Gutted I failed my blood glucose test...

[HappyNewYear2012]

Hi,

Have to share this as am feeling a bit fed up. Went for my 28 week check up today and for my anti-d. Gutted to find out I failed the blood glucose test. Scored a 7... I'm slim (size 10) - except bump out front, never been overweight, blood pressure fine, baby average size, no family history of diabetes, none of the normal risk factors, home cook most things during my pregnancy, eat wholegrain stuff etc. My only risk factor is that I'm 40, so have been referred for a GDT at the end of the month.

Am wondering, is this it then? Do I have GD or has anyone else had a false alarm?

I would love to hear from anyone else with similar experience..

Thanks everyone x

No experience but what test was that you had? Was it a random blood sugar test i.e. blood test with no fasting or lucozade? What did the midwife say about likelihood of GD?

oh bugger!

a friend of mine had GD, like you she met NONE of the "criteria" for getting it, it was just one of those things.
hers was fairly severe (baby measuring about 28 weeks at her 20 week scan!) but she managed to control it with diet and baby was born at 41 weeks weighing something like 8lb 7... so very manageable despite consultant trying to get her to go in for induction at 38 weeks as "baby is over 10lb"

what did the midwife say would happen next?

What was your score? 7.0? That's within the normal range AFAIK. Did they actually say you had GD?

... it was a random blood sugar test that I had. Midwife very non-committal about the result. Said I'd been booked in for the lucozade test which is the next step at the end of the month. Just my friend said she passed the test and she ate loads of chocolate and stuff during her pregnancy and she was fine so that's why i was a bit in shock at my result, but no, they haven't told me I have GD, yet, until after 30th Dec when I'm having the full test and see what that turns up...

...Oh well, it's worried me sufficiently to keep me off the mince pies this xmas!

ps. Midwife said 6 was the limit for normal...so 7 is apparently outside the limit of normal and into the risky zone...

I had GD and it is no biggie, 10 years later and my blood glucose levels are all fine and i am no longer an immediate risk for developing full diabetes.

what did you eat for breakfast, a random blood sugar level is not the most meaningful of tests and if you had eaten not long before your bsl may well be elevated. 7 is just outside the normal limit of 4-6.

That's totally at odds with the figures I've been working to. I don't have GD but have been monitoring blood sugar at their request. Cut off is 7.8 (7.1 if they're feeling particularly strict). 6 has never ever been mentioned as a cut off point.

To be honest, I can't remember what I had for breakfast the other day when I had the test, the results of which were discussed today. Normally wholegain toast, butter and honey with cranberry juice, or porridge with skimmed milk, dried fruit - or both, but yes, I'm sure I would have eaten just before having the test because I keep well-fed so i don't feel faint as the walk from the car park to the blood test centre is town feels quite far when I'm pregnant and sometimes I feel a bit woozy on my feet.

Don't worry yet. I had a random high blood sugar test after I had had a massive glass of orange juice not long before. No risk factors either but I panicked immediatelly, was convinced I had GD and would have a massive baby. I even felt super thirsty, which was obv a sign of my GD. I had the GTT a couple of days later and my results were fine.

A high glucose reading can happen for many reasons, something you've had to eat/drink, an infection in your body or even stress.

So please, please, don't worry yet til you've had the results of your GTT. You'll only be driving yourself crazy and ruin your christmas.

Oh, the midwives at the hospital also told me that in 9 out of 10 cases the GTT comes back fine and that those glucose tests just come out high sometimes.

And there you have it. Fruit juice AND dried fruit can very easily explain a high reading...

I don't know what the normal limits are for random blood glucose in pregnancy but if what gwendolinemary applies to people who have not been diagnosed with GD it sounds like they are just being cautious because of your age.

Is there any way they can bring the GTT forward so you know one way or another? Might be worth phoning the midwife tomorrow even to ask what the normal limits are etc.

Aaaw, thanks everyone for your reassurance. I have been reading more about GD and now realise as you say, fruit juice and dried fruit could have increased the reading... So much to learn! I texted my midwife after the hospital visit this morning because she wanted to know how I got on, but she just said best to go for the test to see what that comes back as. Meanwhile, I am going to be watering down juices from now on and be more aware of my sugar intake. Looking on the positive side, it's good to be made aware of these things every now and again I suppose...

