Failed Gestational Diabetes Screening

If I were you I'd probably stop worrying about whether you have a GD diagnosis or not. I was diagnosed with GD with my second baby after failing the first test. My OB didn't think it was a good idea for me to fast for 3 hours for the longer test. This meant I had to eat healthy and exercise (I walked everyday for about 30-40 minutes) throughout my pregnancy. These are things we should do anyway and this helped to control my blood sugars without meds and gain a normal amount of weight. It was a pain to check my blood sugars a few times everyday but I got used to it. Looking back, it wasn't too big of a deal. My daughter was born healthy and everything returned to normal after her birth. I don't know that I would have done things any differently if I didn't have GD in the first place. Try not to worry too much and enjoy your pregnancy :)

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Ihave a 3 mo.old and when pregnat with him, I failed the 1-hr test and had to do the 3 hr. I passed that one with no problems. Many women fail tye first and pass the second. Thyere are of course that don't pass the second. It doesn't mean you have or will get g.d. Just that you're at a higher risk of developing it. Most will just alter your diet to make sure you're eating the right things. I don't know what the numbers are, but I'm sure you can google it to find out.

FYI...I passed the 1-hr with my first as well.

Hope this helps.

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Hi L.,

I failed the 1 hour with my first pregnancy and passed the 3 hour. I think this is really common.

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Hey L. - I just had my first child 6 months ago, and I have always been a healthy eater/exerciser, etc., and I wanted to let you know that unfortunately this is VERY common, and your levels weren't that elevated.

I was a 150 during my "finger prick" test and went in for my 3 hour test and found out that everything was normal. I also found out from the nurse that did my test that the systems in office labs tend to read high, and my tests ended up coming out normal.

So think positive thoughts... hopefully everything is normal, and just know that unfortunately this happens quite a bit (from my nurse's mouth to your note!)

Good luck - A.

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I had to take the GD tests years ago (my "baby" is 25 years old!!)I was "borderline" on both the one hour and 3 hour, and I was told to be extra careful with my diet. Try to limit your sugar intake, eat lots of vegetables, fruits, watch your carbs, and if your doctor gives you approval add some gentle exercise to your daily routine. The main disadvantage to GD tends to be bigger babies, so watching your diet will help with that too!!
Good luck and congratulations on your new arrival!!!
R. Ann

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I failed my first one also. The second one I passed with flying colors though. The second one is much more accurate and my O.B. said I should not worry about it. I was totally shocked with the first one. If you are driving yourself home from the lab after the three hour one make certain you have some food or juice with you. I caved while driving home and my vision was blurry, ears ringing, etc because it had been so long without food and then all the sugary drinks. That was my scariest part. Congratulations on the new addition!

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I had gestational diabetes with my first and 3rd child. You should stay under 120 after meals and around 90 first thing in the morning. They will just put you on a strict diet of very little carbohydrates. That means bread and mostly things made out of flour. You will be eating 6 times a day. Snacks in between meals. It is really not that bad if you follow your diet and keep your blood sugar down you won't have to take insulin. This goes away after you give birth. Good luck! Don't worry too much about it just watch what you eat.

Hi L. when I was pregnant with my youngest (now almost 5) I too failed the 1 hour test but then passed th 3 hour, I did monitor how often I ate and cut back on carbs (NOT to nothing) and balanced with protein, but I wasn't super strict and the pregnancy went find.

Unfortunately I basically forgot about it after she was born and proceded over into type 2 diabetes last year.

There is an awesome website dedicated to diabetes and they have their own section for prediabetes and gestational diabetes and it is all FREE!!! www.dLife.com I can't live without it. I don't remember if the gestational 2 hour numbers are the same as type 2, but in an ideal situation under 120 is perfect, in my case at least under 140 2 hours later is my goal, again not 100% sure if the gestational is the same.

Also keep in mind that it is 2 hours from the start of the meal not the end

HTH... and good luck to you!!

