Categories: Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes test

Gestational diabetes test. Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that occurs when you are pregnant. Mostly it will be classified as such when you are diagnosed for the first time with it during your pregnancy. Just like all other kinds, gestational diabetes will have an effect on how your cells are able to use the glucose in your body. And as other kinds too, it can directly impact the health of your pregnancy and your baby.

There is always panic whenever one is told of their diabetic status, but if you are an expectant mom, you need not panic because there is some piece of good news for you so far as gestational diabetes is concerned.

With the right healthy foods and some exercises you can control your blood sugar. If necessary, your doctor will put you on medication to help, and so you need not be scared. This will aid to prevent any difficulty that could result from gestational diabetes during delivery.

The interesting thing about gestational diabetes is that, once you deliver, your blood sugar returns to normal. The only worry is that, if you have had gestational diabetes before, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future is higher. So then, you have to keep testing your blood sugar frequently.

What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

Apart from passing urine frequently and getting thirsty unusually, most women will not show any sign of gestational diabetes.

How to test for gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes test can be undertaken with your midwife or doctor, once you hit the 24th to 28th week within your pregnancy. If you have had diabetes before, it will be done earlier, you will asked a number of questions on your first visit that will let your doctor or midwife know if you are at a high risk. Once you are at a high risk, you will be tested.

The test is called oral glucose tolerance test. It normally would take around two hours. This test encompasses taking a blood test when for about eight to ten hours ago, you have not taken in any food or drink. (this usually excludes water). A drink of glucose would be given to you to take, within the space of two hours, a blood sample will be taken again and then it would be investigated to know how the glucose is being dealt with by your body.