Gestational Diabetes - Buffalo, NY

HI S.-

For the 1-Hr glucose test, the doctor's prefer a number below 140 mg/dl; although I've heard of some offices using 130 as the cut-off number. Anything from 140 to 180 typically results in having to take the 3-hr test. Anything over 180 and the doctor will most likely skip the test and head straight to management measures for GD.

It seems that more often than not the 1-Hr comes back with false positives.

Generally the 3-hr comes back fine. You need to "fail" two of the 4 draws (baseline plus 3 after the drink) to be classified as GD.

I would ask your doctor what their protocols are for failures. Mine indicated I would get to speak to a nutritionalist if I failed one or more and that they would try to develop a diet controled program for me if I failed mroe than 2 draws. They indicated that they do not like to prescribe insulin so I was glad to hear that.

Your best bet, relax, bring a book and try not to think about it.

~C.
PS. I passed my 3-hr.

I had my 1 hour glucose test and it came back slightly high. It was only a few points high, but I don't recall the numbers offhand. (If I were to guess, I seem to remember that it should be in the 130s, but I'm not 100% sure) When I took my 3 hour test, everything came back fine. I hadn't eaten anything before the first time either, sometimes your level is just high. The 3 hour test is a more detailed test, so they can check it out a little better. Don't forget to bring a book! It's boring sitting there for 3 hours!

Hi there,
I, too, had high results for my initial gestational diabetes test, and had to go for the 3 hour test. It stinks, but I made it through just fine with that one. Most people do, I've been told. You can expect to get really tired and feel pretty icky. I was really nauseous from the one hour test, but didn't get that with the 3 hour. Mostly, it just feels like a waste of time for part of your day, and makes you very nervous. So, my advice would be to try & remain calm as possible, bring something to read or someone to support you if possible, and plan on a nice relaxing afternoon! Sorry I can't help on what you would have to do if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, but hopefully it won't go that direction.

Hi S.!

I know what you're going through! I had gestational diabetes with my first child, and had to take both tests, which both came back a little high, so they wound up having me monitor my carbs by keeping a journal of what/how much I ate and my sugar levels before/after eating. Luckily I didn't need insulin. I have had 2 more pregnancies since then, and I always had a high reading on the 1 hr test, but was ok for the 3 hr tests. If it comes back slightly high, then you'll probably have to do what I did. Oh..and all 3 times, my newborns' levels were fine, and so were mine right after birth. Good luck! Hope this helped. : )

Hello!
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, and it was the most *challenging* part of my pregnancy. Basically, my doctor had me go see a nutritionist that educated me on the foods that yield the most sugar. So I had to restrict my diet (ie - not too much pasta, rice, carbs, sweets, etc). I had to log my food intake in a journal for the last 5 mos of my pregnancy, coupled with monitoring my blood glucose 2 hours after every meal. 154 would've been considered high by my doctor. He wanted me to remain in the 80-110 range.

Good luck with everything. I had a very smooth and pleasant pregnancy with my 1st baby, and having to control my diet b/c of gestational diabetes was the only 'negative.'

What made your sugar high was the glucola you drank. This is what is going to happen. You will go in and they will draw blood to get your levels before they even start. Then you will drink the glucola and they will draw your blood every hour for the next 3 hrs. Then they will call you a couple days later with the results. If you are diabetic, they will try to control it with diet. That means you must count every carb (because carbs turn into sugar and effect your blood sugar levels) that you put in your mouth (including drinks). I are allowed a certain amount of carb for each meal and each snack. You will also need to check your blood sugar levels several times a day with a finger prick and a meter. I was able to control mine with diet only. I was very careful. I counted everything. And my son was born a very healthy 7lb 3 oz. You have to be very careful, because the sugar that is in your blood stream crosses the placenta and makes the baby produce insulin. Insulin is a growth hormone, which can result in a larger baby if you don't control your sugar. For that same reason you want to be able to control your sugar with diet, because if you need to go on insulin it works the same way.
This is what worked for me. I had to get it in my head that it wasn't just about me. That I was doing this for my son and he needed to be healthy. I was very careful. Alot of fast food resturants have their menus online now so you can check carb levels before you go there. This way you kind of look forward to what your going to eat. Most veggies are very low in carb so you can almost eat as much of those as you want. Fruits need to be somewhat limited. Rice, potatoes and pasta are pretty much out. Popcorn is a great treat, you can eat 1/3 of a bag for snack. You can do it if you need to. Good luck.

Eat like normal. I had cherios before mine. My girlfriend had to take the 3 hour one because she did not eat and her test came back 160. The Second test came back fine. I dont know why they dont tell people that. Tammy S. mother of a almost 3 yr. old and a 1 yr. old.

