Pregnancy diaries – Testing for gestational diabetes

As my dad has diabetes to be safe I had to have a glucose intolerance test to find out if I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy.

I had this test during week 19 of my pregnancy.

Before the appointment I received a leaflet explaining what I needed to do to prepare for the test.

But I still didn’t really know what to expect when testing for gestational diabetes.

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Before the test

I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything (including chewing gum) from 10pm the night before and until after the test was completed except for water.

Fortunately my appointment was at 9 in the morning.

I was worried about the test for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I didn’t know what to expect and was worried I’d have to eat or drink jelly which I can’t stand.

Also as many avid readers will know I am a chocoholic and I do love my full fat Coke.

I’m not a fan of Diet Coke so giving up my beloved Coca Cola wasn’t something I would be looking forward to doing!

And of course I didn’t want to put any additional stress on my body or the baby.

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The test itself

I had to have my blood pressure taken and a blood sample before drinking this very sugary thick drink.

No jelly thankfully!

It did take me a little while to drink it all. It didn’t make me feel sick but it’s not exactly something I’d want to drink again in a hurry!

Then I got to go home for two hours and then pop back.

The hospital isn’t far so I was happy to pop home.

You’re welcome to stay if it’s easier for you.

So when the time came I popped back to the hospital.

My bloods were taken again and that was it.

It was then a case of waiting.

I was told I’d be contacted by phone if I tested positive for gestational diabetes.

So a few days of waiting and no phone call.

I didn’t have gestational diabetes and the test process was painless.

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If you’re a first time mum I hope you find this post and my pregnancy diary series useful.

Please do share any parenting pearls of wisdom you might have in the comments below.

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Other related posts

Here’s how we found out we were expecting a baby – letting the cat out of the bag

Pregnancy diaries – the first trimester

Join in the debate: is the romance dead once you’re married?

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