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Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: how to prepare for a "sugar test" to get an informative result

A woman during childbearing has to take a lot of tests. This is necessary to make sure that everything is in order with the fetus and the expectant mother, the development of the baby is normal. One of these tests is the Pregnancy Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) to determine glycemia, which must be taken after special training. Pregnant women need to know what this analysis is for and what its results mean.

What is a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy

The full name of the test is the oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy (OGTT). It is carried out by taking blood from a vein. Its purpose is to determine the violation of carbohydrate metabolism in the mother. The test shows how much a woman's body is able to control the level of sugar in the blood plasma. If the indicator exceeds the norm, then the woman is given a disappointing diagnosis - gestational diabetes mellitus.

Why do you need

This disease can develop in pregnant women. Bearing a child provokes many changes: metabolic disorders, hormonal changes in the body. Pregnancy can trigger a malfunction of the adrenal glands - the organ that is responsible for the production of insulin. Since gestational diabetes occurs without symptoms, a test is necessary to identify the disease, otherwise complications may begin.

Required or not

Sometimes pregnant women ask: is it necessary to carry out this oral test, because this is an extra discomfort. The glucose tolerance test during pregnancy can be waived. However, the expectant mother must understand that in this way she endangers her unborn child. Doctors strongly recommend to endure the analysis to make sure that there is no gestational diabetes. A woman should know that the test itself is safe for her health and the health of her child.

At what time

A blood test for glucose during pregnancy is performed once. The test is taken between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The optimal period is 24-26 weeks, but it can be done a little later. If the result turned out to be disappointing, then the study is carried out again in the 3rd trimester for 32 weeks. If a woman is already at risk for gestational diabetes, then she will have to take the test twice:

  • when registering in a antenatal clinic;
  • between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy.

How to donate blood for glucose during pregnancy

The test is carried out once for the entire period of pregnancy, with the exception of special cases. The expectant mother must follow all the rules for taking the glucose tolerance test, otherwise the result will be erroneous. If a woman was nervous the day before, then it is better for her to calm down and postpone the test, if possible for a few days. The test is safe, the amount of sugar that needs to be consumed is equal to a dinner with a high carbohydrate content.

Training

Before the test, a pregnant woman must follow some rules in order to get a true result. She should not be on a diet three days before the test, on the contrary, she should eat 150 g of carbohydrates per day. During these, she should temporarily stop taking the vitamin and glucocorticoids. For 8-12 hours before the test, you can not eat anything, so the test is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach. The amount of water is not limited.

How is it carried out

A glucose test during pregnancy is carried out in two stages. The first time a blood sample is taken on an empty stomach. If everything is in order, then the woman needs to pass the second stage of the analysis. To do this, she needs to drink a solution of glucose. It is done as follows: 75 grams of glucose in the form of a powder is diluted in 200-300 ml of pure non-carbonated water. The drink turns out to be very sweet, sometimes pregnant women feel sick and want to vomit. Unpleasant sensations need to be overcome, for this it is recommended not to drink a glucose solution in one gulp.

After the drink to increase the concentration of glucose in the blood is drunk, the woman should wait an hour or two. At this time, it is forbidden to walk, actively move. The mother-to-be should be at rest. Recommended to sit and read. As soon as the time is up, the doctor takes a second blood sample from the vein and performs an analysis. After that, the woman waits for the result and goes to her gynecologist.

Contraindications

Sometimes a woman is denied a glucose tolerance test. This happens for a number of reasons:

  • a recent infectious or inflammatory disease;
  • nervousness, stress;
  • bed rest;
  • severe toxicosis;
  • with exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis;
  • non-compliance with the established rules for the analysis.

Norms of glucose tolerance test for pregnant women

At the first blood sampling, the result should not exceed 5.1 mmol / l. If the indicator is higher, then this indicates a positive result. The second time to donate blood for glucose during pregnancy is no longer required. A woman is diagnosed with a violation of sugar tolerance, i.e. diagnosed with gestational diabetes. If the test shows less than this mark, then a second blood sample is taken after the sugar load. In this case, the rate is considered to be equal to or less than 10.0 mmol / g.

