ChristusG Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I loathe the glucose tests during pregnancy. This pregnancy has been rough as far as nausea and hunger goes. I had really bad morning sickness in the beginning and now I can only go a few hours without eating before I start gagging, feeling lightheaded, shaky, nauseous, etc. I even have to get up in the middle of the night to eat sometimes. It makes me really nervous when these things start happening because I honestly don't know if I may pass out or not. I always carry a lunch bag with some sort of protein in it anywhere I might go. That being said, I know that at my next appointment, my OB is probably going to give me the lab slip to go get my glucose test done. I'm 22 weeks right now, so they would tell me to wait a few weeks. My question is this....my mom, who lives right around the corner, has a glucose meter because she has diabetes. Why can't I fast at my own house, eat something really sweet, and then do my own glucose test? Is it any different than the one the lab does? I really do not want to fast all night, get up, get ready, drive to the lab, wait in the waiting room, get the blood draw, drink the drink, wait an hour, and then have it drawn again....and then eat. At home I could just wake up, immediately take my blood, eat something sweet, and then occupy myself during the hour with house cleaning, etc in hopes that I won't think about being hungry. Seriously, what's the difference? I'm really nervous about this test this time. But I do want to have it checked because they said I was borderline with my last pregnancy 4 years ago. However, I've periodically checked my blood sugar this pregnancy and it's never been remotely high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 My question is this....my mom, who lives right around the corner, has a glucose meter because she has diabetes. Why can't I fast at my own house, eat something really sweet, and then do my own glucose test? Is it any different than the one the lab does? I really do not want to fast all night, get up, get ready, drive to the lab, wait in the waiting room, get the blood draw, drink the drink, wait an hour, and then have it drawn again....and then eat. At home I could just wake up, immediately take my blood, eat something sweet, and then occupy myself during the hour with house cleaning, etc in hopes that I won't think about being hungry. Seriously, what's the difference? I'm pretty sure the first glucose test they do is just the screening. I had mine at 28 weeks this pregnancy (I can't remember when the other times), and in all three pregnancies they haven't asked me to fast. I've just had to go to the lab, drink the drink, and then get my blood drawn an hour later. If the numbers for that test come back high, then you get sent back for the three-hour fasting test where they do multiple draws. Thankfully I've never had to go for that one, because I really hate getting my blood drawn. If you're really concerned about going, I don't see a problem with asking your doctor if you could share the readings you have been getting at home with her instead. S/he might say no, but I don't think it would hurt to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I declined it in all three of my pregnancies and my care providers didn't object. It's not a very accurate test anyway. I know that some places do provide an option the sugary drink though. I've heard of donuts and jellybeans as substitutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 The "basic" glucose test is where you drink the glucose and then get ONE blood draw one hour after you drink the glucose. With my first pregnancy, I was given the glucose drink to drink at home, and then had to be at the lab 15 min prior to the 1 hr mark so they could draw the blood at 1hr. With my second pregnancy, I had to drink the drink at the lab and wait the 1hr. I actually recommend waiting at the lab for the 1hr, because I got terribly sugar high and felt like crap after the test. It sounds like having to do two blood draws they want to do a more throughout check on your blood. I would talk to your Dr. about your concerns before making a decision. GD is not something to be taken lightly... Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I used a home birth midwife for my pregnancy, and I did my own glucose testing. Over the course of two weeks, I used a glucometer to take five fasting blood sugar readings right after waking up and five more two hours after eating a regular meal. I chose that way because it gave me an idea of what my body was doing in real life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I went into the pregnancy diabetic...even then I had to do repeats of those dang glucose tests---YUCKO--having to drink that stuff and then spend HOURS up there being checked every so often--awful......hope it all works out for you..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 This is how we test if a client wants to be tested. I have also had a couple friends talk to their OB about this compromise and the doc was agreeable. - Use the glucometer. - Pick a day to do the finger pricks. - In the morning, before eating, prick your finger and write down the result as a fasting reading (make sure you have your protein before you go to bed the night before). - Eat what you would normally eat for breakfast. Wait two hours and prick your finger again. Write it down as the two hour postprandial. If they are within the normal range (fasting between 70-100; 2hr postprandial not greater than 140), you are fine. If they are high, adjust your diet and check it again in a few days. You need to see what your body does in reaction to the diet you normally eat, NOT after fasting and dumping 50g of glucose into your body! The GTT also misses approx. 50% of GD cases so it's not an accurate test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) Using your mom's meter is a fine idea, but I'd do it the ordinary way - fasting as soon as you wake up and also two hours after each meal (the ones you normally eat) - and track the blood sugars for about a week (that's 4x per day). That ought to do it ;). In my last pregnancy, I passed the one hour GTT, but my OB had me use the meter anyway (I was on metformin, have PCOS and family history of type 2, and it was my fifth pregnancy, at 41 y.o.). Guess what - my fasting and post-breakfast levels were not so good - I blew through the OB's limit several times (he likes very tight control of blood sugar), and then I got sent to see the nutritionist, etc. And it got worse as time went on - the further along I got, the more careful I had to be with my eating. The bottom line was that he didn't put me through the 3-hour, but treated me like I had GD because of the testing with the meter (and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the meter - it made sense considering the things I was eating - note, pancakes were a problem every time I tried to eat them, even with added protein). Talk to your OB about allowing the meter instead, if you don't mind pricking yourself four times a day for a week or two. My personal feeling is that it's more accurate than the screening test anyway. Edited June 16, 2011 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbalgirl Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) My question is this....my mom, who lives right around the corner, has a glucose meter because she has diabetes. Why can't I fast at my own house, eat something really sweet, and then do my own glucose test? Is it any different than the one the lab does? I really do not want to fast all night, get up, get ready, drive to the lab, wait in the waiting room, get the blood draw, drink the drink, wait an hour, and then have it drawn again....and then eat. At home I could just wake up, immediately take my blood, eat something sweet, and then occupy myself during the hour with house cleaning, etc in hopes that I won't think about being hungry. Seriously, what's the difference? According to my midwife, there is no difference. She has a glucose meter with those sticks, and that is how mine was done this time. I had to fast after 10 p.m. the night before, then an hour before my appt, she had me drink a certain amount of plain, dark grape juice. I think it was 10 oz, but cannot remember exactly. She said the grams of sugar had to measure up to the # of grams that are in the glucola stuff they have you drink. Sometimes, women are told to eat a specific # of jellybeans instead. I drove to her house, and she pricked my finger and got a reading in a few seconds. It was super easy and MUCH better than having to sit around in a waiting room for an hour. I don't mind drinking the glucola, but I love to know that there are other options out there for women who do have problems drinking that down! Can you suggest one of those options (regular grape juice, jellybeans) to your OB? Edited June 16, 2011 by herbalgirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 My midwife and I just had a long, interesting discussion on the point and value of this test. I declined. (I didn't do it with 2 or 3 either.) If I were concerned at all, I might take the approach Heather recommended and monitor my diet accordingly. But I really can't understand the value in the standard screening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Another idea if it's mostly the gross drink you object to...my midwife always let me choose to eat something with about 40 carbs (like a Cliff Bar) about an hour before the blood draw instead of the drink. You could ask about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I did it myself at home. Under the midwife's directions, I ate the breakfast she prescribed, and took my readings and emailed them to her. You do not have to drink that nasty stuff. There is an ACOG approved breakfast that you can eat instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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