Glucose Testing and Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy Glucose Testing: This information may help you decide whether or not you feel this routine screening is necessary for your pregnancy. You will be asked for this screening to be done between 24 and 28 weeks.

You'll be given a sugar solution that contains 50 grams of sugar.  It tastes like extra sweetened soda pop, and you need to drink it within five minutes.
An hour later a blood sample will be taken from your arm to check your blood sugar level. The idea is to see how efficiently your body processes sugar. If the reading is too high, which happens 15 to 23 percent of the time, your practitioner will have you come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see whether you really do have gestational diabetes.  Most women whose screening test shows elevated blood sugar don't turn out to have gestational diabetes.

Potential side effects of this test:  Nausea, vomiting, headache, tiredness, achy body, shakiness, some women have reported not feeling fetal movement the day after (crash after high sugar intake?)

If the test is postitive, care providers will monitor the baby carefully and have you on a strict diet that mirrors the Brewer pregnancy diet, as well as a prescription for regular physical exercise, which we have all been doing or have started doing ;)

Gestational Diabetes:

Studies show about 4% of pregnant women have gestational diabetes.  Your chances of getting gestational diabetes may increase if you can say yes to any of the following :

• I am overweight.
• I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
• My family background is African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, or Pacific Islander.
• I'm 25 years old or older.
• I've had gestational diabetes before, or I've had a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds at birth.
• My blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes (a condition called pre-diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, or impaired glucose tolerance).

If the test is postitive, care providers will monitor the baby carefully and have you on a strict diet that mirrors the brewer pregnancy diet, as well as a prescription for regular physical exercise, which we have all been, doing or have started doing ;)

Usually there are no symptoms, or the symptoms are mild and not life threatening to the pregnant woman. The blood sugar (glucose) level usually returns to normal after delivery. 

There are increased possibilities of having a large baby, and the baby being in harm due to extremely low glucose levels.  There is also an increased risk of stillbirth.

Symptoms for Mother may include:

• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Frequent infections, including those of the bladder, vagina, and skin
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss despite increased appetite