I Failed My One Hour Glucose Test

Right around my 28th week of pregnancy I took the one hour glucose tolerance test (GTT) to check for Gestational Diabetes. A lot of women dread this test because of the tasty orange drink (sense the sarcasm?), or Glucola, that needs to be consumed before a blood draw. Personally, I don't mind the orange drink. It is overloaded with sugar and doesn't make you feel the best, but it beats the taste of Pepto bismol in my book! Really, I think it tastes like flat orange soda with extra sugar added.

With my first pregnancy, I passed the GTT with flying colors. Not so much this time around. The day of the test I consumed a lot of sugar. My pregnant mind was craving sugary sweets well before I needed to drink the Glucola. For breakfast I had an icing covered donut with a sugary coffee. then I ate a full candy bar, and for lunch I had a Chimichanga that was loaded with sugar and carbs. These were not my finest moments, but for some reason on that day, I decided to give into my cravings. I prepared for the glucose tolerance test and drank the Glucola an hour before my appointment.

I went in a little nervous that what I ate would affect the results, but other women had told me that what I ate would not. Boy, were they wrong! I failed my one hour glucose test. At first my doctor said that my levels were "a little elevated". Little did I know, that later I would find out I failed miserably.

I ended up taking the three hour glucose test with 14 hours of fasting before hand and passed it with flying colors. My levels were wonderful and the test proved I didn't have Gestational Diabetes. The three hour test is a lot like the one hour test, except that you fast for 10-14 hours before hand, get your blood drawn, drink the Glucola, then have your blood drawn every hour for three hours afterwards. Because it is a fasting test, it is much more accurate. My doctor told me later that she was almost surprised that my test results came back so good because of how bad my results were with my first test.

She then told me what other women did not; that my results were affected by what I ate that day. When I explained what I had consumed, she laughed and said she now understood why I failed.

Lesson Learned: Do not load up on sugar before a glucose test