The price of a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy

A glucose tolerance test during pregnancy is done free of charge at the antenatal clinic, in which a pregnant woman is observed. If the expectant mother does not have the opportunity to undergo a study there, or for some reason she does not want to do it there, then she can apply to a paid medical laboratory. The cost of the test is different, for example, in Moscow or St. Petersburg, the price ranges from 350 rubles to 14 thousand.

Video

Under normal conditions, the thyroid gland produces a sufficient amount of the hormone insulin, the main function of which is to reduce the concentration of glucose (dextrose, a natural monosaccharide). In pregnant women, this organ works for wear and tear, producing the hormones necessary for the normal course of pregnancy, so the sugar level rises, which can lead to diabetes. The oral glucose tolerance test (GTT, OGTT, OGTT) is an important study that can detect a dangerous disease, often in a latent form. Why and how is it carried out? How to decipher the results and what to do if deviations from the norm are detected?

When and why is GTT prescribed?

A high concentration of glucose negatively affects the health of the mother and child. According to statistics, every third woman who is diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy has a miscarriage. Pathology causes vascular damage, which leads to placental insufficiency and fetal hypoxia. In the later stages, it threatens with intrauterine death.

The disease often provokes the development of preeclampsia - a pathological condition in which the functions of the vital systems of a woman's body are disrupted. It occurs due to insufficient production of hormones as a result of damage to the ovaries. Diabetes increases the risk of urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, which affects the kidneys of the expectant mother.

Due to the negative impact of a high concentration of glucose in the blood, more than half of pregnant women with this endocrine pathology are diagnosed with polyhydramnios - an excess of amniotic fluid. It poses a risk due to the risk of hypoxia, fetal growth retardation, preterm labor and placental abruption. Due to the high content of sugar in the blood, the baby is gaining excessive weight, which greatly complicates delivery. Often the newborn has incorrect body proportions, difficulty breathing, jaundice.

At the initial stage, diabetes is latent. To avoid the terrible consequences that can develop against the background of pathology, pregnant women need to donate blood to determine glucose tolerance. This allows you to assess the level of its digestibility by the body.

The study is mandatory shown to women at risk:

  • obese;
  • having close relatives with diabetes;
  • faced with the disease during previous pregnancies;
  • in which a high concentration of monosaccharide in the blood was detected in the early stages;
  • who gave birth to a child over 4 kg in the past;
  • with hypertension;
  • celebrating their 30th anniversary;
  • having endocrine disorders;
  • with an increased concentration of glucose in the urine;
  • who had complications in previous pregnancies (miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death, polyhydramnios).

To detect diabetes, including latent diabetes, in the presence of predisposing factors, OGTT is performed at 16–18 weeks. Until this time, the disease is usually not detected. An exception is the appearance of dextrose in the urine, then glucose tolerance is determined from the 12th week.

A study of all pregnant women is carried out at week 26 (plus or minus 2 weeks), women at risk are re-analyzed at this time. GTT can be prescribed later, but only up to 32 weeks, since monosaccharide loading can be dangerous for the baby.

Contraindications to the appointment of a glucose tolerance test

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Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy has a number of contraindications:

  1. diseases of the digestive tract, in which there is an accelerated movement of undigested food masses from the stomach into the intestines;
  2. infectious or inflammatory processes;
  3. glucose intolerance;
  4. toxicosis, accompanied by vomiting;
  5. diseases of the pancreas in the acute stage;
  6. the need for complete physical rest.

Study preparation

In order for the results of the glucose test to be as informative as possible, preparation is necessary before taking the analysis, which consists in observing a number of rules. You need to prepare in advance. 3 days before the analysis refuse sweet and fatty. Starving is not recommended, it will be correct to stick to the usual diet. The last meal, taken 8–12 hours before the test, includes 30–50 g of carbohydrates (150 g of rice, 200 g of potatoes, 100 g of bread). After that, only water is allowed, so the study is scheduled for the morning.

If a pregnant woman takes any medications or vitamins, with the permission of the attending physician, their intake is temporarily stopped. Half an hour before testing for glucose tolerance, any physical activity is excluded, since energy consumption reduces the level of monosaccharide. Stress has the opposite effect on the body, so you need to come to the test being in a stable emotional state.

