refusing 3-hr glucose test

Wondering if anyone else is in the same boat...

I took my one-hour glucose test a couple of days ago and the result came back at 138. For our OB group, with that score, the next step is to do the three-hour glucose test. Well, I was reading about it yesterday and talked to another pregnant patient who did it, and it sounds horrible. I am thinking that I will refuse to do the 3-hr test and offer to redo the 1-hr test. If that comes back still elevated, I am happy be treated as if I have gestational diabetes - meet w/ a dietician, change my diet, do the finger sticks every day, etc. All of those things seem much preferable to fasting for 12 hours, having four blood draws in three hours (I don't even have four good veins!), and quite possibly vomiting in the waiting room of the lab (which is what this other patient did - rendering the whole test moot).

Has anyone else refused this test? I was pretty upset last night after getting this result. I've always been slim and healthy and am trying to eat the best I can during the pregnancy (protein, etc). It's hard enough to find food that doesn't make me nauseous and still satisfies me and now I have high blood sugar? I know that sometimes the placenta can cause this and there's not much I can do, but I am still upset.

Anyway, I have an appointment with one of my doctors on Monday morning and will talk to her about this then. But right now I am pretty set with not doing the 3-hr test.

Thanks in advance for any input/advice!

 

I didn't refuse... I did it after a mildly elevated and passed 3 hour as well. I didn't really want to do it but my OB said well you could be just treated like a gestational diabetic I decided I would do the test. I really didn't want to do the diet constrictions... I craved sweets during my pregnancy and I hate artificial sweeteners. so that was my personal preference. It isn't fun but it isn't that bad if you decide to do it. I just brought a book to read while I waited.

 

My one hour test was 6 points over. Phooey! I didn't refuse the three hour. It really wasn't that bad. Where I had it done, we all had our own personal tvs, I brought magazines and books, and I didn't have to be at work for those three hours! And the last thing I would want to do is follow the gestation diabetic diet-if I didn't have to. It is very strict from what I understand.

You could have eaten something that set the numbers off. Just watch your carb intake the day before the fast. That's what I did. My doc was floored I was not a diabetic-I have pcos. But I passed!

And don't forget, everyone has different experiences with pregnancies, tests, etc. No one body acts the same as the next. Of course talk to your ob about your concerns first and maybe he/she can help walk you through it, whatever choice you decide. Good luck!

 

I did the 3 hour one once in every trimester, yes, three times during the pregnancy. It was my OB's protocol for all high risk pregnancies. It is miserable, I even fainted during one 3 hour glucose test and created a bit of a panic in the doctor's offices - and even that did not get me out of the next one.

Bring a book, some music, some knitting etc., the less you move the more bearable it is.

BTW: My insurance would not have covered being treated as if you have GD without failing the 3 hour test. So, please check that before you decide.

 

Due to my first DS being 10 lbs 10 oz, I was tested twice. I was hardest with my twins, but only due to the fact that you can't eat, LOL. I did get dizzy and nauseated. I'd caution you about refusal. It's kind of important information to know. GD can cause some health issues for you yes, but also the baby/babies. Even without GD my first son had low blood sugar after birth. He was however large for gestational age and made it impossible to give birth naturally. Now you probably won't have that issue with twins, but there can be other issues to arise for the babies. Just think about it, it may be miserable for a short time, but it really is important to know.

 

I just talked to a nurse and told her I preferred not to do the 3-hr test. She's going to have me meet with a nutritionist Monday afternoon and get a glucometer so I can monitor my glucose levels for a week or so. Then we'll go from there. That seems to me to be a more accurate way to measure glucose anyway than the 3-hr test. Hopefully I'll know after that if I really do have GD.

In my 1-hr test, I missed the cutoff by 3 points. So frustrating!

 

A lot of women fail the 1 hr test, but most past the 3 hr test. I did the 3 hr test with my oldest and the twins. They weren't so bad. I just brought a book and read. I don't have good veins either, but the nurses that do the blood draw for the GD test, where I was sent anyway, all the do is draw blood so they were very good at finding veins and only 1 nurse missed once.

 

I was going to suggest asking about this option. Some midwives offer it in place of the 3 hour test. GL!

 

I failed the one hour test, so I had to take the 3 hour test - it wasn't a big deal, other that it was kind of annoying to sit there, but I was playing on my phone. It was really sweet, but I didn't throw up or anything, and I was nauseous for the entire pregnancy. The most annoying thing was that I couldn't drink water, but it was doable. The second test came back normal, so I didn't have GD. Good luck.

 

I did the 3 hr one once with my oldest, and twice for my dd and the twins pregnancies. I failed all my 1hr tests by just a few points (1-5 points). It sucks but it's not a terrible test. I took water and some crackers to eat immediately after the test was done. And my ob office does finger sticks, not full blood draws, which is something you could ask about too. I have PCOS with insulin resistance, which is considered pre-diabetic, and I still passed my 3 hr GD tests.

 

For my last pregnancy, my OB and I discussed not even doing the 1 hour and she put me right into the care of an endocrinologist. I had GD with both pregnancies prior to that. The endo was fine with me not doing the test and wanted me to measuring my fasting sugars for the first week and then start with after meals. talk to your ob, they will listen.

 

I failed my 1-hr test during my first pregnancy, during the 3-hr test I was one of those that vomited (luckily I made it to the restroom!) instead of having me try again I did the week long finger pricks and monitored my blood sugar and I was fine.
My second pregnancy I passed the 1-hr test.
I am glad you got a plan worked out! I hope it goes well!

 

I did the 3-hr test and I hated it, gave me such a bad headache and it was an awful experience.

I was asked to do another closer to the end of my pregnancy (because of diabetes in my family) but I refused it, against medical advice - I wasn't going through that again and it was a nightmare with a school aged child at home, to organise to get there on time without fainting from hunger.

Everything was fine for me but pp have given you some great advice! GL!

 

I did the three hour but I already had an iv for blood draws. I'm hypo so being pregnant almost flipped it into gd. My mom had gd with my lil sis so they wanted to be careful