GTT at 38 weeks - is it even worth it?

[Artyparty]

Hi Mumsnetters- jusy got a letter from hospital that my blood sugar was raised last week & they have booked me for the GTT (glucose tolerance test) 10 days before my due date...! Is it even worth going at this stage? By the time I get the results the baby could be born.
Am pretty sure I am not diabetic btw- just had a few mince pies last week . Ps Going for the test means hanging round hospital for 2.5 hours with 3y/o

There is no point doing the test, and the results are less accurate at that stage anyway. If they are concerned they should check for clinical signs of gestational diabetes but even if you have it, they wouldn't have time to meaningfully start treating it before you give birth. I suggest you ring up and discuss this.

Not worth it. My hospital did the same, only at 40 weeks. When I turned up no one could believe they'd booked it so late. As a Midwife said to me, at that point you don't need a gtt, you need a baby!

I don't mean to sound harsh but I don't think it's about you at this stage but more about the baby. What if you have got diabetes & the baby goes into hypoglycemic shock after delivery because you couldn't be bothered to take the test? I appreciate it may be difficult but I really would ask for professional advice before dismissing this...

At 38 weeks the gtt is not a very accurate indicator of whether or not the baby will become hypoglycemic because glucose intolerance improves in the last few weeks so it's not a reliable measure of how much sugar the baby has been receiving when glucose intolerance was at its peak (around 36 weeks).

If they had genuine cause to suspect gd at 38 weeks I would expect them to offer you a growth scan (if you haven't had one) to check for macrosomia and possibly ask you to stay in for 24hrs after birth to monitor the baby's blood glucose levels. But, NICE recommend that urinalysis for glucose/random blood glucose testing is not used as a screening device for gestational diabetes anyway.

Agree with tarka but I would advise you go for it. You might need a little extra monitoring during labour and the baby after, also I don't think they like you to go over your due date if you have gd, but unsure how they can tell at that late stage just on gtt are you supposed to be going for growth scan too?

I had gd through out 2 of my pregnancies. On my last pregnancy I was having twins and bizarre enough I never got it!

Anyway 1 week before my booked c section I had to have another gtt test, I had it because its the treatment for the baby after that I worried about. There blood sugar could be really low (which happend in myast pregnancy)

So have it just to make sure if you do have it they can monitor baby and there blood levels

Hi thanks ladies- my baby is right size or just under for date. I spoke to MW and she said still go in so they can eliminate that risk. If it is still high they we will see what can be done in the short time ... She also suggested that lots of women were getting high blood sugar this time of year, simply due to consuming more sugar- doesn't mean you have gd!!!