Order of procedure

A glucose test during pregnancy begins with blood sampling from a vein. Thus determine the control level of monosaccharide. If it is above the limit value, the test is terminated. In other cases, a woman is given to drink a solution containing 75 grams of glucose, which is diluted with 250 ml of water. It is taken orally for 5 minutes. Many people experience nausea afterwards. To prevent it, the drink can be diluted with citric acid or eat a slice of lemon.

60 minutes after the start of the use of a sweet liquid, the blood is donated again. If the figure exceeds the threshold value, the study is stopped. Otherwise, the biomaterial is given again after 2 hours after the use of the dextrose solution. Some laboratories take samples not 2, but 4 times every 30 minutes, but this practice is less common.

Deciphering the results of the analysis

The interpretation of the glucose tolerance test is given in the table:

The diagnosis is made only after a repeated study. Another dextrose tolerance test should be done in 2 weeks. This is due to the possibility of obtaining incorrect results due to non-compliance with the rules for preparing for the analysis. Gestational diabetes mellitus is a pathology characterized by an increase in the concentration of a monosaccharide compared to the norm, which occurs during the gestation period and, if taken care of, disappears after childbirth.

Pathology is observed in 4 pregnant women out of 100, in 10–15% of cases it flows into type 2 diabetes. In the long term (10–12 years), it is diagnosed in half of the women who experience the gestational form of the disease.

Manifest diabetes mellitus (clinically obvious) is first detected during pregnancy and does not go away after childbirth. In half of the cases, it adversely affects the functioning of the kidneys of a pregnant woman and leads to hypertension. Significantly increases the risk of miscarriage, the occurrence of violations in the development of the baby and complications in childbirth.

What to do if deviations from the norm are detected?

Abnormalities detected using a glucose tolerance test, indicating the development of the disease, require a mandatory consultation with a doctor who will give further recommendations on diagnostic measures, treatment and nutrition. You will have to visit the endocrinologist every 2 weeks, in difficult cases - more often. Since diabetes often leads to damage to the retina, it is necessary to monitor its condition, for which regular examinations are carried out by an ophthalmologist.

It is necessary to independently monitor the level of sugar at home using test strips or special devices - glucometers. Measurements are carried out 4-6 times a day in the morning upon awakening and after meals. It is also necessary to regularly take a urine test for ketones. Exceeding the values ​​​​of this indicator may indicate uncompensated diabetes - a condition that causes intoxication and can lead to dangerous consequences.

To reduce the level of monosaccharide and prevent its growth, a pregnant woman must adhere to a special diet. You need to eat in small portions every 3-4 hours. Exclude foods containing easily digestible carbohydrates: white bread, pasta, sugar, sweets, pastries, lemonade, sweet fruits. Fatty foods are prohibited: butter, mayonnaise, cream, lard, nuts. The diet should contain lean meats and fish, vegetables (carrots, cabbage, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers), milk, cheeses and cereals. The drinking regimen provides for the use of 2 liters of plain water per day.

Physical activity helps to reduce sugar levels, as it is a source of energy for muscles, and also increases insulin sensitivity. Walking in the fresh air, swimming, yoga, gymnastics not only improve well-being and saturate the body with oxygen, but also lead to increased consumption of glucose. Since emotional stress increases the concentration of sugar, you should try to avoid stressful situations.

Usually, with a disease of the gestational type, insulin therapy is not prescribed - it can be adjusted while observing the rules of nutrition and physical activity. With overt diabetes, treatment depends on the stage of the pathology. If, after 14 days, blood glucose remains at the same level or increases, insulin injections are given. In severe cases, hospitalization is required. With a threat to the life of the fetus or the development of dangerous complications, a caesarean section is prescribed.

Pregnancy is a difficult period for any woman's body.

When carrying a fetus in the body of a future mother, simply “revolutionary” changes occur, the development of which can influence absolutely all processes occurring in tissues and organs.

Under the influence of hormonal changes, organ systems begin to work more actively in order to provide decent living conditions not only for a woman, but also for a future baby.

Often such changes are provoked. To control the situation, the expectant mother can be sent to undergo additional studies, one of which is.

The glucose tolerance test is one of the studies that allows you to get the most accurate result and finally confirm or refute.

It lasts about 2 hours, during which the woman every 30 minutes.

Specialists take biomaterial before and after the moment, which makes it possible to obtain detailed information about the change in indicators. Like many others, this type of procedure requires a thorough one.