Cross the bridge when you come to it Random sugar and GTT work differently and so your worrying will not give you the correct prediction of what will happen at GTT. Enjoy Christmas, eat, drink and be merry! Next Xmas you shall have a LO with you!
I had Gestational diabetes in the last trimester. Came out of nowhere..as I ate quite healthy food, don't drink or smoke. Anyways..with insulin, metformin, exercise and diet control..all went well, baby born on term (he had no sugar issues) not huge 7lbs11. And sugar was fine within 2 hours of birth. GD disappeared!
Another pal of mine ignored GD completely and had an okay baby. So it's not predictable!
Just relax, enjoy the season. Don't deprive yourself of anything. GTT will test your tolerance to glucose...eating or not eating sugar/carb before or after will make no difference apart from causing you misery!
Go for the mince pies!

Thanks MaMattoo too for your last post. Can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to share their thoughts on this thread. Some very kind reassuring words which have made me feel so much better and positive than earlier on today. I'm going to refer to this thread whenever I feel worried over Christmas about GD. Off to bed now feeling much less worried and will no doubt sleep better than i would have done otherwise x

Ah honestly don't stress about it, it'll all be ok whether you're confirmed as having GD or not. You are closely monitored and I found I had a lot more support which was great.

I had no risk factors in my last pregnancy except that my nan had type 2 due to her weight but I still tested positive for GD. I was induced at 39+2 and DS was born 8lb 7 which was enough to make me glad I had an epidural but still not eye watering. A friend of mine had her baby 2 weeks late, didn't have GD and baby was over 11lb - it just goes to show that babies really are unpredictable!

I've got my next GTT on the 3rd Jan so am enjoying Christmas and not thinking about it til then. Just as well because I think i've eaten my body weight in chocolate and mince pies .

...Just got my results from the hospital this morning, for those interested. Test came back as positive so I do have Gestational Diabetes. Just goes to show you don't need any of the risk factors (well, apart from my age) to get it. Saw my midwife today. She said "it's just one of those things...." I now have a hospital appointment on Wednesday at the ante-natal diabetes clinic to get to grips with a new diet. Am thoroughly confused as to what I'm going to able to eat though as apparently fruit, dried fruit, honey etc... even bananas are out of bounds at the moment and I thought they were healthy...
My midwife reckons its come on very quickly so they've caught it early.

Oh well, it's only for a few weeks now I guess. My poor mum had 22 operations to fight cancer before it got the better of her, so in the scheme of things this is just minor. That's how I'm having to look at it anyway x

Sorry to hear that OP. Sounds like you have the right attitude though. I hope that they are helpful and give you lots of useful tips at the diabetes clinic.

Thank you EasyPeach...:)

I had a similar experience when I was pregnant with DS. I was at a clinic in hospital as I was high risk due to preexisting condition and it ran really late - about 3 hours normally. I was so hungry waiting that I got a mars bar from the vending machine - only source of food close by in a hospital! I had routine blood sugar tests that day and ended up with a high reading.

Anyway just wanted to say that I had the glucose tolerance test and everything was normal so it may be something you ate before the test.

Sorry to hear it, OP, but catching it early is a good thing at least.

It's a question of a different mindset about what is 'healthy' tbh. I would guess they will get you to limit your overall carbohydrate consumption, as well as steering you towards slow-acting carbs (low glycemic index) for the ones you do eat.

If you're not used to looking at glycemic properties of foods there are some surprises about how fast things act. There are some very useful tables here (you can search on many common foods): www.glycemicindex.com/index.php that have both the total grams of carbs for a set weight of food, and the Glycemic Index properties.

It isn't as simple as say calorie counting - putting things in different combinations will affect how fast they act. People often say wholegrain = lower GI but it depends on the food - many white pastas act more slowly than brown rice, for example. Fat will inhibit sugar action (so boiled potatoes with butter will act slightly slower than the same potatoes without, for example), and the texture of the food makes a big difference too - weetabix are wholewheat, yet because of their shredded up texture are absorbed fast by the body - so actually have a GI considerably higher than chocolate. Ripeness also plays a big part - an under-ripe green banana is quite a bit lower GI than an overripe one, because of the way the sugars have released in the fruit prior to eating it.

Oh your positive attitude is so nice to read. I had GD and was on diet, metformin and insulin..the final diet balance for me was eggs in the morning with Brown toast, Philadelphia light with Jacobs crackers and loads and loads of meat for most meals. It was tough but not impossible. And disappeared in a few hours after birth...and. then. I. Ate and ate and ate.
Anything you do is good for your baby :) and temporary :) I wish you good luck!!
There are some good threads on this on MN Which have me some good ideas for food.