I failed both my tests and I thought it was going to be the end of the world :) Basically, it was just like being on a diet and having to watch your servings of different types of food. Every person is different with which foods elevate their blood sugar. I typically have peanut butter toast for breakfast with milk and I quickly learned that I could only have one piece of toast and I had to have less milk. I did not realize how much milk would raise my levels. My daughter is now 20 months old and I am trying to remember what number I had to stay under. For some reason the number 130 is ringing a bell, but I am not positive. I took my test around 6 months because I gained 5 pounds quickly. By the end of my pregnancy I had gained 17 pounds and my baby weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. So, if you do have it and are careful your baby's weight and yours will be fine. The first two weeks were probably the hardest because I had to learn how much of everything my body would be able to accept. Let me know if you have anymore questions. I will pass on whatever info I have to you.

I had gestational diabetes with my youngest. I didnt have any problems during or after. I know that my story isnt the worst experience but it really went okay.

Well w/ my pregnancy I had the same thing, and was scared to death, everything turned out great!!..Turns out it was the best thing that happen to me, I only gained 20lbs, and then after his birth, I was so nervous about my family history of diabetes and heart disease I decided to join Weight Watchers, and have lost 64lbs,! And have kept it off for 5yrs now!! Good luck and keep your chin up.

I failed the first test and passed the second. It can happen. I too was worried, it is normal. Just take care of yourself.

I failed the one hour with both of my babies but passed the three hour. There is no harm in fasting for the three hour, but really concentrate once you drink that drink on NOT THROWING UP. You don't want to have to do it over! I did have big babies though, 8.2 and 9.5. Even if you pass the three hour, my advice is to watch what you eat. I ate a lot of sugar and should not have. I am not making that same mistake this time!

I failed the first and passed the second. My best friend just delivered after having gestational diabetes. She was on insulin for the last couple of months, but her daughter is 2 weeks old and she's fine now. You'll be ok!

I don't know much about this, but I have had two friends fail the initial screening and then pass the second. My sister failed both, but things were okay for her. She just had to watch her sugar intake. Hope that's a little encouragement for you.

With my first child I failed the first one and passed the 2nd one. One thing to make sure of is that you do not eat anything or take any medication before hand. I know that they say that you can take your meds. However some meds will throw the test off. You can drink plain old tap or bottled water not the flavored water. Also as someone else said make sure that you bring something to eat with you for the ride home. I was very dizzy and weak after the test. I even felt sick. If you can take someone with you who can drive you home even better.
Other than that I would not worry about it too much.
Take care of yourself and good luck.

I failed the 1-hour by a small amount, and passed all but one of the 3-hour draws. I was not diagnosed with GD, but did have to monitor by carb intake the rest of my pregnancy just to be sure (my family has a history of diabetes, and my son measured large throughout the pregnancy). He continued to gain (born at 8 lbs. 13 oz.), though I gained almost no weight my third trimester, which I attribute to the low-carb diet. It wasn't as difficult to stick to as I had thought it would be. You can actually eat quite a bit, and by that time in the pregnancy, I didn't have much room for food! I didn't have to test my blood sugar or give myself insulin, which I think is fairly common if your levels are borderline. Whatever the result, you will have a wonderful new addition to the family at the end, so try not to worry too much--it is worth whatever sacrifice! Best of luck!

I've never had to take the gd test. I was diagnosed as pre diabetic 4 weeks before I found out I was pregnant with my firstborn. Knowing I was pre diabetic and pregnant I was treated as a type 2 diabetic. For gestational diabetes the number range is what i was given:

For fasting blood sugars my doctor wanted to see under 100. For the 2 hour range he wanted to see under 130.

With my son I failed the 1 hour. I passed the 3 hour. With my daughter my 1 hour was a little elevated, but since it was elevated with my first pregnancy and wasn't too elevated they didn't worry about it. It seems like with every Mom I have talked to, most failed the 1 hour. Don't worry too much about it. Best of luck with the 3 hour test.

L.,
I had gd with both of my pregnancies. I know exactly how you feel. I was devastated. My OBGYN had me meet with a dietician and she really helped me make a diet that worked. I was able to control mine by diet and some exercise. My son weighed 8lbs 3oz and my daughter was 7lbs 6oz...some of the things they worry about is not being able to control it and having a large baby or that the baby may have problems with their blood sugar after they are born, plus the fact it's not good for you either. I think the fasting (when you wake up) they want no higher than 90 and after meals they wanted at 120 or below. One thing that really helped me was I planned everything out and wrote down everthing that I ate. I really recommend meeting with a dietician. You will get through this and it will all be worth it once you meet your beautiful baby. Good luck to you! God Bless.
V.

