Glucose test

[Pregnantpolly]

I have my glucose test next Monday and just know very little about it other than I need to fast.

What are your experiences? How soon do they tell you results?

If I do have gestational diabetes, what's the follow up likely to be? Just eating advice?

I'm not particularly worried but have been drinking near 4L of water most days which is not normal for me and urinating loads. I'm not sure if it's the heat.

I've had these in both my pregnancies and they are fine (unless you are squeamish about needles) you have bloods done drink the drink then repeat the bloods two more times. Results are usually same day if you've got diabetes and next day if you don't.

Good luck. Ask to lie down if you need to, I fainted in my second pregnancy when doing this cause it was mid heatwave.

@PepsiMaxandPringleStacks thanks for the info. Yeah I'm grand with needles so hoping it's ok. Good shout on asking to lie down.

If you vomit during the test you invalidate the results so don't be sick! Only mentioning because I was sick as a dog in my pregnancies. When I was diagnosed with GD I heard within 3 days. The pregnancy I didn't have it, I think I just didn't hear anything and they mentioned all was fine at my next scheduled appointment.

If you do have it, you're referred to the diabetes team. You get a blood sugar monitor and you need to start testing your blood sugar levels 4 X a day with a finger prick blood test- first thing and then an hour (or 2, can't remember) after each meal. Lots of diet advice and I controlled mine with diet - limit sugar as much as possible, low carb and lots of protein. It's pretty shit I won't lie, but doable. I also had growth scans every 2 weeks although I don't know if those are standard with GD or because I was measuring large. Once your baby is delivered they monitor your baby for 24 hours to ensure sugar levels are ok and you're encouraged to take readings for a few days to ensure everything goes back to normal. That's pretty much it.

When I had GD in my last pregnancy I got called the next morning to tell me I had it and an appt booked in for the diabetic midwife team at hospital.

Tried diet and it didn't work, ended up on 3x metformin daily and if that didn't work (it did luckily) it would've been insulin.

Was induced at 38 weeks due to GD they don't like you going much over that. DS was 7lb 2oz so a nice weight and he had 2 blood sugar tests on his heel when he was born and a few hours later. We went home the next morning and he was born the evening before.

Take snacks for after because I was so hungry! I have another GD test next Thursday at 16 weeks due to having GD in previous pregnancy.