Dreaded Glucose Testing

In case you aren't already familiar, a glucose test around 24 - 28 weeks is pretty standard to test for gestational diabetes. There are no symptoms and gestational diabetes can pose health risks to mother and baby, so testing is important. The test is simple, you have 5 minutes to drink 10oz of glucose that the lab provides for you, hang out for an hour, and they draw your blood exactly one hour. Many of my friends have failed the first test, which is not uncommon, but luckily that doesn't mean someone has gestational diabetes. However, it does mean that they have to take a much longer test that involves drinking the glucose again and having blood drawn once each hour for the duration of 3 hours (which I hear somehow ends up taking closer to 4 hours). Failing this second test confirms gestational diabetes, but otherwise you're in the clear!

There are several different theories as to how to give yourself the best chance of passing the initial glucose test in order to save yourself the time and stress of having to take the second test. It seems the older theory is that it's best to fast for 8 hours prior to drinking the glucose. I think the more common instructions direct you to eat breakfast one hour prior to drinking the glucose. Some docs say to eat as you normally would, but I think that the best advice is to eat a high protein breakfast with no carbs and no sugar. Some people don't understand that carbohydrates actually turn into sugars when they are digested, so eating carbs or sugar (even natural sugar from fruit) will increase the amount of total sugar you consume. Since the test calculates ONLY the 50g of glucose in the drink that they give you, extra sugar can throw off the results. I had 2 eggs with cheese one hour prior to my glucose test and I was successful on the first try!

With all the scientific advances of today, you'd think they'd figure out how to give a pregnant woman a doughnut instead of this stuff! I think it tastes exactly like an extra sweet Sunny D- I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone else describe it that way because it seems spot on. 

I recommend taking this test as late in the day as possible- I took the test first thing in the morning and I didn't feel very good afterward so it kinda messed with my whole day... My whole Monday actually, which means it was an awkward start to the whole week!

GOOD LUCK!