Double the Sugar, Double the Fun

Three hour glucose test pregnancy diabetes pass orange drink

So fun fact: when you have to take the 3 hour glucose test, the drink you're given has apparently twice the sugar as the drink from the 1 hour test!  (Apparently that's what the 50/100 numbers mean).  Although besides it being a bit more bubbly than the previous one, I didn't notice much of a difference.  I chugged it as quickly as I had last time, and then followed it by a bunch of water.  It's really not the worst part of the test.

Neither is the 3 hour wait, if I'm being honest.  I read an entire Jodi Piccoult book during the test, so I was thoroughly entertained!  The nurses were even nice enough to let me sit in their staff lounge, which was a little bit nicer and quieter than the waiting room, and had a cold water dispenser as a bonus.  I was only alone in there for about half an hour before I was joined by another mom who was taking the same test.  I felt a little bad for her, though, since she had no idea what she was getting herself into.  Not only had she not brought any food to eat after (I had a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, a granola bar and apple sauce haha), but she also didn't have anything to entertain herself with.  She just ended up sleeping for most of it.

Pass 3 hour gestational diabetes test pregnancy

She also wasn't aware of how many times we needed to get our blood drawn.  I almost felt bad telling her!  Because the worst part of the test might be that you get your blood drawn 4 times.  And I'm someone who has no problem getting their blood drawn.  (Especially after I talked the nurses into giving me a different tape than the stuff they normally use which gives me a rash. Win!)  But after 4 pricks in 3 hours, your arms do get a little sore haha.  Poor things. 

Also not being able to eat is a pretty mean thing to do to a pregnant woman.  Although I wasn't as hungry as I was worried I'd be (must be all that sugar).  I did eat my sandwich before I even got to the T after the test.  I worked from home in the afternoon in case I felt sick afterwards, but I was actually okay.  I think the difference was that I kept eating throughout the day, and so I never really had to deal with the sugar crash.  

I did feel off a few times during the test, though.  A couple of times I felt like the drink was about to come back up, but there was no way I was going to taste that orange junk again by throwing it up, and then probably having to restart the test, so I focused all of my knowledge from being a frequently car sick kid at keeping that junk DOWN. 

Also about an hour or two in, I did start getting a headache like last time, but the nurses encouraged me to keep drinking cold water, which actually helped quite a bit.  I was a little worried for the other girl in the room with me, who didn't appear to drink anything in the three hour period.  I emptied my 32oz Nalgene twice! 

But all that matters in the end, is that my test results came back okay, which they did!  I officially do not have baby induced diabetes - yay!  I'm glad we know for sure and don't have to worry about it, but next time around, I'm going to make sure I pass that 1 hour test!