Mini-Update in post #25/Failed my 1 hr. Glucose test

[MamaMolly]

What now? I have to go back in for the 3 hour test later in the week and if I fail that then I guess I have GD. :( Any BTDT tips or advice?

Background: We are doing this outside the US. Not that it matters but it explains why the test is going to sound really different from a lot of you guys. Last time (with DD1) I was told to fast, this time I was told to eat before hand. I had 1/2 a sunbutter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with a cup of decaf tea. Then I went in and they mixed the glucose powder with icy cold water and I gulped it down. Last time it was pre-mixed in a bottle. Not flavored like I hear about on the boards. This time it tasted like plain refined sugar water, about one coffee cup full, gritty towards the end.

One hour later my finger prick test was 149. I was told 130 is the cut off for re-testing. I don't mind retesting, I want to be safe and careful, but I *am* a little scared about what this means. I REALLY don't want to google gestational diabetes unless I absolutely have to. I know it will scare the crap out of me.

Please share your BTDT?

[c&j04]

Can't give you any advice but I just heard from Dr that I failed mine today! Think it was about 151. I'm so upset because getting this orange drink down today nearly did me in :(

Good luck next time!! I go in Wednesday morning.

[codex57]

DW failed the 1 hour one but passed the 3 hour one. There's hope. Good luck!

[nrp]

I had GD when pregnant with DS, but the large majority of people who go in for their 3-hr test pass with flying colors. If you don't, it really isn't as big a deal as it seems. I did just fine with diet and exercise (probably the healthiest I've ever been!). For OP, I would think that the banana could really have thrown your test off. Bananas are really high in carbs and sugar, and since you didn't fail by a huge margin, I would think it quite possible that could have tipped you over the edge. If they tell you to eat before the 3-hr, maybe omit the fruit. Whole wheat bread with PB/sunbutter would be a good breakfast otherwise. I don't think this is "gaming" the system (obviously if you have GD you want to know it), but it might avoid a false positive.

ETA: I know you said you are overseas, but I question the accuracy of the finger prick. For both my 1-hr and 3-hr they did a regular blood draw, which I understand to be more reliable.

[AnnieW625]

They told you to eat before the glucose test? I can't remember what I was told to do as it was 4 yrs. ago now, but IIRC I was told to fast from at least midnight on, if not 12 hrs. before. I am sure that the food in your system affected your glucose. I have my glucose test in a couple of weeks.

[larig]

I'm another who failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour. I had eaten breakfast when I took the 1 hour test too.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I ate low carb foods, and passed. I was careful to avoid hidden sugar. I think if you did this there is an excellent chance you would pass. Just say no to bananas! :banana:

[viba424]

I failed my first one too. The perameters for the second one are looser too. If you fast (dont they tell you to fast actually?), you'll be fine. Have a steak for dinner and skip the white flour. Dont worry.

[poppy]

I think it's pretty common to fail the 1 hour and pass the 3 hour test.

I actually don't know that many people who passed the 1 hour test.

[kdeunc]

I failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour with both of my boys. I had to fast before all of them. If you fast be prepared to have something to eat as soon as you are through. I was super weak and shakey after the 3 hours were up.

[okinawama]

I too failed the one hour and passed the three hour. I was so worried thinking that the first failure meant I had no chance of passing the three hour, but I passed with flying colors. Here's to hoping for the same outcome for you!

[jenfromnj]

I'm another who failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour. I had eaten breakfast when I took the 1 hour test too.

This goes for me, too. My OB said that since the 1-hour is really just a screening, that plenty of people fail, but the vast majority end up passing the 3-hour. Good luck--definitely bring something to read to the 3-hour, there's a lot of sitting around.

[khalloc]

at my glucose test I was given a choice or either eating a specific breakfast (eggs, bacon, english muffin, etc..) or drinking the glucose drink. I chose the drink because I hate eggs. I didnt think the drink was as awful as everyone makes it out to be. I passed with flying colors. But it does seem like they are setting you up to fail if you have to drink the drink + eat!

[happymom]

Yup, I also failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour. I was so sure I had GD when I heard I failed the 1 hour. Just a warning- the 3 hour was much harder for me than the 1 hour. I found the 1 hour to be a breeze- the drink didnt make me nauseous at all. For the 3 hour one- I came in having fasted the night before. They drew blood, then gave me the drink. The drink was VERY sugary (much more than the 1 hour) and almost immediately I felt faint (which does
not happen to me EVER!) Then they drew blood every hour for the next 3 hours. For the first hour, I felt pretty dizzy and unsteady and had to rest. DH brought me a pillow and I rested in the car. After an hour I felt better and played around on my laptop. Just telling you all this so you know what to expect- although you may have a different experience of course- and come prepared.

