The Diabetes Manager

Posts Tagged ‘testing for gestational diabetes’

One of the scary things about being pregnant is that you have to take a seemingly unending variety of tests to monitor your health and the health of your baby.   When you are about 24 weeks pregnant, you will need testing for gestational diabetes.  Although your blood sugar is a tiny, it can knock you and your baby down fast if it’s too much or too little.  Even if you do not have diabetes, you still need testing for gestational diabetes.

Risk Factors

You might be advised to get testing for gestational diabetes earlier if you are considered a high-risk candidate for gestational diabetes.This includes all women over 25; all overweight women at the time of the pregnancy: anyone with a family history of gestational diabetes; if you are of Latino, Native American, African or Asian decent.  Sometimes, even women who are low-risk candidates may still be advised to get testing for gestational diabetes.  It all depends on your particular circumstance.

Glucose Tolerance Tests

There are two types of testing for gestational diabetes, but both of them test your blood sugar levels.  They are commonly known as glucose tolerance tests.  They are similar to diabetes tests given for Type 2 diabetes.  They are outpatient tests that may be done in the hospital or in your doctor’s office, depending on your circumstance.

One type of testing for gestational diabetes is called the glucose challenge screening.  You drink an incredibly sugary beverage and then your blood is drawn an hour later to see how your blood sugar is able to handle this massive glucose dose.  Getting nausea after drinking the liquid is normal.  You don’t have to fast or do any special preparation for this.

Since this kind of testing for gestational diabetes is not always accurate, don’t be surprised if you are asked to do a back up test if your doctor is in any doubt.  This is called the three hour glucose tolerance test.  And yes, it takes a lot more out of your day than the previous testing for gestational diabetes.

For this test, you have to fast overnight.  Check with your doctor for specific lengths of time, but usually it’s ten hours.  You then drink the sickly sweet drink.  Your blood is drawn after one hour, then two hours, then three hours and the results are looked at closely.  This is a far more accurate way for your doctor to get the gestational diabetes information he or she needs about you.  Although it might take a long time, it’s worth it and lets you get used to hospitals.

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First off, there are many women who have both gestational diabetes and a delivery that winds up being normal.  But this doesn’t always happen.   When things are a bit panicky at the hospital, be sure everyone you bump into knows you have gestational diabetes.  Delivery methods may rest on that knowledge.   Each woman is different.But you should at least expect that with gestational diabetes, delivery by Cesarean or chemically induced labor may be recommended.

Communication Key

Both gestational diabetes and delivery of a baby can be scary.  Put together, they can rattle anyone’s nerves.  But you need to keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your doctor or obstetrician.  You also need to go through any testing for gestational diabetes which usually happens at your 24th to 28th week.This helps everyone be prepared.  You also need to let your doctor know if you think your baby’s weight has suddenly decreased.

And, during labor, delivery and recovery time, your blood sugar levels will be monitored.Each woman recovers from gestational diabetes and delivery at different speeds.  The baby’s heart rate (inside of you and outside of you) will also be closely monitored.  Your baby will also be checked for normal blood sugar levels, as well as other things like calcium.

Factors To Consider

If your doctor or obstetrician makes the decision to induce an early labor, this isn’t just for convenience.  There are many factors taken into consideration for your best interests and the baby’s best interests.  One of these factors is how steady your blood sugar is during your pregnancy.  Another factor is how big your baby is.  A really big baby, even born a couple of weeks early, isn’t at much risk if the mother’s health is on the line.

You need to get an ultrasound to determine just how big the fetus is.  You may need to take insulin injections if the baby is huge.  You also need to get amniotic fluid testing for a variety of other possible conditions.  Basically, during your pregnancy, expect going to one medical test after another for a long time. 

But, even though you probably feel like a cog in the maternity machine, your case will still be treated as unique and not automatically shoved into a compartment treatment.So, if you are advised to get an induced or C-section, you can know that there is a very good reason for the suggestion.

Go here for more about diabetes symptoms and diabetic meal plan.