Everything Pregnant

Glucose Screening Test

Glucose screening test is a routine test in most civilized countries nowadays. At 28 weeks, your practitioner will ask you to take this test to screen for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affect 1 to 2 % of expectant mothers, making it the most common pregnancy complication. Don't get too worried even if you were told that you do have gestational diabetes. You will most likely be assigned a nutritionist who will guide you through a healthy diet and exercise suggestions in order to monitor your weight. Women with gestational diabetes have no problems in yielding healthy babies by following guidelines given by practitioners and nutritionists.

Procedure for Glucose Screening test

You will not need to fast or do anything differently before or after this test. You will be ask to drink a glucose concentrated drink and be taken blood sample an hour afterwards to check your blood glucose level.

If your blood glucose result comes back higher than normal, you will be asked to take a glucose tolerance test to confirm.

Glucose Tolerance Test

You will need to fast at least 8 hours before taking the tolerance test. You may drink water only but not consume any food at all for accurate test result. You will be given another glucose concentrated drink and taken blood sample for test before and an hour after drinking in order to check your blood glucose tolerance level.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

It is a temporary form of diabetes in which your body cannot produce adequate amounts of insulin to handle with your creased blood sugar of pregnancy. It is more common in mothers-to-be who are aged 35 or over and it almost always disappeared after delivery. This condition can easily be managed through healthy dieting, regular exercises and weight control, and it usually has little affects on mothers and babies if monitor closely.
If left untreated and ignored, allowing excessive sugar to circulate in your blood and into fetal circulation through the placenta. Both mother and baby could be in serious troubles. Mothers who ignore this condition and healthy dieting are at risk of producing over-sized baby, as well as for developing preeclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension). Giant babies are usually accompanied by many neonatal health issues, therefore, follow dieting guidelines and DO NOT ignore the condition.

(data from What to expect when you are expecting)