In this
post I talked about the 1 hour test, which I failed. As a result I had to take the three hour test. I can not say enough about the midwife center. I feel so guilty about how much they went out of their way to help me and work with me, but I would never have been able to do this without them.
I took the three hour over a week later. The three hour requires fasting for at least 8 hours beforehand (so basically the night beforehand). When you show up the first blood draw is to check your fasting sugar level. Then they give you a sugary drink with double the sugar of the 1 hour test (so 100g for the 3 hour test), and test your blood sugar level at 1 hours, 2 hours, and 3 hours after drinking the drink to see how your body handles the sugar.
The danger for the baby is, if the mom's body doesn't process the sugar, it gets passed onto the baby and the baby has to try to make up for it. Babies will get too big, gain extra weight, and this can even cause stillbirths. So anyone who has gestational diabetes needs to monitor their diet (limit carbs especially) and have extra monitoring for the remainder of the pregnancy. For me, I would have done the diet and monitoring just fine, but I couldn't even think about having to prick my own finger 4 times a day to test blood sugar levels (not to mention sometimes you have to give yourself an insulin shot if you can't control the diabetes via diet alone).
Anyway, so I was torn on what to eat. Of course they say not to try to "cheat" the test and to just eat normal because you need to know if you have this condition. But I have to admit, I kind of tried. I looked into the diet for GD (gestational diabetes) and followed it for the most part between the 1 hour and 3 hour tests. Basically it's 3 meals a day with 30-45g of carbs each meal and 2-3 snacks daily with 15g carbs for a snack.
The night before the test I had a slice of wheat toast with peanut butter and celery with peanut butter. I wanted something to tide me over, overnight.
We went in bright and early, and I had an Ativan (a large dose). Beforehand I had some extensive discussions with the midwife center to make sure it was ok for the baby and they said it was for one time use. The concern with Ativan is more in the first trimester (could cause genetic problems). In the third trimester, the concern would be that the baby gets addicted but that wouldn't happen from one use of the medicine. I actually thought about not taking it but realized that I needed to try to keep my anxiety down in an attempt to not skew the numbers high if that's what actually happened at the 1 hour test. So I did take it on the car ride in, half an hour before the first (fasting) blood draw.
The first blood draw was tough. I don't think the Ativan kicked in and I know my chin was just shaking up and down. But they limited it to finger pricks and just checking the blood sugar level with one of those glucose monitors. At least it wasn't me having to prick my own finger with that thing. And the advantage was that I heard the numbers as they did each draw.
My first number (fasting) was 88 and passing! I texted a few people who would know what the numbers meant.
I didn't think the Ativan took affect at the time and at the time I was very aware. But Dave had to tell me later what went on because after the first draw I'm pretty fuzzy, I have to admit. The medicine seems to have made me forget a lot.
The second number (1 hour after 100g of sugar) was 167. For double the sugar, that's not that much higher than the 151 I got on my 1 hour test! Again, a passing result. You have to fail at least two out of the four numbers to be diagnosed with GD. So yay, two for two (passing) so far.
The third number (2 hours after the drink) my sugar level was already back to normal at 104. I think normal level is anything below 130. When the nurse said I was already back to normal I asked if we could skip the last blood draw and she said sorry but no.
At that point I decided I wanted to get out of there. I didn't say before but this drink made me feel awful. I spent most of the time lying on the bed and trying not to think about things. I don't remember much, like I said before, and I don't know what Dave was doing or where he was. He had a timer going on his phone for the nurse and she spent quite a bit of time in there talking about us (and no I don't remember these conversations either although at the time I think I was talking a lot too). He said he had it facing so she could see it but I couldn't. I do remember every finger prick although I don't remember extending my hand/finger to her.
So Dave said sure, there was a Steelers store about 2 blocks or so away. I said I needed to use the bathroom first, and that should have been sign #1 that this was a bad idea. I don't know what happened but I couldn't make it to the toilet without Dave's help, haha. I think I fell into the wall or something and when he heard the commotion he came in to help me.
Dave says that I probably looked like a druggie. I was hanging onto him walking the 2 blocks to the store, shuffling my feet and trying not to fall over. I wonder if my eyes were even fully open. ;) I was also telling him I got 4 things for the baby, for the 4 finger pricks.
I remember looking at onesies in the store, and then we rounded a bend and there was a ramp up. I don't remember much but I know all of a sudden a really sick feeling hit me and in the middle of the store I just sat down on the floor. Several people asked if I was ok and I think I said no. They mentioned where a bathroom was but I couldn't even get up, I felt so faint and nauseous. And yes, I threw up. Big time. That fruit punch drink, all over myself. I vaguely remember taking paper towels and trying to help them clean it up. Dave and a customer took me back to the bathroom and cleaned me up (don't remember that at all) and they asked if I wanted water. I said absolutely not, I'm taking a test, I can't have anything. And I was worried now I'd have to do the three hour all over again but I don't think I said that out loud.
And apparently on my way out I asked them if they sell maternity shirts. They said no but they do have men's shirts and I said no thanks. Those poor people.
When we got back, Dave asked the nurse a hypothetical question. Hypothetically, what would happen if I threw up between the 3rd and 4th blood draws? She said it was ok. At which point in my truth serum state, I said, oh well that wasn't hypothetical. Oy! I mean, I don't lie to people but normally I would keep my mouth shut!
So luckily she said it was ok. I have a feeling that was partially because of how low the 3rd number was.
My 4th and final number was 74, and she said I passed. At that point I relaxed, truly relaxed, for the first time since getting the results from the 1 hour test. And the Ativan then took full effect; I passed out. I don't remember leaving the building. I don't remember the drive home. I don't remember randomly waking up and telling Dave I was hungry (and asking for Chick Fil A for a chocolate peppermint milkshake). I don't remember texting people- just reading texts later was hilarious. I'd been keeping them up to date on numbers until I threw up- then told people I threw up and never texted again until I asked Dave to get me food. That was hours later and I had a bunch of, um are you ok type texts. And my responses there are pretty hilarious too- with typos and just wow. I also don't remember eating the food Dave brought and collapsing into a stupor again.
But, I passed, and didn't have to worry about what I was eating for Thanksgiving itself, and some people got some interesting texts from me.