Hi L.,
It's not uncommon to get an elevated result with the first screening, but a "normal" result on the 3 hr gtt. The screening is meant to be extra sensitive in order to "find" anyone who even MIGHT have a glucose intolerance or GD. The result also depends on what you might have eaten that morning as well (usually they tell you to eat a normal breakfast, then one hour prior to your appointment, drink the "sugar drink".)
That being said, between now and your 3 hr gtt, DO NOT go on a majorly low carb diet and cut out all sugar and whatnot...that can actually falsify the results and show an even more elevated reaction to the 3 hour test. I'm not saying to go binge on doughnuts or candy, but rather to eat normally...have a good balanced diet, snacks that you would normally have, etc. Once the second test is done, even if it shows a perfectly fine result, you might want to adjust your eating to limit simple sugars/refined sugars, etc. There are tons of sites online that can point you to "low glycemic index" foods. (it's better for your health anyway!). If it turns out you are in the "GD" range, they will work with you to get a special diet on track for the rest of the pregnancy.
Good luck and keep your chin up...

I have been through this before. With my first one, I failed both tests and had to watch what I ate. When I had my second child, a nurse gave me a tip to avoid false/positive results for the diabetes screening. I was told to eat less carbs two days before and avoid sugars. When I took this test, it came back negative. I hope this helps and gives you accurate results. Hang in there!!

Good Morning L., I have no experience with gestational diabetes at all. So it was a surprise to us when our daughter in law developed this with her second preg. also.
First one went without a hitch. With Zane she did all the tests etc. Her mom is diabetic so this was something she really needed to do. At one point I rushed her to the hospital when she had trouble with her vision, couldn't form words, cold and clammy. By the time we got there she was ok or at least better. They kept her over night.
She met with a dietican several times.

She would check her blood sugar three times a day I think, never had to use insulin, controlled it with diet. I think she did this for 3 months. I believe it disappeared right after or pretty close to after delivery. She breastfed for 5 months. ?
She is fine and so its Zane @ 17 months.

God Bless you L... If nothing else you can have your OB suggest a dietican for you to meet with. It never hurts to eat more healthy.
K. Nana of 5

I passed the 1 hour with my first, but not my second. I passed the 3 hour just fine though.
The dr. said they want the glucose level to be under 135 (mine was 143). So I had to take the 3 hour test. Basically, I didn't eat or drink anything (even water) after midnight then went into the lab first thing in the morning and had the 4 blood draws done (one before the glucose drink, then 1 each hour for 3 hours).
Sorry, I don't know the numbers they would need that you asked about; hope the other info helps.

I think it is more common than you think. I failed the 1 hour and passed the 3 hour. When I failed the 1st one, I asked around work and more people than I expected said the same thing happened to them. Try not to worry so much until after you see the results from the 2nd. Good luck!

With both of my pregnancies, I failed the one hour and passed the three hour test. For the three hour test they have you fast, which I think makes a difference. Anyway, I don't know much about counts, but I do know you can pass the second one!

Hey there... I failed the one hour and had to take the 3 hour test which I passed. I will also add that I always ate fairly healthy so nothing is a guarantee. Sometimes pregnancy just changes our bodies and these things happen. The baby and I were both fine. I know it's a pain but hopefully you'll pass the second one... good luck!

I was diagnosed with gd with my 3 and current pregnancy. No problems with my first 2 and they both weighed 6 lbs 13 ozs. My doctor, who is a endocrinologist, wants morning fasting under 90 and 2 hours after meals under 120. If you fail your 3 hour they should send you to a dietician and diabetic educator. The first two months were the hardest for me with the diet, but once I figured it out, it was simple. This pregnancy, which was planned, I just started my GD diet when I decided I was ready for the next baby. I am on insulin, which I give in the abdomin. They are, for the most part painless shots, occassionally I hit a nerve. I occassionally bruise. I do accu checks 6-7 times a day and as needed. I am very careful to keep careful track of my carbs and accu checks. My last baby weighed only 7 lbs and 11 ozs. Another lady pregnant at the sametime of me, said the diet was to hard to follow and her baby weighed 10 lbs 15ozs, her baby also had blood sugar issues after birth and had to stay longer, where my little guy had none and went home with me. If you try really hard to stay in range, it decreases your risk as well as the risk for the baby. To me it was well worth every bit of energy I put into it. If you do fail your 3 hour, feel free to contact me and I will be glad to help as much as possible. Also, I was induced at 38 1/2 weeks and am scheduled that way again. They said it is best for mom and baby to not go much longer then 38 weeks.
Suzanne