GOOD LUCK!

[joules]

I was just diagnosed with GD.

I just barely failed my 1 hour by 1 point (i blamed the 2 cookies I ate). And then failed 2 of the 3 hour measurements by just a few points too.

After I failed the 3 hour, I met with a nutritionist and had to follow a "diet". Which is not a "no carb" diet. I have to have some sort of starch with every meal....and i actually feel like I'm eating more than before! I have 3 meals and 3 snacks. It's more about how to distribute your carbs throughout the day - less in the mornings and reasonable amounts for lunch/dinner. I also had to measure my glucose levels 4 times a day - once when I wake up and then once after each meal. I'm a real wuss but the pin prick really isn't a big deal at all.

After keeping track of my glucose levels for a whole week, i met with another nutritionist and nurse practitioner. The only number i had problems with was my morning glucose level (the one right after i wake up). They put me on one teeny tiny dose of Glyburide once a day before i go to bed.

I'm still following the diet and measuring my glucose levels....but they said i can be a little more relaxed about following the diet now. Since my numbers are good I treat myself to a bit of sweets at dinner every now and then. I actually like measuring my glucose - it keeps me from overeating and i like really knowing where I'm at ....I feel like I can really control how healthy I am being for the baby.

Hopefully, like others have said, you'll pass the 3 hour. But if you don't it's really not bad at all.

[ThreeofUs]

Yeah, I know the feeling. I was scared, too, when I totally flunked the 1 hr on my second pg.

But the only risks for gd are a bigger baby (and so bigger tear/possible c for the mom) and small risk for Type 2 diabetes in the far future for both.

And you can totally manage gd with diet and exercise. No drugs are necessary in most cases.

Do what I did: look up the American Diabetes Assn's diet web site, and see http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/
and a talk-you-through diet plan for gd:
http://www.diabeticdietfordiabetes.com/gestational_diabetes.htm

Like they say, a diet good for diabetes is really just a good diet for anyone.

And GL!

[DrSally]

Another one who failed the 1 hour (fasting) and passed the 3 hour. My OB asked if I had had a big dinner the night before--well, yes, if someone tells me I can't eat for 12 hours before a test, I'm going to have a huge bowl of pasta at 11pm :ROTFLMAO:

Even though I passed the 3 hour, he advised me to cut back on the sugars and refined carbs--I was having fresh smoothies every day. He said only 1 apple or banana a day, and eat protein at every meal.

I have a friend who had GD and she is managing it through diet/exercise. I too have heard that you don't necessarily need shots.

[michellerw]

It's fairly normal, at least recently, to be told to eat before the one hour test. I just had mine last month and my OB told me to eat something high in protein that morning and then go in for the test. I had two hard boiled eggs and then took the test.

I almost threw up the orange glucola (MamaMolly, your gritty sugarwater sounds way better! I have a bad history with orange!) but I squeaked by with a 123.

I know a lot of people who failed the one hour now that the cut off is 130, but passed the three hour. Good luck.

[goldenpig]

Me too, I failed the 1 hr test but passed the 3 hr for my first one. I was so worried I'd have diabetes, that I cut out all sweets and fruit juices for several days before the 3 hr. So relieved I passed!
For my second pregnancy, even though I was told to eat beforehand, I fasted before my 1 hr test and passed.
A lot of people I know fail the screening but pass the 3 hr too.

[egoldber]

With Amy, I failed the one hour (pretty spectacularly with a 195) and passed the three hour.


I would think that the banana could really have thrown your test off. Bananas are really high in carbs and sugar

I do think this breakfast could have done it. I forget what I ate exactly, but it was a high carbish breakfast.

I would eat a low carb, high protein meal (e.g., a cheese omelette, no toast or fruit) before the test. For me, not eating in the am is not a choice when pregnant!!!