I also had gestational diabetes. My doctor wanted my fasting glucose (number in morning) to be below 90, but from talking to other mothers who had gestational diabetes, his number was a bit strict. During the three hour test you will go in after fasting. They will have you drink stuff and then will take your blood after each hour for three times. it is a long wait so bring a book or magazines. I went to a labcorp and they had a reclining chair for me to sit in in a different waiting room. I was very tired afterwards so try not to schedule much for the afternoon. I was under the care of an endocronologist while I was pregnant and we tried strict diet initially. Like I said, he had strict requirements and because my morning sugar seemed to hover in the 90s he put me on insulin. I was terrified of needles, but you get used to it and you do it for the health of the baby. The needle is so small anyway that you don't even feel it. Insulin is a naturally produced hormone so it is not like you are injecting a drug...just a hormone your body needs.

Try not to worry. I remember being really scared at first, but it ended up not being as bad as I thought. OH, and because I was following such a strict diet (which provided me with all the nutrients I needed), I only ended up gaining 15 pounds during the pregnancy.

Hi S.,

I had GD with my first child (now age 14). I don't remember much about test other than trying to keep down the nasty juice (I had terrible morning sickness) and sitting around all morning. The test is extremely important.

With GD the baby will be "eating" the excess sugar and will grow at a faster pace than normal especially towards the end.

If termined you have GD, you'll need to monitor your glucose levels and your diet. Depending on the level of GD you may need to take medication or insulin shots (not very likely so don't get worried). My ob had me meet with a nutritionalist (I thought it was a complete waste of money - I learned a lot more from the nurse in the ob's office and in my child birth/care class). Basically you need to eat 3 small well balanced meals a day and 3 snacks a day, seems like your constantly eating, and did I mention drink lots of water. The goal is to keep you blood sugar level at a constant level, and under a certain amount (I believe 120). You need to remove sugar from your diet and limit carbs, a minimum of fresh fruit. Four times a day you'll need to use a glucose monitor, you poke your finger to obtain a small drop of blood which you put on a special strip and insert into the meter.

Your ob will monitor you much more closely, and have a few extra test (ultra sound and stress tests) than a normal pregancy.

Good luck!

Normal ranges are between 70-99 mg/dl
Pre-diabetes is when the range is between 100-125 mg/dl
Diabetes is when your reading is over 126 mg/dl
Oral 3 hour exam
The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test is administered in a lab or
doctors office where blood glucose levels are monitored 5
times over a 3 hour period.
Requires at least a 10 hour fast, not to exceed 16 hours
You must be in good health
No coffee or smoking prior to taking the test
Initial blood is drawn for pre-measurement
A glucola bottle with a high amount of sugar (75 grams of glucose-for pregnant women 1000 grams of glucose)
Normal response is less than or equal to 110 mg/dl and less than 126 mg/dl
Impaired glucose diagnosed when the range is 140 mg/dl to 200 mg/dl
Diabetes is diagnosed when the range is over 200 mg/dl

If you are diabetic, you can reverse it through diet. Diabetes can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol so it is important to reverse. Here are some helpful links:

http://www.examiner.com/x-17146-Dallas-Womens-Health-Exam...

http://rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?af=1030908

T. Hall Parker, Holistic Health Coach
My Food Therapy
www.myfoodtherapy.com

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/gd/gd_testing.htm

Having a range of 151-155 mg/dl gives you a 30.5% of getting gd.

3-hour glucose tolerance test (100g) - NDDG Scale (National Diabetes Data Group), most commonly used scale (ACOG lists this one first)

Reading Cutoff (mg/dl)
Fasting Draw 105 mg/dl
One Hour Draw 190 mg/dl
Two Hour Draw 165 mg/dl
Three Hour Draw 145 mg/dl

Generally speaking, the woman is supposed to "carbo-load" for several days before a GTT. This apparently stimulates her body to produce more insulin and be more prepared for the overload of the 100g test. However, many doctors do not instruct their patients on this at all, and some even forget to tell the patient to fast ahead of time. In addition, even those who tell their patients to carbo-load do not give consistent advice. Some give a specific diet to follow, specifying exactly how many extra carbs to eat and when (usually >150g--10 servings or more--of carbs per day; remember that carbs in this case includes all starches, fruits, sweets, and dairy products). On the other hand, other doctors just tell the woman to eat a few extra servings of carbs 1-2 days before the test. Be sure to press your doctor for more details on this and question your care closely if the doctor seems careless in attitude towards the test protocols. The official recommendation is to carbo-load for at least 3 days before the test, but since many doctors do not follow this, the lack of uniform testing conditions is a major criticism of this test.

