Glucose Screening Test (Pregnancy Sugar Test)

     Between weeks 24- 28 of pregnancy it's standard to get a glucose screening test done. The test checks for gestational diabetes; diabetes that begins or is found during pregnancy. A woman can develop diabetes while pregnant and the diabetes can either wane off after pregnancy or continue. Kind of weird but I guess it one of the many changes that can occur with pregnancy; as if there wasn't enough to worry about.
     Anyhow, when I was about 25 weeks pregnant I went in for the glucose screening. My doctor instructed me not to eat or drink anything prior to the test (water was ok). My test was scheduled for the morning (9:30 am) so that I could come in soon after waking up. I was given a sugary drink when I arrived.

You're instructed to drink it within 10 minutes and report back on when I was done. They then have you sit for an hour. You're not supposed to eat or drink anything as it can taint the results. After the hour is up, your blood is taken and then sent to a lab to test the amout of sugar on the blood. If the levels come back high then there's a chance the mother developed gestational diabetes and a second, longer test is ordered. The second test is a three hour test. It's similar to the one hour except that you repeat the cycle and have to drink the glucose drink, sit, give blood, sit more, drink another glucose drink, wait more, give blood agajn, etc.

     I was worried about the test because I heard the drink is terrible and some people can't hold it down. I was worried I'd vomit and be instructed to come back another time to be retested. Actually the drink wasn't too bad in taste. It was like an in carbonated very sweet orange drink. It's given to you cold which helps. I found that as I got half way through the bottle the taste seemed more sugary and gross. But not too bad. I finished it in about 7minutes. After about 10 minutes the sugary taste was still stuck in my mouth and I wished for water. Then I started feeling a bit nauseated. Apparently it's one of man y possible side effects; see the bottle:

     The hour went by slowly and I was dying for some water to kill the sugary taste in my mouth but I stuck it out. After the hour was up, they drew some blood and I was free to leave. I was told the results take a few days and they'd call if anything was up or if they need to re-test.

 

     As I left the office the nausea seemed to get worse and I regretted going to the appointment alone. Motion make the nausea worse. As time went on I was feeling worse and I began to shake uncontrollably. I had a quick taco and that helped calm the shakes but I still felt off. I could feel the large amounts of sugar in my system and as my body tired to process it I felt extremely weak. I continued to feel this way for the rest of the day. NOT FUN. It's a good thing I didn't need to go back to work after the glucose test because I couldn't have done it. I was so weak and sick feeling that I took a two hour mid day nap. It helped a little but it wasn't until hours later and after lots of carb foods that I felt better. My advise to anyone that needs to do this test:

1.  plan to make a day of it. Everyone responds differently but it seems a number of people get sick during or after the test so if you can afford a day off of work- take it just in case.
2. relax, lay down and just wait it out. Time seems to be the only thing that helps.
3. try to get some carbs in your stomach; I don't know why but it seems to help.

     As for my results, I haven't heard anything back so I assume they were fine. I'm sure if there was any indication of possible diabetes I would have been called to schedule the 3 hour test.

Yeay! Another baby-related test passed with flying colors.