Gestational diabetes test

[OptimisticRealist2024]

I have a GD test in two weeks, but happened to have had a few trips to hospital recently - for very different reasons - where they've dipped my urine as a standard practice.

I'm 22 weeks now so know it may be early yet - but are they able to pick up any potential GD through a urine test?

Fully accept if I have it then I have it (I don't have any clear symptoms), but just curious.

They never tell me what they're looking for with the urine dips, but I'm sure you can check for diabetes in urine...?

I don’t know the answer as I’m curious - always being asked for urine samples and never told what they’re looking for!

Only if there's high levels of glucose in it so not always. You really need the test for diagnosis. I had it in my first pregnancy after getting the GTT and in this pregnancy they've just assumed I've got it so been taking my bloods since I had my 12 week scan. Fingers crossed you don't have it!

If you have diabetes, and your kidneys are affected by it, you’d have glucose in your urine. However that wouldn’t diagnose it, it’s just another way to flag up that you need to have the glucose tolerance test. Not having glucose in your urine doesn’t mean you don’t have diabetes.

They also check your urine for protein which can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, and for signs of a urine infection as they are very common in pregnancy.

You possibly can but they might not be looking for it. The urine test tends to be checking for protein and ketones to help identify potential pre eclampsia or infections etc. I'm not sure if they test for sugars as standard.

As I recall when I had my GDM test they did a blood test first, gave me a sugary drink they tested blood again a couple of hours after (to see how your body has reacted to the glucose)

If you've been asked to do the test I would just do it, it's very straightforward. I did end up having gestational diabetes and had 0 symptoms at the time

My midwife always told me if I had sugar in my urine when I was pregnant so I think it is a standard check. I regularly had it and therefore had the GD test in all 3 pregnancies, but weirdly was only diagnosed with GD once. So a urine dip doesn't necessarily mean you have it.

Thanks everyone! Waiting now for the glucose test. Fingers crossed I don't have GD - anxiety is all over the place generally with pregnancy and could do without having something else to worry about. 🥴

It completely depends what they are dipping your urine for.
NICE guidance suggests at a standard midwife appointment they only need to do a proteinuria test (protein in urine can be a sign of pre-eclampsia) but if they are doing a full test, then glucose would be part of that. But that doesn’t diagnose GD.

I found asking exactly what each test/procedure was looking for, helped my anxiety in pregnancy. In my first, I just let things happen to me but in my second, I took a bit more ownership of my body as I found most did not give this information without me asking which would not happen in any other area of medicine!

Good luck with it! I had to have it too and didn't end up having it, but I think it is manageable if you do. I know a few mums who had it and it was all fine

Worst part was not being allowed to eat.

I cried when I found I had it. I knew it was inevitable as both my sister and mum had it, neither big women (I wasn't overweight either) so is just in our genetics. It was really no bother for me. I was diet controlled. Baby came 8 days early, an easy 4 hour labour, he was a little 6lb 7oz. The only annoying bit was the inconvenience of pricking my finger after meals and not being able to have any treats!

Sorry, to clarify, I mean "the worst part of being tested was not being able to eat"

Just realised it may have seemed like I was saying women with GD cannot eat!

I did it the first time but refused the second time and did finger pricks instead as it's more accurate and I didn't have to drink a boatload of sugar on an empty stomach. Neither time did I have GD. Take a snack for after that is protein rich. Cheese and chicken or ham. With help your body cope with the aftermath of the sugar.

Yes you can pick up glucose on dip sticks which would indicate diabetes umong many things. They're also looking for protein which occurs with preeclampsia (and look for uti