Did you refuse your GTT? Did it put you at high risk?

[Evergreen17]

I managed to get myself over worried now about the GTT. I am looking for people that either refuse the test on the grounds that they thought it not relevant or people that failed the test and stayed low risk or were moved to high.
I am not looking for people to tell me to have it anyway and what is the big deal, so please don't. I want people with experience and sympathetic to my problem.
So I just dont know why the midwife at the booking did this because the second midwife I saw didnt understand either, but I had a normal BMI at booking and no diabetes history. Apart from grandma but it shouldn't count as she got it when older and they only look at parents. So now I am worried that if I dont pass the test (my friend is a bit of an expert and has sent me research and lots of people dont pass the test because it is a crazy amount of glucose if you are not use to it) then they will put me High risk and I wont be able to have the birth I want 
Any stories?
Please note I suffer from anxiety so be gentle

Wasn't offered it with my first and turned it down with my 2nd. Just said no thanks and that was that.
I did have a GP who prefers to keep pg ladies under her care though so my urine was getting tested very regularly

Oh porn and glad to know all well with you, well done

Thank you hoping.

Anotherday I had fortnightly then weekly urine tests (also bought myself a packet of Diastix to self-monitor) plus extra blood-tests and growth scans. My babies were all big, but long and lean, not fat.

You did well to manage with diet and working with your midwife team regarding testing. Good hear it all worked out well.

I had this a few weeks ago. It didn't involve any fasting, other than between drinking the lucozade and getting the blood test. I'd hardly use the word 'fasting' to refer to a period of 45 minutes... Perhaps the test is carried out differently in different trusts? Have you asked anyone why the protocol used in your trust is followed and about the rate of false positives? In your position, I'd be wanting to know what the follow up on a positive result would be - i.e. how would the diagnosis be confirmed? Given the apparent differences in testing protocol and the fact that this isn't a medical forum, that answer is probably better sought from a professional.

Also, what everyone else said about 'getting the birth you want'. No-one can make you deliver in a hospital - likewise for submitting to tests / procedures - if that isn't what you want! But equally, 'not wanting' something, when it comes to childbirth, is no guarantee it won't happen anyway. Perhaps the sooner this is faced the better?

Similiarly, re. high risk status or otherwise. If you refuse the test but develop GD, the risk of something going wrong in your pregnancy remains heightened regardless of what is stamped on your notes. There is every possibility that your midwife / GP will pick up on the symptoms down the line or (far worse) that no-one does until the birth, when your baby might need help. Not being classed as 'officially' high risk would in no way lessen the risk.

A GTT is currently the gold standard test for diagnosing gestational diabetes. It can be recommended based upon many things - BMI, ethnic background, family history or medical conditions such as PCOS. If you are slim you are more likely to get gestational diabetes later into your pregnancy than someone with a raised BMI - but still with the same risks/affects.

It is worth mentioning that some women are unable to have a GTT - women with a gastric bypass who do not tolerate the glucose are usually given an option of monitoring their blood sugars regularly as a diabetic would.

As already mentioned gestational diabetes can present later in pregnancy - by excessive growth, polyhydramnios or glycosuria - but sometimes it goes undetected.

Ultimately it's your choice - if there's no indication for the test - don't have it. If there is then I would recommend it. Look at RCOG guidance online.

With regards to your birth choices you will always find support. Professionals have guidelines to follow and recommend but if you don't want to follow that it's important to get a plan in place to ensure that your birth can be the safest as possible in whichever environment you choose. A midwife or supervisor of midwives can help you with this. I'm all for supporting birth choices and supporting normality - but it's important to understand risks and safety & the most important thing which is the health of you & your baby.

Hope this helps!

I haven't read any of the other replies but as I have refused all GTT in this pregnancy I thought I would reply. I'm not sure if you will be moved to high risk of you refuse the test as I am already classed as high risk anyways. I had a GTT in last pregnancy due to having large babies and it came back clear. Have refused all offers of it this time around.

A friend had the test and was put at high risk when she failed it. Have heard lots of things about it not being incredibly accurate and as you don't seem to have any reasons for needing one, I would refuse.

Are you not worried that you could have GD and it not be picked up by the test?

If I were you I would say to the MW that you don't feel the test is necessary, however- a positive on the GTT does not equate to a change in birth plan. It's the first step in dealing with GD. Scans, monitoring and further tests would dictate what restrictions they would put on your birth (if any).

I admire the way you kept calm, OP, even when a bunch of people offered you advice on your medical decisions that you specifically asked not to receive.

I had two GTTs with dd (first because of my bmi, second because my bump was measuring large for dates) and both were negative.

I had one with ds (again because of bmi) and again it was negative. I would have refused a second gtt if they had recommended one.

If you have no risk factors and it seems to be an error I wouldn't have the test.

I'm not sure how the gtt works where you are (not sure if you are UK based) but for me I had to fast overnight, then have a blood test and drink the glucose drink, rest for two hours (I think) and then have another blood test. They did tell me I must sit down and do as little as possible after the drink to avoid false positives.

Good luck with your pregnancy op!

Mikes it looks like a different procedure. Here it is a 12 hours fasting, from the day before.
Yes, in my area is not followed up by a second test which is one of the things I dont like about it.
Lozza yes, it is just that I dont have any of the risk factors and as I said the second midwife questioned why the first one even put it on my notes.
Yes your info helps thank you.

