3 Hour Test for Gestational Diabetes?!?

Question

Hi,
I went for the 27 week 1-hour glucose test & it came back 165 which is "elevated". My midwife told me I will now have to go for the 3-hour test. Now, re: that 3-hour test, would I really have to sit at LabCorp for 3 hours?? FASTING?! Because honestly, I don't know if I could handle that. I am a pretty impatient person. A few weeks ago I had to wait there for 1 hour, fasting, & I almost lost it on the poor lady behind the counter. The chairs are uncomfortable, there's nothing to do & I was told for the 3-hour test I can't leave LabCorp or walk around too much. What does one do with for 3 hours at LabCorp???
What if I just skip the test & moved right into cutting a lot of sugar & processed food from my diet & went walking for 30 minutes a day? I have been eating a lot of sugar, PB Crunch cereal, chocolate milk, white bread, egg rolls..Could my not-so-healthy diet so far have caused the elevated glucose? 165 is only elevated, you aren't considered diabetic til it's 200+ right?

Answer 1

I just took the three hour test last Saturday. Bring a good book and a big bottle of water. It was not as bad as I thought. Go early in the morning so you can fast while you are sleeping! I asked my Dr. what are the chances I have GD and she said with her patients 20% who take the 3 hour test do. I think that it is worth testing with those odds.



After the first hour they said I could walk around.

Answer 2

Gestational Diabetes 3 Hour Test

Answer 3

If you were fasting for only one hour when you first went in, chances are they did not get an accurate read. Generally, you should fast for 8 hours before testing - which is why they usually do AM appointments so you're only missing breakfast.



165 is elevated. 200 is definately not the diagnosis statuate for diabetes. 120 or 125 is probably closer to a normal blood sugar for someone who is not diabetic, fasting. If you had eaten only an hour or two, or even a few hours prior to testing, chances are you may be in the clear. Your body's natural insulin does not immediately take control of your blood sugar levels.



Your pancrease creates insulin when it needs to break down the sugars. The process does not spread throughout your bloodstream that quickly.



If you can't handle 3 hours, ask your midwife if you can snack on something like raw carrots (very low in sugar and carbohydrates). What raises your blood sugar is food that contains sugar; however they also may want you fasting so that they can receive a more accurate read. They may not be able to read certain tests if there is food in your system. They don't want you to walk around because exercise will cause your blood glucose to lower, and they do not want additional factors affecting the quality of test.



It would not be wise to skip the test. If you have gestational diabetes, chances are you will have to take insulin. It will not be easily controlled by diet alone. If your blood sugar levels are not contained within a normal level, it will put your baby at risk. There is a birth defect called holoprocencepholy (sp?) that is common in babies born to mother's with Type 1 or gestational diabetes whose blood sugar levels were not in proper control. This birth defect often creates cleft lip, breathing difficulties, abnormalities in the face, many health problems, and can cause your baby to be stillborn.



The only way that your "not so healthy" diet could have effected the blood glucose level is if you do not have enough insulin producing (which is the result of diabetes).



3 hours will be a small price to pay to ensure that your baby, and you, are healthy. For your sake, and your baby's, I hope the results are negative. If they are positive, be thankful that it is gestational diabetes, and it will not continue throughout your life. It will also help your doctor's keep a closer eye on the baby and ensures that you are both in healty condition. You get your own birthroom, which is like heaven these days.



Please go to the test. It will be better in the long run. I hope all goes well. =)

Answer 4

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Answer 7

I had gest. diabetes and it's important to follow what your doc says. My high at my 1-hr was 145 and doc wanted me to do the 3-hr which came back with one of the results being in the 200's. You shouldn't skip it even if you think cutting out all the sugar in your diet is going to help. Having gest. diabetes is a big deal when you're pregnant because it affects your baby and puts you at much higher risk to have type 2 diabetes later in life. Better safe than sorry.



As far as what to do at the 3-hr testing, bring a book, cellphone to call friends to chit chat, maybe bring some small electronic game thing haha sounds silly but trust me, it was SO boring reading all the magazines. I unfortunately did not bring anything at all and ended up reading the same magazines and talking on the phone outside the waiting room. The reason they don't want you walking around is because you can burn off the sugar drink that they give you and not get good results. I was able to walk in and out of the wiating room but it wasn't far or much walking so my butt didn't hurt so bad from sitting down forever!



Good luck and there is nothing you can do about the wait haha. Again, it's important to get your results at your 3-hr. Who knows, you might pass this time! I didn't and ended seeing a diabetic specialist who helped me maintain a healthy diet which soo helped my blood sugar number! You are still able to have sugar/carbs but at a minimum and you won't know that until you go through the process. If the diet thing does not work for you and is still giving you high blood sugar numbers, then your doc will put you on insulin. They usually have you do the diet first and insulin is last resort.



PS. I read an answer above to eat dry toast before you go but don't because it has carbs and carbs is sugar! My doc told me not to eat an hour before the appt but when I did eat, it was protein like eggs and sausage. My appt was in the AM. Good luck!

