Gestational Diabetes Test Procedure

Gestational diabetes is tested routinely during prenatal doctor visits. The doctor decides when or how early it should be checked. If the woman is at high risk for gestational diabetes, the blood glucose level may be checked at the first prenatal visit. If the results are normal, she is checked again sometime between 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy.

If the woman is at a low risk for diabetes, the doctor may decide that the patient wouldn’t need to be tested at all.

Testing gestational diabetes involves testing the blood glucose level. Depending on the risk involved, the doctor may advise the following tests:

Fasting or random blood glucose test -- In a fasting blood sugar test, the patient is asked to starve for eight hours preceding taking the blood sample. A random blood sugar test is taken at any time during the day. These tests normally detect gestational diabetes. If the doctor feels it necessary some further tests may be carried out to rule out the probability of diabetes entirely
Screening glucose challenge test -- The patient is asked to drink a sugary beverage. An hour later the blood glucose level is checked
Oral glucose tolerance test -- The healthcare provider gives special instructions to follow. For at least 3 days before the test, the patient should eat normally. After which she is asked to fast for 8 hours. Before the test, she is asked to drink a sugary beverage and the staff will check the blood glucose levels for the next three hours at hourly intervals, on the hour.

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Gestational Diabetes Test Procedure