Week 28 of pregnancy is the prime time to take the gestational diabetes test, otherwise known as the sugar test.
The test is a simple blood test to see your blood sugar levels after drinking glucose syrup. This is to make sure your body is metabolizing sugar correctly.
But when you’re pregnant, managing your food intake, between first trimester nausea and third trimester reflux, is a full time job. Try not to worry! Even if you do have gestational diabetes, it can usually be managed with dietary changes. Here’s how it went down.
Lead up to the Sugar Test
After reading some other blog posts on the subject, one of my biggest fears was failing my gestational diabetes test. I have to say that with my sugar intake I was a bit worried.
Anyway, when my doctor gave me the referral to the clinic to get the one-hour glucose test a few weeks ago, the anxiety built for the better part of two weeks before we went in to do it.
Taking the Glucose Test in Mexico
Once there it was pretty much as bad as I expected it would be. I’d been fasting since the night before, and needed to pick up a glucose bottle for the test to be done in our local clinic.
We drove around to 3 pharmacies that didn’t have it, until we finally gave up and went to the big clinic where they have it on hand. Let me just say, by this time, I was really hungry.
I had the first fasting blood test, and then was sent home for 40 minutes. Wanting to stay as far away from the kitchen, and still somehow pass the time, I opted for a morning shower. M was worried I would faint in the shower, but it worked out ok.
So we drove back to the clinic, and I drank a cup of disgusting syrup, and then had to sit around for an hour. The chairs were uncomfortable, there was no wifi, and I was definitely feeling sorry for myself. The only thing that made it better was that with the rush of sugar, at least I didn’t feel like I was going to faint anymore.
Failing the Gestational Diabetes Test
The next day, we picked up the results and I had just barely failed. 🙁 M and I both got into full on research mode of the results, and both concluded independently that I did not have gestational diabetes. At most, I needed to chill out with the sugar. The only fear I had was that the doctor would send me in for the 3 hour test to confirm this; it sounded like complete torture.
By some small miracle, the doctor agreed that I did not have GD and since I am pretty skinny, for the time being I was excused from the extra test. (Fingers crossed he doesn’t change his mind any time soon)! He said to chill on the bread.
And we say: if only he knew, it’s not the bread: it’s the skittles, and melon, and chocolate, and cookies. Chill I will!
What it’s like to be 28 Weeks Pregnant
Not much has changed the last couple of weeks. But I can say, we are preparing for our USA baby gear shopping trip!
Have you taken the Gestational Diabetes test? How did it go?
Update: I consolidated a lot of my best advice for pregnant moms in a one page guide with the best tips to have an easier pregnancy. Drop your email below and I will send it to you!
Alternatively, read the whole long post HERE.
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