Blood Glucose Testing During Pregnancy
Blood glucose testing during pregnancy is a routine test that pregnant women should have when they are between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Your goal is to rule out the condition called gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes, which is high blood sugar, usually affects a low percentage of women. Overall, no more than 5% of pregnant women. However, it has a higher incidence in Latin American women, Afro-descendants, North Americans, Asians or women who are overweight or who maintain bad eating habits.
But you don’t need to be scared. As we mentioned before, it is a routine exam and its performance does not cause any further inconvenience. Next, we’ll talk about how the test is done and even give some recommendations if the result is positive.
Blood glucose test during pregnancy
Why do I need to take a blood glucose test during pregnancy?
The reason experts suggest that pregnant women should have a blood glucose test during pregnancy is because changes in the pancreas during this period are asymptomatic.
This means that the mother does not experience any specific discomfort related to blood insulin levels. Therefore, the only way to determine whether a woman is developing or already has gestational diabetes is through this test.
What are the parameters that determine if glycemic values are elevated?
Well, the parameters that establish whether a pregnant woman actually has abnormal blood glucose levels vary according to the physician’s criteria. However, basically, they start from the following guidelines:
- If a woman has blood glucose levels close to 140 mg/dL in the blood test , the doctor will consider these values to be elevated. After this first test, the professional will probably ask for a second exam.
- The second test, aimed at mothers who presented values equal to or greater than 140 ml/dL, consists of taking a liquid on an empty stomach that will be administered by the doctor or directly at the laboratory where the test will be performed . If the result is greater than 200 mg/dL, it can be effectively concluded that the patient has gestational diabetes.
How is the exam performed?
To perform this exam, the mother does not need to undergo any special preparation. On the contrary, before going to the laboratory to collect the blood sample, the woman is asked to eat as usual for at least a week. This will ensure that the exam reflects more accurate data.
There are two types of tests related to testing blood glucose during pregnancy . In the first, the mother should drink a drink that contains glucose; after an hour, a blood sample is taken to see how the pancreas has processed the ingestion of the sweet drink.
If the values of this first sample are high, then another date will be scheduled to perform a second fasting exam. In this next test, after drinking the sugary drink, at least two samples are taken within a three-hour interval.
Possible discomforts during the exam
In most cases, patients do not feel any discomfort when taking the blood glucose test during pregnancy. Only very low percentages may feel nauseated, and some women may even vomit; especially in cases where the disposal exam is performed, since they must ingest larger amounts of glucose.
General information about gestational diabetes
After taking the exams, if it is proven that you actually have gestational diabetes, there is no reason to panic . This disease, in almost all cases, remains only until the end of pregnancy.
But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be treated. Therefore, you will receive a special menu prepared by your doctor or nutritionist.
It is important to carefully follow the indications provided for the good of the health of the fetus. In addition, it has also been shown that women who have gestational diabetes and do not change their eating style are at risk of continuing the disease after pregnancy.
In summary, blood glucose testing during pregnancy is just a routine test to confirm your good health during pregnancy . Finally, don’t forget that nutrition is the key to overall good health.