Bexta thank you, this is exactly my worry. That because it is such a controversial test in terms of false positives, and I dont have any risk factors, I will be put in high risk by a mistake.
Thank you.
Scary I am not worried because I got bloods done and because the test is not for every pregnant woman. Because I dont have any of the risk factors I dont see why I would worry, otherwise every other pregnant woman should worry too.
I will speak to midwife at next appointment and ask about it.

I want to get lots of info and experiences before I make a decision, so thank you

I refused gtt in two pregnancies because I didn't feel I needed it, was concerned about false positives and didn't fancy the inevitable vomiting that would occur if I fasted and then had the glucose. The consultant wasn't very impressed but they can't force you to have the test. My personal feeling id that GD is over diagnosed because of the prevalence of the gtt and many women who then 'manage it through diet ' are able to do so because they don't actually have an illness as such. If you don't want it, don't have it.

I have HG and was convinced I wouldn't be able to do the test as I was still vomiting every 20 minutes at 28 weeks. I briefly discussed with my consultant what my options would be if I couldn't do the glucose test and she advised they could send me home with home kits to measure myself - I'm not sure if you would feel comfortable doing that? Apologies if you don't want to test at all, not trying to force it on you - just wondering if you would consider another way.

Thank you Trifle I just want to get experiences and I understand people have different opinions. I didnt like it when I was accused of making wrong decisions for my bubba due to MH so not sure how calmed I kept there. Thank you
Thank you Paddy, I appreciate that. Yes, UK based and same procedure. Thank you bubba seems to be unaware of mum's worries

Northern your concerns sound very much like mine. And yes to all that you said.
Lots for me to think about.
Happy no apologies needed, very useful to hear about other options so thank you very much for sharing that.

I refused the GTT with my 2nd pregnancy. I think it was indicated because DD was over 4kg and my father had diabetes. They raised their eyebrows, but it had no impact on my birth choices.

Is it worth trying to clarify with the original midwife why she put it on your notes? That way you would know whether it truly was a mistake.
I'm not a fan of the test but I think I'd want to be sure

Funny. Thanks for that.
I will ask the midwife at next appointment lorna.

I don't think I was offered it in my first pg. I didn't do it in my second or third, despite it being offered. It doesn't make sense to me to drink something that I wouldn't normally touch, to see if it has an impact on me. My midwives didn't question me at all so I thought it was fine. They knew I was planning homebirths which I went on to have.

I have GD for sure this time (from 1st tri) after it being detected at around 36 weeks last time. The two experiences were vastly different - last time, based just on the GTT, they were happy to let me be, as long as it was controlled with diet and ultimately date of delivery was up to me - I could go into labour naturally up to 12 days over (the norm I think) or be induced on my due date. DD ended up having to come early due to some other issues.

This time, I will be induced by 39 absolute max as I most certainly have it and am on meds for it.

My point was that I'm pretty sure it's ALWAYS your choice. They can advise, but not enforce.

Fwiw - I don't think the test is overly sensitive. I had it at 28 weeks, passed it absolutely fine and then had to have it again at 36 weeks due to symptoms and failed it.

I refused it as like a pp I had 2 small children, no one to look after them, and they didn't do it at weekends. I just told them I wasn't doing it, they nagged a couple of times and I would reply that if they could arrange it for a weekend I would do it. I can't remember them now, but I asked them to give me a list of symptoms to watch for, as I'd never been tested before and they must have had other ways of looking out for GD before the routine testing.

I also had a home birth, and I was very adamant about that even with a pre-existing medical condition. I was very confident in my health it was the easiest pregnancy out of 3 and 2 good labours beforehand. All was well.

Well, it sounds as though you don't have any of the identified risk factors that usually prompt the test, and likely that the first midwife made a mistake.

So what you could research is how frequently women without any risk factors have GD, to see what the chance is that the test would actually be useful to you. Or if it is confirmed to be a mistake just cancel it.

How is a result deemed false positive? If the ogtt is the diagnostic test, how can it be decided that the diagnosis is false?

At my hospital all women have a test where they drink lucozade without fasting and have their blood sugar measured, and those with an unusually high result go on to have an ogtt (fasting overnight). those with risk factors have the formal ogtt straight away. Due to a midwife's error I had both, which I didn't mind as I was peckish when I had my blood taken and quite fancied a glass of lucozade

I had it and it was positive but tbh I knew it would be as I have pcos and family history. I was considered high risk and told I couldn't use thebirth centre as I had planned. At the time I was devastated but they had similar equipment and pool on the maternity ward. Might be worth exploring. As it happened nothing went to plan but like others have said this can happen. At the end of the day I didn't care I was just delighted to have a healthy beautiful bubba.

I was classed as high risk due to being just over 40, no other medical issues (appart from hospital anxiety which they just made worse by classing me as high risk). I refused the fasting test as I knew I wouldn't be able to keep lucozade down after fasting for 12 hours, I asked if I could do the test where you don't fast for so long (which my sister, who lives in the next door county, did), they said they would look into it but no one got back to me so I just didn't do it. I wasn't worried, they test your blood anyway and had no sugar in my urine and the baby wasn't big for dates. I did get them to agree that I could have a home birth despite being classed as high risk (after telling a sympathetic midwife about my anxiety), but I went overdue so ended up reluctantly being induced, which didn't work (I think due to my hospital anxiety!) so had a c-section.