question about checking blood sugars...

So I failed my 3 hour glucose test last week and at my OB appt yesterday she got me set up with a glucometer and everything I need to test 4 times a day. She has me testing a "fasting" blood sugar and then she let me choose to do it either 1 hour or 2 hours after meals but I have to pick one and do it the same time the whole time. My question is this: what exactly defines "fasting"? I ask because (as you can tell at the time of this posting it's 2:53 am) sometimes I wake up hungry in the middle of the night and find something for a snack. Should I go ahead and test at that point? Normally I go to bed around 830 or 9 and haven't had anything to eat since around 8 probably. Or should I wait until morning before breakfast and test then even though it will only have been a few hours since I've possibly eaten something?

Just curious how others handled this. Thanks!

 

Usually when we do fasting blood sugars at work we do them half an hour before meals and at bedtime when they want it four times a day. I think that you should stick to taking it at the regular meal times as much as possible and perhpas contact your doctor to clarify what she wants. Best of luck

 

I will going ahead and check with you doc. Also your doc will also set you up with Nutrition classes. But fasting means that you will test first thing in the morning (after you get up) along with testing your Ketone.

I had GD both with DS and now with the twins boys. The blood sugar monitoring will help your baby or babies develop normally. So look at the bright side and just know (all the pricking your fingers and watching your carbs are all for the little ones baking inside.)

Hope that helps.

 

I agree with checking with your doctor, but I thought that fasting meant going a certain period of time with out eating, so I would say if you wake up and eat then by morning you wouldnt have fasted.
My guess is you would check it in middle of the night before you have a snack.
Good luck, and I hope you are able to get it all figured out.
Take care!!

 

See that's what I thought, too, and where my confusion came in.

 

Well. For me I usually check two hours after dinner and then eat my snack. My doc told me as long as there is more than 8 hours before I check for fasting (first thing in the morning).

Hope that helps.

 

Sometimes though if I tested first thing in the morning it wouldn't be a full 8 hours since I've eaten. Sometimes I wake up so hungry in the middle of the night, usually around 3ish. So if I have a snack at 3 am and then test at 7 am when I wake up, it's only been 4 hours. But if I go ahead and test at 3 am before I have a snack, it's probably still only been 6 or 7 hours or so since I've eaten.

I don't know. I have an appointment with a nutritionist next week, who is probably going to tell me to just knock off my midnight snacks. But on those nights that I wake up hungry, if I don't eat then by morning I'm throwing up.

 

That's a good question! I test before breakfast, but I only rarely have a snack in the middle of the night. And when I do, it's just a few crackers to tide me over.

I hope your nutritionist doesn't knock out your snack. If it's making you sick, you need to eat! It is a delicate balance because you need to get enough calories for you and your babies. Sometimes I worry that I am not getting enough... but in growth scans the kids are gaining weight, even if I am getting skinnier elsewhere (and I wasn't overweight to start). As the babies have grown and smooshed my stomach, I haven't been able to eat as much in one sitting, so it's gotten even harder to keep up the calories. My doc said to snack (healthy of course) if I'm hugry no matter what. If I'm in between a meal and a 2-hour finger prick, she said prick anyway, write down the time since I've eaten so they can have that reference, and have something else to eat.

Good luck!!

 

This is what I do. I check my sugars every morning when I awake which is fasting. Under 100 is good. Then I check them 1 hr (under 140) or 2 hrs (under 120) after I eat. You can check them before you eat to to get a baseline on how that particular food reacts with your sugar levels.

I had GD with my 2nd preg and I was unable to get the sugar under control and went on meds. This time I failed the 1hr and we didn't even bother with the 3hr. I have been fine so far and my sugars are staying in check. Some things I have noticed that will throw my sugars up really high is cereal or milk alone. I try to stay with food items that contain less than 2gms of sugar. Also don't let wheat bread fool you sometimes they have higher sugar grams then most white brands. You need to look for more whole grain products. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

You are supposed to keep a log with your sugar levels and everything you eat. Don't worry about having a midnight snack. Just log the snack. If your sugars are higher than normal when you awake you know that was not a good snack. Stick with snacks that have NO carbs or sugars. I don't think then it will throw off your sugars at all. My snack would be celery with peanut butter, cheese, ham and so forth.

 

Actually as of yet, they don't have me recording what and when I eat. Just the sugars. But I think that's only until I get in to see the diabetic specialist next week. I'm sure they'll be able to offer me a lot more info and advice than my OB gave me.

 

I have a little notebook I keep with my monitor. I write down what I eat, how long it was since I ate, time and my sugar readings. Main reason for tracking what you eat is certain foods can trigger high readings and those are foods to stay away from or eat less of. It more less helps you get control of the sugar. It also helps to see if you are eating correctly and your suagrs are not in control you might need meds or insulin.