All the info above was taken from the site above. I found this site to be most useful and accurate with info. Hope this helps...I'm having my 3 hour on Monday! My levels were 147. :)

Hi S.,

It can be scary, however I had Gestational Diabetes. I put myself on a very strick diet. I had to use insulen. For the safety of my baby I did not care about having to use the needle. Follow the doctors instructions and you and your baby should be fine. I had my daughter 4 wks early and she still past a clean bill of health. 6 lbs. 5oz. They say when you take the insulen that the babies comes out a later larger. I tought she was perfect. :) Good Luck! :)

Hi S.,
I don't remember what my levels were exactly, but my last test showed that I was borderline for GD. I was given dietary instructions (how many grams of this or that at each meal) and I had to test my ketones in the AM (with a pee stick) and test my blood 3x a day. It was not difficult to live with, esp b/c I didn't have to do insulin shots. The hardest part for me was the dietary restrictions. I am already a picky eater and I love carbs, so for me to live on meat and water for 4 months was tough. Also, cutting out carbs and eating healthier caused me to lose weight for my whole last trimester.
All in all though, it wasn't that bad. Follow your doctor's advice, track your glucose levels meticulously and allow yourself one "cheat" per week to keep your sanity. In the end, you just do what you have to do for the sake of your baby. They tested my glocose levels immediately after my son's birth, and just like the doc said, they went right back to normal. You'll be fine!
Best of luck!
F.

Hi! I am pregnant with my third and this is my second go around with gestational diabetes. The 3 hour test is long and you have to drink that bottle again. I have been able to control the diabetes with just nutrition. I had to cut out carbs and sugar. I eat sugar free foods if I am craving something, but mostly vegetables and protein are it. With this pregnancy, I found that it is a bit harder to control because the doctor said that since I had it last time, my insulin levels may be higher and harder to control with diet. So far so good though. The first time I had this (with my second child), my daughter was tiny, 5lbs, 12oz. This one they keep telling me is on the bigger side, which is one thing to watch with gestational diabetes. It is also a boy, so I'm not worried about it. My sugar was at 167 with the 1 hour test. Just keep it under control and eat properly. It gets boring sometimes, but it is so worth it. Good luck to you!

A variety of pregnancy hormones cause a pregnant woman
's body to become more resistant to insulin, which is produced by your pancreas. Insulin allows your body to pull sugar into the tissues from the blood. With more resistance to insulin in pregnancy, this allows more glucose to be in the bloodstream to get to your baby through the placenta. This is all in normal pregnancies. When the resistance to insulin is much too great for a pregnant body to handle, this results in gestational diabetes.

The screening test is the 1 hour glucose challenge test, which you already had. 154 is not so high, but it is still out of the normal range. By doing the fasting 3 hour glucose tolerance test, your health care provider will be able to determine if you have gestational diabetes (GDM). You must have at least 2 abnormal values, or one value over 200 to be diagnosed as having GDM. If you are diagnosed as having GDM, then you will be in one of 2 categories (1) diet-controlled (2) oral medication or insulin dependent. They will determine that based on your finger-stick blood sugar results which you will be required to monitor multiple times during the day around mealtimes.

The key is once you are found to have GDM, to keep your blood sugars within normal limits as much as possible during the pregnancy to prevent complications in both you and the baby.

Bring a book to read during your 3 hour test - you will only be allowed water during that time.

Wishing you the best!

Hi S.:

Examine and alter your diet, if need be. Foods that feed GD - ANY form of sugar (fruits, juice, cakes, etc), pasta, breads, chips. Increase your water intake to half body's weight in ounces (if you weigh 150lbs, then 75 ounces of water), sip throughout the day, love and nurture yourself and reduce stress, and continue to visit a qualified healthcare practitioner. Hope these suggestions help.

All the best,
N.
Holistic Healthcare Practitioner
www.WholeCreations.com

Hi S.,

Normal blood sugar is 90 or less. elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia) means that your pancreas is not making or secreting enough insulin to remove the excess glucose (sugar) from your blood. Low blood (hypoglycemia) sugar 60-70 and lower can be acutely dangerous resulting in not enough glucose getting to the brain, symptoms include shakiness, blurred vision, sweating, feeling strange, serious symptoms can mimic drunken behavior. If this should happen a glass of orange juice can quickly get some glucose back into your blood stream, then you must eat something, I always recommend peanut butter and milk to help maintain a constant level of blood glucose.

Often, gestational diabetes can be managed with diet. Your MD will most likely recommend you see a dietician who will individualize a diet for you. You may also get a glucometer which will help you monitor your blood sugar at the specific times the MD orders) Sometimes, diet alone is not effective and insulin injections are required (this is not as bad as it sounds the needles are very thin and the injection is less painful than the blood sugar checks).

Most often, gestation diabetes resolves after giving birth. Be mindful that you will have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes in the next five years.