I had gd with both of my pregnancies. My Dr wanted my blood sugers to be under 120 2 hrs after eating. They always were, but my morning sugars were elevated. I was diet controlled for my first pregnancy, and had to take a little bit if insulin every night before bed for my second baby. The Dr told me that insulin resistance due a second baby was normal, and that was why I had to take insulin with my second baby. However, every person is different. I am sure that you ane your Dr will be able to decide on a plan of care that will have positive outcomes for you and your little one if the next test comes up positive. If it does feel free to message me, I will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Good luck
Virginia

I apologize for the late response...I too failed the first test in my first pregancy, but passed the second one. Therefore saying that I didn't have GD with my first pregnancy. I did however develope it with my second. Your blood sugars should be between 90 and 120. I now have type 2 diabetes that I developed 4 years ago. Since it runs in my family and I had it in my second pregancy it was pretty much inevitable. I hope this helps you somewhat. Good luck and God Bless.

Hi L.,
I also failed the initial test when I was pregnant with my daughter. I then took the longer test and it turned out everything was fine,there was no problem at all.I was told that people process food (and sugar) at different tempo, that was all they thought was going on with me, that I was a little slower at processing. The worst part of it was the fasting and then having to drink that stuff and still not eat anything,I was very naucious while waiting for the test to be done.

Hi L.. I failed the initial screening but passed the 3-hour with flying colors. A friend of mine did the same thing. Let's hope that happens for you too.

I would suggest that during the 3 hour test, you request a place to lie down. I got really light headed. If the same thing happens to you, you'll be glad if you planned for it from the get-go.

Hope this pregnancy gets better for you!

I failed the initial screening with both of my pregnancies and passed the 3 hour test. After a while, you start to feel like a pin cushion. I hope that you are able to give blood out of both arms. I have a REALLY good vein in my right arm (and I am right handed) but the vein in my left arm is hidden and gets "blown" very easily so they were only able to take blood from my right arm, which they stick you every 30 minutes. My arm was so sore with both. I even asked my doctor if we could skip the 1 hour test and go straight for the 3 hour test with my second, but he was optimistic and was hoping that I would have passed the 1 hour without any problems. Good luck and I hope that you pass the 3 hour test, I am sorry that you have to go through it.

L.,
I know exactly how you feel. With my almost 4 yr old I passed the 1 hour with flying colors. Then with my 20 month old twins, I didn't pass the 1 hour. But I went back a few days later to do the 3 hour, and passed with flying colors. So don't get to stressed about it. I know I was like I don't want to have todeal with gd. But everything turned out fine and I didn't end up having it. I can tell you the 3 hr is harder since you can't eat and all you can have is water. I know I was extremly hungry and all that sugar was upsetting my stomach. But as soon as I got done I ate and was just fine.

My son is 18 mo now but I failed the 1 hr test and we think it's cause I had a sprite prior to my appt. So when I took the 3 hr one the only thing that bothered me was having my arm poked that many times yuck :P My grandma came with me so I'd have someone to visit with since I couldn't leave. After all was said and done I didn't have gd. I did suffer low potassium and magnesium which the dr thought was just the baby sitting on the sciatic nerve and I ended up in the ICU because they were worried about me having cardiac arrest. I couldn't lift my arms high enough to even brush my hair and couldn't walk. I had temporary paralysis so WATCH that very carefully. If you have any numbness CHECK it or tell them to check your potassium and mag anyway to make sure it's at a good level. I was taking prenatals and eating healthy so my son was just very greedy :)

Best of luck with the remainder of you pregnancy, safe delivery and introducing your new bundle to the big brother!! My husband and I are hoping to conceive our 2nd(and last) soon