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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

My obstetrician wants to do a glucose tolerance test purely because of my age (I'm 41)

49 replies

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:10

And given that I have NO symptoms whatsoever, no family history of diabetes, and no desire to take the damned test, I am inclined to refuse it. Do you think that's reasonable?

I'm perfectly happy to take reasonable tests, and she's asked for a 34 week growth scan, but I just cannot see the point of doing this unpleasant test when there are no suggestions that I have GD. I just think the obs is being very over-cautious.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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spicemonster · 10/04/2009 19:17

I don't know what it is, sorry. Did you do that 'drink a bottle of lucozade' one and your results come back dodgy or something?

treedelivery · 10/04/2009 19:20

see here

here

Pg 63 - age is not an indication, so she is being cautious. Have you/are you any of the things listed?

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:20

That's the one. You fast for 12 hours, then go to the hospital in the morning and drink a bucket of syrup and they stab you with needles.

OP posts:

Funnybunnyyumyum · 10/04/2009 19:25

How far gone are you? Are you measuring big so far? I had the glucose test with my middle child because they thought she was big. Is it that bad? They take a blood sample, you drink the solution then have another blood test 2 hours later. As for the growth scan, they can be wildly innacurate so if i was going to refuse anything it would be that. (By the way, my supposed 10lber was 8lb 11oz.)

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:26

Thank you for pointing me to that document, tree. I don't have any of the indications listed- no family history, am caucasian, have pre-pregnancy BMI of 24.6 (slightly overweight for me but not clinical). The only reason she wants to do it is because I'm 41, which doesn't strike me as a very good reason. The WHO says they do not recommend it as a diagnostic test as it is not very reliable as such.

OP posts:

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:29

Funny- I'm 22 weeks and nobody would really notice that I'm pregnant yet. Have only just stopped wearing my pre-pregnancy trousers. I also have no faith in growth scans after 10 of the buggers during my third pregnancy (right up to 38 weeks!) predicted a final birth weight for my daughter of between 5.5 and 6 lbs (she was 7 lbs 8).

OP posts:

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:31

I just can't see the point of doing it- quite apart from the lack of symptoms and indications, I think I would actually struggle to drink lucozade or any such stuff- I don't have a sweet tooth and hardly every eat or drink that sort of thing.

OP posts:

treedelivery · 10/04/2009 19:34

Discuss it with her - that the best option. She may have some reason for wanting it we don't know about. All things can be discussed.

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:36

Tree- I will do- I'm seeing her again in 4 weeks and will ask her then if I really need it. She wants to it at 28 weeks so I have time.

OP posts:

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 19:44

Yeah, duchesse (Hi by the way ::waves: I see no reason to do it just because of your age. Not that its all that invasive, but certainly seems like a waste of your time and NHS resources!

Original poster

duchesse · 10/04/2009 19:45

HI Tee! I know, it takes hours doesn't it? Did they make you do one?

OP posts:

belgo · 10/04/2009 19:45

The test isn't that bad. It's standard for all pregnant women in Belgium to have it.

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 19:53

I was diabetic before I became pregnant, duchesse so I didn't have one while pregnant, but I have had one. Its the same test whether you are pregnant or just being diagnosed with diabetes.

treedelivery · 10/04/2009 19:55

It takes about 2 hours to best of my knowledge - 2 hrs ofdoing nothing to keep metabolism steady.

manyhatson · 10/04/2009 20:02

I had one this week due to raised glucose levels in a routine blood test. I had to drink 380ml of Lucozade at 7.30am with nothing else to eat or drink since midnight (hardly difficult!). I went to the hospital at 9.30am and they took blood. This took 20 mins. I called them at 3.30 in the avo for my results.

Can't see what the problem is duchesse. If you're 41 you necessarily have a higher risk of GD: why not eliminate it at this early stage...?

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 20:15

Actually manyhatson age is not at all an indication of the possibility of GD.

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 20:15

Hi there,

Totally up to you obviously, but I've just had the GTT because my Mum has type 2, but didn't get it until she was in her late 50s.

None of my 3 sisters had positive results from GTT, but I did, even though I'm only a size 10-12 and I never eat sweet things apart from fruit. Just don't have a sweet tooth.

