One of the routine tests you will take when pregnant is the glucose tests. These are tests commonly carried out between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy to screen expectant mothers for gestational diabetes (GD).
So, you must know what to expect during a glucose screening test in pregnancy to prepare any questions you want to ask your doctor.
The Procedure
- You will be asked to drink a very sweet liquid that contains glucose. It normally tastes like Fanta orange. The fluid doesn’t have any negative side effects. However, if you have diabetes, let the clinician know before the test.
- Then he will draw your blood an hour later to check your blood glucose level. If your sugar levels surpass normal, you will be subjected to another three-hour test known as the glucose tolerance test.
- There is no need to alter your diet or make any special preparations before this screening.
- You need to be patient because this test takes some time
Glucose tolerance test procedure
- The doctor will ask that you do not eat or drink anything apart from water eight to fourteen hours before you go in for examination.
- Remember to tell the medic about any diet and exercise regimes you are doing. He also deserves to know if you have a medical condition and the kind of medicine and supplements you are taking.
- Once you enter the exam room, you will be given a very sweet drink containing about 75g of glucose.
- Then he will draw your blood before taking the drink, and again thirty to sixty minutes after enjoying the soda.
- Each time your blood is drawn, experts will check your sugar levels. That explains why the test takes three hours.
How to interpret the results
- If your blood sugar is about or below 139 milligrams per deciliter, you are okay and will be released to go home.
- Between 140 and 199, you are at risk of getting diabetes, so the medic might put you on a special diet or tablets. You will have to go back for another screening later.
- Any reading above 199 shows that you have diabetes. In case you get such results, don’t panic. Your doctors will advise you on what to do next. When gestational diabetes is diagnosed in time, you will be safe.
What you must know concerning gestational diabetes
- Your body has to make a certain amount of sugar during pregnancy. If it fails, you develop gestational diabetes.
- You can also have excess sugar in the body as the pregnancy grows, due to the constant hormonal changes.
- The condition is treatable when detected early, and you will still carry the pregnancy to term if you follow your doctor’s instructions.
- If you have had diabetes in the past, or have a history of the disease in your family, then you’re at a high risk of getting it when pregnant.
Conclusion
You now know what to expect during a glucose screening test in pregnancy. Ensure you choose a good hospital for your antenatal clinics where experts will do all the routine tests.
