Learn How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed
I was pregnant with my first child. I was going through the entire test procedures that the doctor had advised for the well-being of my baby. One of these was to check my blood glucose level to find out, whether I have gestational diabetes. Depending on the risks involved, the health care team carries out various tests for diagnosis of gestational diabetes:
Random blood glucose test: It is also known as a fasting blood glucose test. Before this test, the doctor asked me to fast for at least eight hours, as the doctor can check the blood glucose at any time of the day in that duration. It is the preliminary test to find, if I had gestational diabetes. However, for confirmation the doctor asked me to undergo other tests.
Screening a glucose challenge test: The medical staff asked me to drink a sugary beverage. I did not want to have soft drinks. They gave me a juice to drink. There is always sugar present in juice. The results came out to be more than normal. Hence, the doctor asked me to undergo further tests to confirm gestational diabetes.
Oral glucose test: I had to fast for at least eight hours before the test. They checked my blood sugar level for evidence of gestational diabetes and asked to drink a sugary beverage again. They then checked my blood sugar level three times, per hour. The levels were more abnormal in two of the three during the test. Hence, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes .
Other Gestational Diabetes Tests:
The doctor prescribed a complete different diet plan and exercise schedule to check out for gestational diabetes. The health team also taught me some other tests, which all you women can carry out on your own to check for gestational diabetes. Firstly, one of them was to test for KEE-tones in the blood or morning urine.
High levels of ketones mark that the body is using fats instead of using food for supply of energy. The other test was to use the blood glucose meter to check for gestational diabetes. Prick the finger to obtain a drop of blood. I had to find my glucose level for treatment of gestational diabetes various times a day:
- In the morning
- 2 hours after the breakfast
- 2 hours after the lunch
- 2 hours after dinner
In the morning, the blood glucose level is expected to be around 95 to help cure diabetes gestational. To treat gestational diabetes the glucose level need not exceed above 140 after one hour of the meal and not more than 120 after two hours of meal.
