With my first two babies, I failed the one hour glucose tolerance test, so I had to do the three hour test. (Which means, by the way, that you have to drink DOUBLE the amount of the nasty “melted orange popsicle crap” than you do at the first test.) It wasn’t that big of a deal back then, (can’t believe I just said “back then”) since I either had no child or only one.
A decade plus later, as a homeschooling mom, failing my one hour meant bad news. I have six kids now. They are home with me. They go where I go. The office does not allow children to come in the waiting room. What’s a chubby, waddling mama to do?
I took them with me today, hired my eldest son to be babysitter and he watched his brothers just outside the door as I went in each time for the finger prick. The first blood count they take is before you drink the nastiness.
I was within normal range. Supposed to be under 95 and my sugar registered at 84. Not bad, I thought. But should have been lower seeing how I had NO carbs at dinner and went to bed starving…..well…maybe just hungry. But I tried, at least.
One hour later, I BOMB…..literally BOMB the numbers. Supposed to be under 180. What’s my number? 199. YIKES! I am starting to get nervous at this point.
Before the third finger prick, I am determined. Since I am not sitting in the office, I break the rules and leave and go put gas in my car, come back, change Levi’s diaper and clothes and take several of the boys to the bathroom. My theory is that if I walk around and burn some calories, then maybe some of the evil sugar will burn up out of my blood and I can pass this horrendous test and not be labeled as gestational diabetic and blah blah blah.
I don’t know if it was the walking or all the praying I did or both, but by the third finger prick, we’re doing great! Supposed to be under 155. …and I’m in the clear by just six points at 149. I’ll take it.
But determined to pass, I walk some more. I get the stroller out this time, buckle Levi in and we go on a doodle bug hunt. The boys must have found a gazillion. I used some calories to convince Levi not to eat one of them.
I pray again.
I text my sister and husband and tell them to pray again too. It’s time to find out. This is my last shot. I don’t want to be labeled with gestational diabetes because it means bad things for a pregnant mama and her baby. Really bad things, like having to go on a crazy diet, checking your blood sugar every day all day, having to stay in the hospital for an extra day for observation, your newborn having to be poked for sugar counts once they’re born, and not to mention all the special red flags all over your chart that make you more susceptible to an OB’s desire to induce you…….
The whole process of testing me for sugar issues alone has been enough to make me really miss my midwives that I had with the last two births. It has made me question my decision again. It has been enough to confirm the reasons just why I chose to have the last two babies at home. The medical “interference”…if you will.
But I chose this medical interference. I hired it.
And I have had peace about my decision. So I just prayed that God would use this whole situation to reveal something to me.
My blood sugar was supposed to be under 140 on the last finger prick of the test. It was 90!!!!!!!!
Huge sigh of relief!!! No labeling. No red flags. No special monitoring. Just normal, low-profile, low-maintenance me and my baby boy, who could be left alone to snuggle and cuddle. Hooray!
So, no gestational diabetes, but yes, a revelation.
The doctor said that the failed one hour and the failed number two finger prick of the three hour indicated glucose intolerance. This makes total sense to me since I usually do not feel very well after a carb-heavy or sugar heavy meal.
Lesson learned that my midwife probably already knew:
Listen to your body. When it says , “eww…those doughnuts made me feel horrible!!!”…..Get a clue!! You’re probably not diabetic, just intolerant.
They’ll test my blood sugar each time from now on at my appointments. Fine by me. I needed to be eating smarter, anyway.
I’m just so thankful not to have gestational diabetes. And I am thankful for learning that there is such a thing as glucose intolerance. Maybe I’ve lived under a rock, but I had never realized you could have one without the other.
And about missing my midwives and the home-birth this time. I do. But I am still at peace knowing that since I moved away from them, I have hired the very best lady I could find, who happens to be an OB, to help deliver my baby.
Because like I always say, a healthy mama and a healthy baby is the goal.
To all my fellow pregnant mamas, listen to your body. Most of the time, it will tell us what we need to do.
High Fives,
Brandy
I have 4 children. Only had this test once with my second pregnancy. After all those pricks and that ugly orange drink I got home so sick and starved that I ate 4 oranges one after the other to stabilize me. Like you my blood sugar was floored!!!!
After that I have refused to take those glucose tests. Have you read the side effects that the ugly orange drink can cause? (it’s right there on the bottle for the reading). I never take that much glucose in one sitting by itself. It’s sickening and dangerous to make a pregnant woman take that.