3 hour glucose test?

Question

i had the 1 hour test done last month. yesterday my doctor told me it came up to 170, where it should have came to 140. now he wants me to do the 3 hour test.
he told me most of the time the 3 hour will come out negative.. I am hoping it will. he told me if it's still postive, 1. baby could be premature, 2. we could have complications, or 3. baby could grow too big.. has anybody had this test the 2nd time. what procedure is expected? and does it really come out negative the 2nd time (mostly)? i know everybody is different. i'm just a little worried about the results.

thank you.

Answer 1

Most women who fail the one hour test do go on to pass the three hour glucose tolerance test. The procedure is different in that the three hour test is a fasting test. You usually (preferably!) take it first thing in the morning, so that for most of your fasting hours you were asleep anyway; the drink is generally a lot worse than the one you drink in the first test (it's twice as sweet); personally, I didn't have any problems downing the stuff for the first test, but between the empty stomach and the sweetness of the second one I felt very sick. I also got very lightheaded and exhausted -- like a huge sugar high that lasted for a second and a half, and then a huge crash. In any event, blood is drawn before you drink the glycol solution, 1 hour after you drink it, 2 hours after you drink it, and 3 hours after you drink it. Bring a book.

If your levels are too high in any 2 (or more) of the 4 blood samples, you will be diagnosed as having gestational diabetes. If you are, you may well be able to control it with diet alone. I had to take insulin because my fasting levels were what was high -- and, as the phrase would suggest, the fasting levels aren't going to be sensitive to changes in what you eat. Checking my sugars and taking the insulin were not a problem. Just a pain because it happened around the holidays!

To be honest, while it sounds like your doctor wants you to know it can be serious, it sounds to me like he wasn't fair in what he told you -- yes there are risks with gestational diabetes, but as I said, it can be controlled. The whole point is to catch it early so you CAN control it. IF you are diagnosed with GD, I strongly urge you to have your OB refer you to an endocrinologist -- they have the expertise to deal with this. Your OB (sorry, I don't care how often he sees GD) does not have that expertise.

One of the most common risks associated with GD is "big babies" -- that's because, when you have GD, your body is producing insulin but the insulin is not lowering your glucose levels, and your baby is getting more glucose than it needs. In response, your baby makes more insulin to lower its own glucose levels...so the baby gets more energy than it needs, and the extra is stored as fat.

I hope this has helped and not frightened you! The bottom line is that gestational diabetes is not without risk, but the key is in catching and treating the GD. IF you are diagnosed with it, it is NOT the end of the world. Not at all. See an endocrinologist and have her/him treat you for GD throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. And you may well not have it: chances are good you'll "pass" the three hour test. Just be prepared to be sick from that drink!

Best of luck.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

I was made to take the 3-hour test when the first one came out too high.

It was difficult for me because I had to fast all that morning, drink that sugary drink and then come back on the hour for the next 3 hours. I was woozy and weak by the time it was all done. But the test results came out ok - no gestational diabetes.

Even when I'm not pregnant I tend to have low blood sugar, especially when I go for a while without eating, so I think this is what made my first test result so high.

Hopefully the same is true for you. But even if you do have gestational diabetes, the outlooks for you and baby are great if you take special care and follow the doctors advice.

congrats on your pregnancy!

Answer 5

Both of my pregnancies I ended up having to do the 3 hour test, as did a few of my friends. We were all ok. Just relax. Are you taking your vitamins? Watching what you eat? Exercising, even if walking? It was just a long day since I could not eat and was hungry! It was not bad though. Just relax. Thank god we have tests like this that can determine problems early on and not after they cannot be treated. Keep us posted!

Answer 6

I had the 3 hour done as well. I hate the drink, but the needles are so much worse. They took my blood 3 times, I thiought I was gonna die. Good thing though, the 3 hour came up negative so everything is fine. Good luck, it isn't that bad. I'm just a wussy.

Answer 7

I took the glucose test twice. But I was told that everything was fine. I don't remember taking a 3 hr. glucose test. Don't worry too much. You'll be fine. CONGRATULATIONS!