Answer 8

Take some books with you. It's gonna be a long wait. Don't eat anything sugary before you go. Eat a couple of pieces of dry toast. I did that with my first child about 1/2 an hour before my test and passed the 1-hr. test with flying colors. Seems the dry toast absorbs some of the sugar you have to drink, helping me sort of "cheat" my way through it. I would recommend you ask what you CAN eat before you go in and eat that for the day before and day of your test. If you feel like your sugar is really low, grab a tablespoon of peanut butter or a small glass of orange juice to get it back up. Just avoid that kind of stuff the day of your test. My aunt had to do the 3-hour test with both of her babies, but passed the 3-hr. DO NOT SKIP THE TEST. Gestational diabetes can be dangerous for you and the baby. I don't know why you couldn't walk around within the testing facility, but I'm sure they don't want you leaving and possibly doing something to compromise the test results.

Answer 9

To answer ur 1st ques..U have to stay put for 3 hrs. When I went I brought a book my cellphone and just looked around. 2nd ques you cuttin ur diet down may help but just from experience I'm 32 1/2 wks now and thanks to my 3 hr I found out I have ges. dia and am on a very strict diet and agenda. I can't drink anything but h2o, take glyburide once a day, check my sugar levels 4x's a day, go to the dr once a wk, and the hosp twice a wk to get non stress test and bbp's preformed. Even with all of this my sugar can go from 40's-200 and something. Honestly to me three hours isn't nothing compared to a life time of guilt of problems your unborn child could face. Even look at it this way u could of just had a false reading and won't have to go thru any of this. If u don't have three hours worth of patience what are you going to do with a newborn?

Answer 10

Why take the risk by not going for the test??? That's 3 hours out of your life for the sake of your body and your baby. Take a book or something, it'll be over before you know it. Gestational diabetes is potentially life threatening to your unborn child ...don't risk it because you are impatient. You need to learn patience anyway because having a new baby will test your patience every single day!!

Answer 11

RE:

3 Hour Test for Gestational Diabetes?!?

Hi,

I went for the 27 week 1-hour glucose test & it came back 165 which is "elevated". My midwife told me I will now have to go for the 3-hour test. Now, re: that 3-hour test, would I really have to sit at LabCorp for 3 hours?? FASTING?! Because honestly, I don't know if I could...

Answer 12

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Answer 13

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Answer 14

It doesn't work that way. Cutting out the sugar is not going to not make you diabetic. My first pregnancy I had to sit through that test. Bring a magazine, I took a nap. Bring a pillow and blanket, don't they have a TV?

Answer 15

Diabetes is usually treated through a combination of diet (low sugar), exercise and medications/insulin. Milder cases can be controlled with just diet an/or exercise while more severe cases require meds or insulin as well. Learn more!

Answer 16

u need to do the test..i did the test when i had bad morning sickess still and i managed to do it.. turns out i have diabetes and i need insulin.. you need to do the test!! if you need insulin to bring your sugar down you wont know it then your harming your baby.... its three hours out of your life... do the test:



EDIT i just read two posts that said to eat an hour before the test..... your HAVE to fast for 12 hours before the three hour test..so dont eat anything or you'll have to do the test again



EDIT: you can NOT eat before the three hour test.. anything you put into your body will make you release insulin.. during the three hour test when you get there you will have to drink a super sweet drink..the test, tests to see how your body processes the sugar in that drink alone.. i can garentee that if you eat before this test they will make you resit it.

Answer 17

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Answer 18

Diabetics can eat anything a non-diabetic can eat. You just have to make an adjustment for carbs/sugars. Learn here https://tr.im/bAhoA

It is better for diabetics to eat slow burning carbs: potatoes, peanut butter, vegetables, breads, dairy products, etc. VS. fast burning carbs: candy, sugared soda, cakes, ice cream, anything high in sugar. Just know what your carb/insulin ratios (how much insulin you have to give yourself for the amount of carbs you are intaking) are. Adjust according to the amount of carbs(sugars) you are intaking. And, you should be fine. Natural sugars are better than processed sugars.

Answer 19

Yea dont skip the test , it does suck , i had to do it with one of my children too but you may have gestational diabetes and if you do they have to monitor you closer and the baby , and your baby will be a lot bigger than an average one. so its very important to have the test done, just stick threw it , it will be the last one you have to do.

Answer 20

It's for the baby's own good. Call them and ask if you have to sit there for three hours. Pretend you're on a flight across the country - what would you do? Read a book for crying out loud, it won't kill you.



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Answer 21

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Answer 22

3 Hour Gestational Diabetes Test

Answer 23

no, no , no , no.... do you know what happens to the baby when you have elevated blood sugar? The unbilical cord is weakend by it and the baby gets less oxygen, baby ends up really BIG, and it can induce other problems. I had to do the 3 hour and it was HELL but worth it. please do it. I took my small portible dvd player and a few movies and a book to read. Take a pillow to sleep too LOL

Answer 24

Uh no, we all had to do it. This is part of being pregnant. Suck it up! Take a book, take your laptop, take a portable DVD player, take your mp3 player.

Yes you have to sit for 3 hours. I drank a lot of water, read my book, napped a bit, walked around for a bit, you do what you have to do to take care of your child.



Just do it...

Answer 25

You need the test for the baby. Don't skip it! Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your child even if it means you're uncomfortable with it... get used to it... this is only the beginning!

Answer 26

don't skip the test u need to know ur levels for ur and ur baby's safety!

I had to take the 3 hr too, dreading but worth it

Answer 27

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