The reason for such strict requirements is the moment that changes under the influence of various external factors, as a result of which it is impossible to obtain a reliable result without carrying out.

By excluding extraneous influence, specialists will be able to obtain accurate data on how exactly the cells will respond to the glucose that enters the body.

Glucose tolerance test - how to prepare for a pregnant woman?

As you know, the glucose tolerance test is taken strictly on an empty stomach, so it is strictly forbidden to eat on the morning of blood sampling.

Meals must be stopped 8-12 hours before the arrival at the laboratory. If you are more than 12 hours, you risk getting, which will also be a distorted indicator, with which it will not be possible to compare all subsequent results.

What can not eat and drink before the test?

So, as we said above, it is important to follow a diet.

  • roast;
  • fatty;
  • spicy and salty delicacies;
  • smoked meats;
  • sweet drinks (juices, Coca-Cola, Fanta and others).

However, this does not mean that a woman should be completely excluded and starve.

Eating only low-fat foods or malnutrition will have the opposite effect of low glycemic levels.

Make sure that the amount of carbohydrates absorbed is at least 150 g per day and approximately 30-50 g at the last meal.

What can you eat and drink?

To maintain the level of sugar at a stable level, eliminating its jumps, the presence in the basis of the diet will help:

  • boiled and low fat;
  • weak herbal tea.

It is advisable to include the listed products in the diet for a couple of days, making them the main ones in your menu.

Their slow assimilation will contribute to the gradual penetration of glucose into the blood, as a result of which the sugar level will be kept at about the same level during the entire preparation period.

On the morning before the test, as well as in the periods between sampling, you can not eat anything! The analysis is carried out strictly on an empty stomach. If you eat even foods that are healthy for diabetics, your sugar level will rise, which will distort the result.

What else needs to be considered before donating blood for sugar?

In addition to correctly selected products and a well-organized diet, it is equally important to observe some other simple rules, ignoring which will negatively affect the result of the study.

So, if you are, follow these rules:

  • if you were nervous the day before, postpone the study for a couple of days. distort the hormonal background, which in turn can provoke either an increase or decrease in glucose levels;
  • you should not take a test after an x-ray, as well as during a cold;
  • if possible, you should exclude the use of medicines containing, as well as beta-blockers, beta-adrenomimetic and. If you can't live without them, take the right medications as soon as you finish testing;
  • before you go to the laboratory, do not brush your teeth or freshen your breath with chewing gum. They also contain sugar, which instantly penetrates into the bloodstream. As a result, you will receive initially incorrect data;
  • if you have severe toxicosis, be sure to warn your doctor about it. In this case, you do not have to drink a glucose solution, the taste of which can only aggravate the condition. The composition will be administered to you intravenously, which will exclude the appearance.

During the test, you will have to stay in the clinic for about 2 hours. Therefore, take care in advance about what exactly you will be doing during these hours. You can take with you a magazine, an electronic game and any other kind of quiet entertainment. Until the end of testing, it is desirable to maintain a sitting position.

In some publications, you can see the following advice: “If there is a park or square near the laboratory, you can walk around its territory in between blood sampling.” Such a recommendation is considered incorrect by most experts, since any one can help reduce blood sugar levels.

But it is important for specialists to see what exactly the reaction of the pancreas will be without the influence of third-party factors. Therefore, in order to avoid errors in the results, it is better not to neglect the previously established rule.

When should I take a glucose tolerance test?

The glucose tolerance test is carried out in the morning and always on an empty stomach.

According to experts, it is at this time that the patient is easiest to endure a long hunger strike due to hours of night sleep.

Theoretically, subject to the correct observance of the preparation rules, you can take the test at any time of the day.

But, taking into account the fact of convenience, most medical centers still take blood for analysis from patients in the morning.

Useful video

How to properly prepare for a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy:

Competent preparation for the glucose tolerance test is the key to the correct result and the correct diagnosis.

The study of the dynamics of indicators during the testing process makes it possible not only to confirm, but also to identify less large-scale pathologies associated with impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

For the entire period of pregnancy, a woman undergoes many different examinations, and one of them is a glucose tolerance test or “sugar load”. During pregnancy, this type of examination allows you to identify not only diabetes mellitus, but also a tendency to develop it. Who is assigned the analysis and what do its indicators say?

