Your blood sugar level can give your doctor important clues about your health, and an oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT] shows how well your body handles sugar from foods. It can tell whether you are at
risk for diabetes or if you already have it. A shorter version of an OGTT checks for diabetes during pregnancy. Normally when you eat, your
blood sugar rises. Your pancreas, a long gland deep in the belly, releases a hormone called insulin. It helps move
sugar from your blood into your cells for energy and storage. Then your blood sugar goes back down to normal. If you have type 2 diabetes,
your body uses insulin poorly. Glucose builds up in your blood. This excess sugar can damage blood vessels around your body. Diabetes
can lead to heart disease, nerve damage, eye disease, and
kidney damage. You might need an oral glucose tolerance test if you: A shorter version of this test is done between
the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy to see whether you have gestational diabetes. It's called the oral glucose challenge test. To get an accurate result on the OGTT, eat about 150 grams of carbohydrates each day for 3 days before the test. Don't eat or drink anything except water after about 10
o’clock the night before. You don't need to do any special prep before the pregnancy glucose challenge test. You can eat in the morning. Just avoid foods with a lot of sugar, such as doughnuts or orange juice. You'll get the OGTT at your doctor's office, a clinic, hospital, or lab. Here’s what happens: During pregnancy, the test is shorter. You'll drink a sweet liquid. Then you'll have a blood test about 60 minutes later. The OGTT has very few issues. Some people have minor side effects from the sugary drink or from the needle stick. Side effects from the drink include: Possible problems from the blood test include: Your blood glucose level should rise after you finish the sugary drink. Then it should go back to normal, as insulin moves glucose into your cells. If your blood sugar takes a long time to
go back to normal, you could have diabetes. You might see a measurement from the test written out as “mg/dL.” It stands for milligrams per deciliter. Two hours after you finish the glucose drink, this is what your results mean: Below 140 mg/dL:normal blood sugar Between 140 and 199:
impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes 200 or higher: diabetes When you're pregnant, a blood glucose level of 140 mg/dL or higher is abnormal. Your doctor will recommend that you take a 3-hour OGTT. During this longer test, you'll have blood drawn before you drink a sugary solution. Then you'll have your blood tested every
hour for three hours. If you have prediabetes, your doctor will talk to you about ways to stop it from turning into a full-blown case. Exercise and weight loss are two ways to lower your risk for
type 2 diabetes. If the test shows you have diabetes, you might get what’s called an “A1C” or other tests to confirm the diagnosis. Diet, exercise, and medicine can
help control your blood sugar. Good foods and physical activity can also help control diabetes during pregnancy. Your blood sugar should go back to normal after your
baby is born. But gestational diabetes increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes after your pregnancy. You'll need to stay on a healthy
diet and exercise plan to avoid a future diabetes diagnosis.When Do I Need the Test?
How Do I Get Ready?
How Is It Done?
Any Problems from Taking
It?
What Do the Results Mean?
What Happens Next?
Summary
Read the full fact sheet- Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.
- When the pregnancy is over, the diabetes usually disappears.
- Women who develop gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- A healthy lifestyle is important for both mother and baby to reduce their risk of diabetes in the future.
- If you have had gestational diabetes before, in future pregnancies you will have a test done early in the pregnancy to check that your blood glucose levels are in the normal range.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
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