[Seitvonzu]

i failed the one hour test so miserably that i wasn't allowed to take the three hour and i was basically given a weekend to get the sugars to lower with diet/exercise. those measures (extremely healthful eating and basically walking EVERY time i ate) didn't work for me-- i went on insulin and continued to be "refined sugar" free until i had my baby at 37 weeks.

when i found all this out, i was basically in a minidepression. i told my husband "half my personality-- cooking and baking-- has died." i was really upset. of course, when i went into the OB (i had to switch from midwives), the first thing he did was pull out a box of tissues and hand it to me-- - not a great start. then he told me all these super scary things about how i "probably had regular diabetes before getting pregnant" and "they have great pre-natal medications for hearts these days" (FOR THE BABY!!!!)-- he ordered a bunch of tests ASAP and gave me a prescription for insulin and ordered me to the endocronologist. he was SHOCKED when my liver was okay. it was scary stuff! going to the hospital nutritionist/nurse educator helped-- BUT--- that's when i had to sign a paper about refined sugar. ugh.

all this said- i felt GREAT while pregnant. the midwife that called me said i probably felt great because i was eating like a diabetic should (small, healthy meals well spaced). i really seriously felt better pregnant than i ever had before :) it's not the end of the world, and like i told the nutritionist at the end of our session "so basically i should eat like everyone in the world should eat?" and she nodded.

i could go on and on about this....oh-- and i STILL have diabetes :( type 1 most likely, but it's sorta atypical. and i'm still on insulin. and i'm probably the worst diabetic-- because i like to eat. and hate splenda :)

you probably DON'T have anything like i had-- so i wouldn't worry too much! i also wouldn't eat before the test, but that's just me. if you do have it, nuts and avacados are your friends. i was told i could have as many avacados as i wanted and this made me SOSO happy. almost made up for missing grapefruit season!

feel free to private message me-- this is a totally managable, if pretty unfun, condition!

[LoveBeingMrs]

I was pretty nervous about taking the 1-hour test (my dad has diabetes, and I am addicted to candy). I actually read that if you cut out all the carbs/sugar in 'preparation' for the glucose test, you might fail. Instead, if you eat SOME carbs/sugar earlier in the day, your body is prepped and ready to process the glucose drink. My OB appointment was at 7pm, and I couldn't imagine fasting all day... I had a cupcake for breakfast and Skittles throughout the day, and passed with 108. DH and I were shocked.

[Seitvonzu]

i wanted to add something after reading the last persons -- my midwife told me that what you eat through your early pregnancy makes NO difference. i ate better than ever (lots of vegetables, tons of whole grains, homemade yogurt, etc.) and -- failed miserably. she'd heard of people who ate pizza 3 meals a day that passed with flying colors. it's really just your personal biological makeup. that's it. lots of people can help things by upping exercise-- but some people can't. it's just rotten luck! :)

good luck again!

[brittone2]

Since I have PCOS I'm considered more prone to GD even though I'm not overweight. I eat like a gestational diabetic for the most part during pregnancy anyway (and eat lowish carb when not pg to help insulin issues that go along with PCOS). I take metformin when not pregnant and continue it through pregnancy, and that has been shown to reduce the risk of GD.

I have passed my 1 hour with all 3 kids, and the last two times I've had at least two one hour tests a few weeks apart as they err on the side of more careful monitoring w/ my PCOS. I don't eat a lot of carby stuff before the oral glucose test, but I also don't eat a lot of refined carby stuff regardless while pregnant.

[MamaMolly]

Partial Update: Tomorrow morning I go in so they can do a fasting finger prick to get a base line. No food after 10pm tonight. Then I get sent home with a monitor and have to check my sugar *exactly* 2 hours after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then we'll see where we go from there.

Thank you, everyone for your stories and support. They have really meant the world!

[viba424]

Remember to eat right after your appointment tomorrow. I just thought I would just meander home after 10 minutes of walking I thought I was going to pass out. I had to get an emergency muffun just to make it the whole way!

Good luck!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Remember to eat right after your appointment tomorrow. I just thought I would just meander home after 10 minutes of walking I thought I was going to pass out. I had to get an emergency muffun just to make it the whole way!

Good luck!

I felt horrible immediately after the blood draw and they brought me juice and crackers at my midwives' office. :)

Beth

[eiffeltower44]

With 1st pregnancy I failed the 1 hour (results were 139), but passed the 3 hour. This pregnancy I failed the 1 hour (results were 133 - BARELY failed), but then I failed the 3 hour so am being treated for GD. I failed the 3 hour right before Christmas so made it through the holidays okay. I fasted for the 1 hour and fasted for the 3 hour. I don't think there's a way to "beat the system." Good luck. Hope you pass the 3 hour, but if you don't, you'll become a very healthy eater if you weren't already.