A glucose tolerance test during pregnancy scares many women, because few people know why it is carried out and what it shows. Glucose tolerance test allows the doctor to intervene in a timely manner in the current situation and take appropriate measures to eliminate a possible threat. A sugar load is carried out during pregnancy for every woman. GTT (glucose tolerance test) allows you to determine how sugar is absorbed in the body, and whether there are violations in these processes.

During pregnancy, metabolic reactions in the female body change, which can lead to the development of a disease such as diabetes mellitus. Therefore, all women in the position are at risk. This type of disease is not dangerous and disappears after childbirth. However, without maintenance therapy, there is a risk for the expectant mother and her fetus that the disease will go into a manifest form (the second stage of diabetes).

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy must be done with:

  • obesity
  • dysfunction of the adrenal glands or pancreas;
  • endocrine ailments;
  • suspected gestational diabetes;
  • prediabetes.

A glucose tolerance test can also be done for self-monitoring purposes. To carry out the analysis, you will need a portable biochemical blood analyzer or a glucometer. The home glucose test is subject to some degree of error because it analyzes whole blood. Therefore, the results of a portable analyzer test and a laboratory test of venous blood will differ.

However, a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy is not indicated for everyone. Up to 32 weeks, the test is not dangerous for either the woman or the fetus. Analysis after the specified period is contraindicated. Also, GTT is not carried out when:

  • individual glucose intolerance;
  • Crohn's disease;
  • Cushing's disease;
  • acromegaly;
  • peptic ulcer;
  • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Conducting principle

How is a glucose tolerance test done during pregnancy? For analysis, blood is taken from a vein. You need to donate blood on an empty stomach. The glucose tolerance test is quite capricious, because a number of factors affect its result. Before blood sampling, it is recommended to exclude the use of medications, which include sugar, beta-blocking, beta-adrenergic agonists and glucocorticosteroids.

Preparation for analysis also implies a dietary restriction. The daily rate of carbohydrates is 150 g. 10-12 hours before blood sampling, it is allowed to drink only water without gas. 24 hours before the test, physical and emotional stress should be limited. Infectious diseases (colds, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, influenza, tonsillitis) can also affect the test results.

The glucose tolerance test is complex and multi-stage. The analysis takes about 2 hours. This is due to the fact that the level of glucose in the blood is unstable. To get a reliable primary indicator, blood must be taken in the early morning on an empty stomach.

The second stage is blood sampling with a load of glucose. After 5-7 minutes, a sweet solution is injected intravenously into the woman or she is invited to drink "glucose syrup". Intravenous solution is administered very slowly. A special 50% glucose solution is sold at any pharmacy. When taken orally, 250 ml of sweet warm water is drunk, containing 75 g of glucose. Carrying out a glucose load at home is prohibited. The glucose solution is sugary sweet, so a pregnant woman can feel sick. With severe toxicosis, a glucose tolerance test is not performed.

At the final stage, several blood samplings are carried out. The first sampling is carried out after 1 hour, the second after 2 hours and the third after 3 hours. This is necessary in order to check for fluctuations in blood glucose.

A glucose tolerance test is taken between the 24th and 26th week of the term. However, if a woman is at particular risk, then the test is carried out at an earlier date in the period from 16 to 18 weeks.

Interpretation of results

The norm of the test for glucose tolerance in pregnant women is increased. This is necessary for the normal development of the child. But still there are indicators that are considered critical. Doctors diagnose diabetes mellitus if a blood test exceeds the following:

  • 5.1 mmol / l - when taking venous blood on an empty stomach;
  • 10 mmol / l - when taking venous blood 60 minutes after a glucose load;
  • 8.6 mmol / l - when taking venous blood 120 minutes after a glucose load;
  • 7.8 mmol / l - when taking venous blood 180 minutes after the glucose load.

If the first indicator showed a high level of glucose, then the pregnant woman is assigned a second analysis on another day. If the result of the analysis is repeated, then the woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. If the doctor has suspicions of diabetes, but the indicators are normal, then the woman will have to undergo a re-examination after 14 days in order to exclude erroneous results.