I had gestational diabetes with my second child. I felt terrible prior to diagnosis. Once diagnosed, I met with a dietician who helped me with a diet and I monitored my blood sugar 3 X day. Once I started eating properly and controling my blood sugar I felt great. I had a beautiful healthy baby girl who is now 8. I have not developed diabetes.

The American Heart Association puts out a good cookbook. It breaks down the carbs and protein in the recipes making it easier to calculate the daily totals that your dietician will give you.

Wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy.

Sarah

Been there - done that twice. It doesn't matter what u've eaten the day/night before b/c they do a series of tests but it's not that bad. With my oldest it was monitored by diet - they will normally send you to the Diabetic Clinic and will help you w/a menu of meals & show you what is best to eat. A lot of people go for the 2nd test and it may not show anything - I was told that sometimes there can be a spike.

With my youngest I had to do insulin which again is no big deal. Because of the size of my belly I couldn't even see where I needed to do it so my daughter who was 5 at the time would help my husband. Good luck!

Hi S.,

One in three women who takes the one hour glucose challenge will "fail" it but only about 4% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, so I would not stress too badly over this. If your results come back high, what's likely to happen is that your doctor will send you for a consultation with a nutrtionist who will go over dietary instructions with you, and you'll get a testing kit to check your own blood sugar several times a day. Many women are able to keep the GD under control with just diet and do not need insulin or other meds.
Good luck!

S., I had gestational diabetes with all three of my boys unfortunately, but I don't have diabetes type 2 which is very common on my dad's side of the family. My grandmother, my father's mother had type 2 and I believe that my great-grandmother had it because when she delivered my grandmother who was born in the early 1900's, my grandmother was 15 lbs and was the biggest baby born in Troy at the time. So, the hightest it should be 120 when testing your blood for sugar. From experience, with my oldest it was extremely high and with my second not so bad and with my third was a little high. I had to have insulin, two of them with my third and it was difficult to keep it down when morning came. To keep the protein(? I forgot what it is called when you urinate the first thing in the morning and on the strip) it was always high and I had to either drink milk the night before or eat graham crackers to lower it and for some part it worked. They will tell you how to monitor it. With gestational diabetes, very low in carbs, more in vegetables and protein, chicken, ground turkey, meat is very good. They prefer you don't drink juice, but I usually drink very good juice and it was like an ounce a day and I tried to do what was right in eating but it helped a little bit but for odd reasons it was hard to get it down and keep it down. The first time, it is usually in the OB office and the second time they had me go to the hospital and do it as the outpatient. They have you drink the juice and prick you about four times total I think. The first time before the juice, then an hour after jice and then two hours later and an hour later or so. It's good to bring a book to read to pass the time. So, keep yourself exercising and moving and eating properly and let them know when you go to the hospital. Make sure you tell the hospital you have that when you ready to deliver because you don't wan them giving you something with high sugar and jocked up your blood sugar before the baby comes. They made that mistake at one of the hospitals and fortunately they were able to bring it down in time before giving me pitocin because I could never go into natural labor on my own. Any more questions , ask us or me and I will try to remember what happened and with my third son, it was over 2 years ago.

S.,

It was a major pain in the behind.

I can't tell you not to go - it's not like they have any qualms about giving you a massive dose of artificial colors.

High results again? Likely you'll start shots of insulin if they are high enough, or if you are borderline (which is another way of saying you have GD, but insulin only if you are a total goofball about how you eat) you get to be vigilant about your carbs and keeping your bg down below a level.

Walk after every meal.

No sugar between meals.

You can take a day off - once in a while.

Your baby's body grows faster than their head. So you have a linebacker baby, and a greater chance of c-section.

Balance your diet. Ditch 99% of all sugars - real and imagined. :) No cookies. Very, very few pasta dinners. Little bread, like maybe a sandwich here and there, not every day.

All this and a lot more...

Good luck,
M.

Though various organizations have slightly different parameters, the expected blood glucose level after an hour is less than 140, so while 154 is abnormal, it's not terribly high.

Many -- maybe most -- gestational diabetics can control it with diet and exercise (eating lower sugar/carb diet and exercising appropriately). Some need to take a pill called Metformin to help keep their blood sugar in a good range and if that simply doesn't work, insulin can be given by a small injection with a tiny little needle.

In all likelihood, your 3-hour will be normal, but even if it's not, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Gestational diabetes is a common condition that you can often manage by eating well (which is good for the baby anyway!).

Congrats S. on your pregnancy. Go for the 3 hour test and see what happens. When I was recent preggo with my second I scored boarderline on the 1 hour test and had to take the 3 hour. The test came back normal. My suggestion to you is to just take the test and see what happens. Then take it from there. Try not to worry, rather focus on enjoying the rest of this pregnancy!