For anyone involved in the process of pregnancy, from couples to single mothers, it can be a long and difficult road. Starting from conception to delivery, the journey is dominated by biological phenomenon. There are doctors and medical tests aplenty that one must go through, and all this is with good reason. Birthing a child comes with its own unique set of complications, and these tests are necessary to thwart any possible risks to the health of your baby.
One of the major risks that might affect a woman during pregnancy and might go on to harm the baby is gestational diabetes. If your blood sugar levels during pregnancy have a propensity to be towards the higher margins during the period of pregnancy. If not controlled, it can be particularly harmful to your child. The corresponding medical test that will allow you to measure and eventually control gestational diabetes is the glucose tolerance test during pregnancy.
Tips to Pass Glucose Test During Pregnancy
What is the glucose tolerance test?
This is a helpful glucose test during pregnancy that can check for the potential of gestational diabetes in your system. It consists of two parts, the glucose challenge screening test followed by the tolerance test.
The glucose challenge screening test is usually done during the third trimester and is now considered to be standard practice nowadays, owing to how common gestational diabetes has become. This glucose test during pregnancy will need you to drink a sweet drink an hour before blood is withdrawn for testing. If your results are positive, then you need to go on to the second phase.
For the glucose tolerance test if you are wondering what to eat before, the doctor will ask you to consume 150mg of carbohydrate for three days before the test. Only sips of water may be allowed 14 hours before blood is taken for testing.
What to eat before the glucose tolerance test pregnancy?
150 milligrams of carbohydrate amounts to about two or three slices of bread per day. However, sometimes women may test positive to the glucose screening simply owing to what they ate before the test and not because of a real threat of gestational diabetes. Knowing what to eat before the test can be really helpful while taking glucose test during pregnancy.
If you are to undergo the glucose tolerance test pregnancy and wondering what to eat to pass the test, here are a few helpful suggestions:
Avoid sugar
As the test requires you to consume a high-sugar drink, having breakfast with a higher concentration of sugar can tamper with the glucose test results during pregnancy. Avoiding eating cereal or similar eatables on the day of the test is a good way to start. Staying away from refined and simple carbohydrates and sticking to the requisite 150mg is also advisable. The preliminary screening test can be positive if you consume high-sugar food before the test, making it necessary to take the second half of the testing as well. If there is no actual potential of gestational diabetes, you will have to show up for the second test next week only because you consumed more sugar than necessary the first time around.
Balance healthy carbohydrate and protein
This balance is necessary to maintain throughout the duration of your pregnancy and if possible afterwards as well. Balancing your carbs with your proteins is the key to a healthy lifestyle. All balanced diets focus on this ratio, and you should do the same. Fresh fruits, grains and whole-wheat bread may be cited as examples of simple carbohydrates which are good for your body. They are absorbed into the bloodstream more gradually than instantly, and can slow down the rate at which sugar is absorbed into your body. Consuming such substances before glucose test during pregnancy can be particularly helpful if you want to pass the test.
Eating nothing at all is not an option
Some women are of the opinion that eating nothing when it is permissible to eat is the way to go before the glucose tolerance test. You could not be more wrong. Not eating does not stop the enzymes and hormones secretion that now have nothing to act on. This sends the entire system into a frenzy, as a result of which your blood sugar level can go haywire. If you have a glucose test scheduled, this is definitely not an option that you should be considering as the results are going to be influenced by this choice.
Conclusion
All things considered, even though the process may seem to be too complicated, you should not let that discourage you from taking the test altogether. It is important for the health of your baby and also for you that you are screened for gestational diabetes. In fact, getting it done multiple times at suitable intervals is the best way to go about it as circumstantial factors might deter the correct result if you only take the glucose test during pregnancy only once.
Make sure that you are responsible and well prepared to deal with any complications that may arise from the test. Medical science has progressed a lot so there is no reason to worry even if your test results turn out to be less than desirable. Make sure you consult your doctor through the process. Having a medical professional navigate your way through the course of your pregnancy can also be really helpful, especially for first time parents.
References
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007562.htm
