or go on the diabetic diet, which is what they'll make you do if you fail the test, I go on the diet.
Don't you yhink you should ask YOUR health care professional, who knows a bit about you? Instead of a professional on here?
As for me, I never even took the one hour test. I could not keep the drinks down. We tried 2 times and my Dr. just scrapped it. I was not at any kind of risk for it, so she saved me the hassle of attempting to not vomit immediately again.
The fact is, you don't HAVE to do anything you don't want to. I still suggest you should be having this discussion with your Dr. and expressing your concerns.
I had a similar discussion with my doctor when I failed the test with my first.
He said that the bigger issue with gestational diabetes is the risks for the baby. Bigger babies can have their own complications. Having diabetes can affect how your child react to sugars. I am sure the list goes on.
He also reminded me that a family history and how women reacted during other pregnancies is of little to no consequence. He's seen women with a family tree full of diabetics pass with flying colors and models of health fail miserably.
And finally, he reminded me that not all cases of gestational diabetes can be controlled with diet.
After that discussion, I asked to take the one hour again. When I failed it a second time, I sucked it up and took the three hour test. At the bare minimum, I'd ask to retake the one hour test and ask about other options for testing. I know when I took my three hour test, I was allowed to eat protein (no sugars or breads) three or four hours before the test (I didn't react well to skipping meals either). It's uncomfortable and a hassle, but better to be safe than sorry.
I skipped my one hour with the 5th. I just watched for signs and symptoms of increased glucose, and was monitored closely by the MD. He wasn't happy about my skipping, but I had never failed even the 1 hour in 4 pregnancies. I felt like it was a calculated risk that I was okay taking. I'm an RN, by the way.
I'm not a health care professional, but if you are wanting to skip the glucose test, throw them a bone and offer to monitor your blood sugar/glucose for the next two weeks or so.
I had gestational diabetes and used The Zone Diet to keep my insulin in control. (I'm already insulin resistant.) That was hugely helpful. However, if you are already following that diet and the glucose test was iffy, they might really keep pushing for it.
I think that I would discuss this with my doctor. You have some valid reasons for not wanting to take the test. And If you get a meter and test strips and check your blood sugar on whatever scheduled the doctor or diabetes educator suggest, you will be monitoring your blood sugar to keep yourself and your baby healthy. Following the recommended diabetes diet and getting appropriate exercise is a good way to have a healthy pregnancy. Testing would insure that your blood sugars are not getting out of line. That might be a good compromise to your doctor without comprising you or the baby. Congratulations on the new baby!
Skip it! Go to the local drug store and buy a blood tester and test strips. Your doc can write you a prescription for the strips and the tester is usually pretty cheap with a mail-in rebate of some kind. Learn how to test your blood sugar at home and keep an eye on it yourself. Much more accurate than the one-shot test anyway :) You will have to prick your finger for the test, that's the only down side.
Bug is right. No O. here knows you or your medical information or history.
Just because you didn't have GD for 1 or 2 doesn't mean you're "safe" for #3, right?
Personally, if my doc recommended it, I'd take it.
Good luck!
You do not have to do anything that you are not comfortable with. Instead ask the doc to do a blood draw for Glycohemoglobin it will show how your body responds to sugar. Drinking a lot of sugar on empty stomach is a stupid idea for anyone, let alone for a pregnant woman. Good luck to you.
I would ask your doctor. I suggest that he'll agree. Those tests aren't always so accurate, anyway. There are several variables that can affect the results. Since the number was close to passing, I'd just skip it, too. But I'd check with the doctor to just be sure it was OK.
I suggest not eating sweets and keeping a diabetic diet is not a good substitute for the test. Without testing there is no way of knowing how your body is reacting to all of what you eat. Carbs are just as important as sugars. And you could be diabetic and need to monitor your carbs more than just by sticking with a general diabetic diet. You wouldn't know that without testing your blood sugar.
What I'm trying to say is it's either OK to skip the test or not; that substituting something else for the test such as sticking with strict diet does not take the place of the test.
I've failed the 1 hour test and taken the 3 hour test and passed a couple of times, tho I wasn't pregnant.
I'd just do the diet. I didn't even do the 1 hour with my second. My doctor said there was no point since I failed with my first. I just went on the diet and tested my blood.
Can you skip desserts for the rest of your pregnancy? Can you watch your weight for the entire pregnancy? Sometimes gestational diabetes simply can't be controlled with a diabetic diet and weight control since it's related to the pregnancy unlike regular diabetes. The choice is yours for your baby and the rest of this pregnancy not just 3 hours.
I was able to circumvent taking meds/insulin during my gestational diabetes. By strictly following the diet, & testing regularly....all was well. :)
I wouldn't do it either!
I failed the 1 hour with kid one, and skipped the test with kids 2 and 3.
Google: diagnosis looking for a disease, glucose test pregnancy
Maybe you could ask for the A1C blood test. It gives the average of your blood sugar for the past 2 to 3 months. The only downside to this is that GD usually develops later in pregnancy.
Test your glucose levels on your own and go on the diet. It's a great way to eat anyhow.
I was able to skip the 3 hour test with my second pregnancy and we just treated it as gestational diabetes all along. I ate a diabetic diet and tested 4 times a day. Since I had borderline GD with my first I knew what to expect and with that pregnancy my numbers were never high if I followed the diet perfectly. The last 10 weeks with my second pregnancy my fasting number skyrocketed out of the blue. I couldn't feel it or wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't already monitoring. I had to go on injectable insulin for the remainder of my the pregnancy and my little girl was perfectly healthy. Why risk it? See if you doctor and insurance company will allow you to monitor so that there is no risk. Just my two cents from my experience. I hated monitoring, eating perfectly and insulin but I love my little girl! And I was 15 lbs under my pre preg weight within two weeks!
Have you discussed this with your doc? If you would do the diet and come in for a quick blood sugar say, once every week or couple weeks, I think you should be fine.
I threw up many times with the fasting BS.