The test is really not that bad but I am now having to inject insulin 3 times a day and monitor my diet.

There are risks linked to GD, one of which is a big baby the other is a higher risk of stillbirths. So even though this is a crap end to my first PG, I'm glad that they found it and that I am managing my sugar levels.

But as I said, the test really isn't that bad. It's just one blood test after not eating from the night before, followed by a sweet drink that you can gulp down quickly, a two hour wait (the worst bit because it's boring...) and another blood test. That's it...

Just thought I'd give my you my experience. Right, off to test my blood for the 4th time today - joy!! The things we do for our little ones hey...

xxx

spicemonster · 10/04/2009 20:18

It's standard for all women where I had my baby - exactly the same as manyhatson said. Really wasn't a big deal.

It's not unpleasant at all. I don't like sweet things either but a bottle of lucozade isn't going to kill you

treedelivery · 10/04/2009 20:18

The important thing is....how will this effect your easter egg eating DawnAS?

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 20:23

Ahhh treedelivery, don't even go there, I'm gutted!! . I actually got my result the Friday before Mothers Day and DH had bought me the most massive box of chocolates from our little Jelly (haven't decided on a name for our little girl yet) and people keep on dropping off Easter Eggs for us!!

DH has agreed to avoid chocolate with me until after Jelly is born - so if I manage to BF, Jelly will have chocolate flavoured milk for weeks!!!

xxx

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 20:26

dawn have some chocolate, really. I have been diabetic for 3 years, on insulin since getting pregnant. And still eat chocolate.

It won't hurt the baby to have one high number and why deprive yourself totally? Its just silly.

DawnAS · 10/04/2009 20:31

HI Tee2072,

I was fully intending to have a bit of chocolate, so I asked the diabetic nurse how much insulin I needed to take and she told me to avoid the chocolate until after the baby is born.

It's really difficult because I've never been diabetic before and if it was just me I wouldn't be worrying at all, but it's the effect of the baby.

Although, it is our first wedding anniversary on Sunday aswell so we're going out for dinner and I've insisted that I'm having a pudding!! So they've told me to take 10 units of insulin. But I don't think that will be enough...

My levels are getting worse week on week so I'm having to increase my insulin, virtually by guesswork... I do think the Diabetic Nurses are scaring me unnecessarily though - I'm managing to keep all my sugar levels under 7 at the moment - apart from one slightly above last night - but they make it sound like I'm committing a crime!!

Any advice you can give me would really help. Mum is only type 2 so doesn't need to have insulin, so can't help me on that...

xxx

manyhatson · 10/04/2009 20:35

Tee2072 I'm sure you're right. I'm no doc. I'm probably getting mixed up with knowing that if you're over 35 they test you for it automatically. Anyway, it was no big deal. Any my blood sugar turned out to be high and I have none of the other risk factors so wouldn't have been found if they hadn't have tested for it due to my age (I'm 38)

SpaceTrain · 10/04/2009 20:37

DOn't do it if there is no reason for it. I wasted a whole damn morning there drinking the foul stuff only to get a phone call a da later to day they hadn't labelled my bloods properly and could I come back in and do it again .
What made it worse was when I complained that I couldn't waste another morning due to their incompetence the midwife replied'Why? It's not like you have a job or anything is it?' Er yes, actually, I work full time. Muppet.

Tee2072 · 10/04/2009 20:44

Dawn I was diet controlled as Type II until I became pregnant, but I have done a lot of research on this since I've gone on insulin!

First of all, you will only harm your baby if you have weeks and weeks of high uncontrolled blood sugar, and by high I mean over 10. Even 9 isn't really that high, even though I know my ranges are 5.5 - 8.0. I assume yours are the same!

I don't know how far along you are, but it is also true that the danger to the baby dramatically decreases after the 1st trimester.

So really, have the pudding. Be high for one meal. Nothing will happen to you or the baby and you'll get to enjoy yourself a little!!

And 10 units is nothing. I take nothing less than 12 per meal, 32 at breakfast and 34 before bed! I'm 29 weeks, BTW.

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