Diabetes can be asymptomatic, and the pregnant woman may not even be aware of the disease. With the progression of the disease, severe thirst, hunger, frequent and abundant emptying of the bladder, blurred vision may appear. With gestational diabetes, a pregnant woman is prescribed a special diet that excludes "simple" carbohydrates (sweets, jams, sweets) and limits the use of "complex" carbohydrates. Moderate exercise is also considered beneficial. They increase the supply of oxygen to the blood. Daily exercise helps to use up excess sugar in the blood.

If diet and exercise fail, doctors prescribe insulin. But before that, an additional ultrasound examination is prescribed for the pregnant woman. Childbirth is usually scheduled for 37-38 weeks.

With the diagnosis of "diabetes mellitus", the test is also prescribed after childbirth. This is necessary in order to establish its root cause and find out whether the disease is related to pregnancy.

Reasons for incorrect results

Glucose tolerance tests done at home or in the laboratory can give a false negative or false positive result. Why is this happening. There are several reasons. A false negative indicator can be observed when:

  • malabsorption, that is, sugar did not enter the bloodstream in sufficient quantities;
  • a hypocaloric diet, when a woman exhausted herself with a strict diet before the appointed procedure and did not consume enough carbohydrates with food;
  • increased physical activity, which always lowers blood sugar levels.

A false-positive indicator, that is, a high level of glucose in the blood, can be observed after prolonged fasting or while observing bed rest.

Glucose tolerance test pursues exclusively good goals. Do not be afraid of a positive result. Subject to medical recommendations, the disease does not pose a danger to the health of the baby.

The longer the gestation period, the more various examinations expectant mothers have to undergo. After the 30th week, you have to go to the clinic regularly, almost like going to work. Examination by a gynecologist and all kinds of tests are becoming a weekly norm, but besides this, what kind of examinations are not prescribed for pregnant women! For example, a glucose tolerance test during pregnancy - what is it?

This is a test that all pregnant women undergo without exception. With its help, you can diagnose diabetes mellitus and even a tendency to it in time. And this, in turn, helps to assess the situation and adjust the management of pregnancy.

Pregnancy is the time when all the sores can come out, all the weaknesses of the expectant mother, because the load on the body as a whole and on each internal organ individually is truly colossal. Gestational diabetes (which did not exist before pregnancy and which arose precisely during this period) is just one of these diseases. It happens quite rarely: official statistics state that such diabetes occurs in no more than 4% of all pregnant women officially registered in clinics.

Why is gestational diabetes so dangerous?

There are real dangers, and very serious ones. If diabetes occurs in early pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage, or provoke the appearance of defects in vital organs, such as the heart and brain, for example. The development of the disease at a later date (second and third trimester) leads to increased growth and weight gain in the fetus. And after childbirth, when the baby stops receiving large amounts of glucose from the mother, he will experience low sugar levels. Diabetic fetopathy appears in a baby if gestational diabetes is not diagnosed in time in his mother. The signs of this disease include the large size of the baby, a disproportionate body, swelling, jaundice, and respiratory disorders.

Who is most likely to develop gestational diabetes?

According to statistics, the following groups are most prone to developing the disease:

  1. Overweight women.
  2. The risk is higher in women of such nationalities as African Americans, Hispanics, Asians.
  3. If the test revealed a violation of the body's tolerance to glucose (diabetes is not diagnosed in this case, but women are classified as a high risk group).
  4. High sugar level in the urine.
  5. hereditary factor. It is for this reason, among other things, that the doctor will definitely ask you about all hereditary diseases in you and your relatives.
  6. Previous births ended with the birth of a large child or a dead one.
  7. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in a previous pregnancy.
  8. Polyhydramnios: the amount of amniotic fluid is significantly higher than normal.

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: timing

The test is usually taken between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. It is best to take it before 26 weeks.

If the preparation for the test was carried out in the wrong way, or the liver fails, or there is a low level of potassium in the body, then false positive results are possible. Therefore, the test will be scheduled again in the very near future, and if it is positive again: there will be no doubts.

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: how long to repeat?

Women with gestational diabetes will have to be tested again 1.5 months after giving birth. This is necessary to establish a link between pregnancy and diabetes: it may not be detected. Childbirth to such expectant mothers is planned for a period of 37-38 weeks.

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: how to prepare

There is no need to prepare for it, except that you do not eat fatty foods the day before and do not engage in excessive physical activity, as this may affect the result. In the morning, you can not drink tea or coffee, and the last meal should take place at least 8 hours before the analysis. We must try to protect ourselves from the slightest stressful situations on the eve of the test and keep our emotional background even. There should be no health complaints, because even a slight runny nose can significantly distort the result. And if you are taking any medications, you must notify your doctor so that he either postpones the test date or adjusts the pill regimen.

How is a glucose tolerance test done during pregnancy?

Blood sampling from a vein is carried out in the morning. Then the woman will need to drink sweet water (quite tolerable in taste) - a glucose solution. After that, the blood will be taken two more times - 1 hour after taking the liquid and after 2. A slight dizziness or even a slight attack of nausea is possible, therefore it is better if you have someone with you for the company, or you should not go for a walk waiting for the next blood test far beyond the clinic.

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: the norm of a blood test from a vein

If everything is in order for a woman, then the level of glucose in the blood should rise quickly and sharply, but after two hours it should reach the initial mark. This is the natural reaction of the body.

The results of the glucose tolerance test during pregnancy:

Glucose tolerance test during pregnancy: reviews

As always, how many people, so many opinions! Someone believes that the test should not be done by everyone, but only to those women who are at risk. Because the load is serious and you should not once again expose your body to stress. Although there are cases when women took the test, without any evidence for it and without relatives of patients with diabetes - and they were diagnosed with gestational diabetes! And thank God, on time - now they are under constant medical supervision and feel much better with the new nutrition system.

Therefore, if you have a question - to do or not to do a glucose tolerance pregnancy test, you better ask yourself - do you trust the doctor or clinic in which you are registered? If not, why did you get up? And if so, why doubt? You definitely need to do it, because God saves the safe, and no one will ever assign loads that harm your baby!

What to do if gestational diabetes is diagnosed

In healthy people, in response to the intake of sugar in the body, a certain dose of insulin is produced, which begins to regulate blood sugar levels. In diabetic patients, the amount of insulin is not enough, therefore, an increased sugar content is observed in the blood.

Expectant mothers, even under the condition of a normal course of pregnancy, are forced to regularly visit a doctor, take tests and undergo various examinations. In the case of a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, you will have to go to the doctor and take tests much more often, because now it has become very important to constantly monitor blood sugar levels. In addition, the doctor will prescribe a special diet for diabetics and recommend special physical activity. In case of urgent need, the doctor may prescribe insulin therapy.

Diet for gestational diabetes

Every pregnant woman should strive for proper nutrition so that the calorie content of food does not exceed the norm (neither the baby nor his mother needs excess weight), and there are enough vitamins and nutrients in it for the normal development of the baby. If the pregnancy goes smoothly, without deviations, you can pamper yourself somewhere, allow yourself something like that. But if a woman is diagnosed with diabetes, the rules get tougher:

  1. Drink at least 1.5 liters per day.
  2. Eliminate fatty, fried, sweet and starchy foods. There should not be any "fast" carbohydrates in the diet.
  3. Eat 5-6 times a day, distributing food as follows: 3 main meals, 2-3 snacks.
  4. Eliminate fast food and any fast food: such food has a glycemic index higher than usual, and this is unacceptable for diabetics!
  5. Eliminate all kinds of ketchups and mayonnaises.
  6. Enrich your diet with fiber. Eat cereals, cereals, durum wheat pasta, vegetables, whole grain breads.
  7. Give preference to lean meat with a minimum fat content: turkey, fish, chicken.

From now on, you should be guided by the glycemic index of products in order to correctly compose your menu for every day. The lower this GI, the better - see the figure.

Summing up

We studied in detail what a glucose tolerance test is during pregnancy, what standards should be in the results of a blood test from a vein. Gestational diabetes is rare but very dangerous. If you diagnose it in time and correctly correct your behavior during pregnancy, then everything will work out. At the same time, you can lose your baby or doom him to a life full of difficulties if you do not recognize the disease in time and take action. Therefore, if the doctor directs you to a glucose tolerance test, do not hesitate, go! It’s better to starve a little and give your body a little shake-up than to blame yourself for the rest of your life for such consequences that it’s even scary to imagine!

Video "My Pregnancy/Gestational Diabetes"