It is very common to have some anxiety around your glucose tolerance screening for gestational diabetes. What can I expect? Will the drink settle okay on my stomach? What will the results be?

It is also common to start second guessing what you have been eating and how you have been taking care of yourself, wondering if that will play a role in your experience and the outcome of the test.

This post aims to ease some anxiety around the test and share how you can prepare, and what to eat, before the gestational diabetes test.

What Is The Pregnancy Glucose Test

What To Eat Before Your Gestational Diabetes Test

Also referred to as the gestational oral glucose tolerance test, the gestational diabetes test’s purpose is to screen for potential gestational diabetes.

The test is usually done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, but ideally towards 28 weeks as insulin resistance tends to peak by 32 weeks. You may be tested earlier if you have other risk factors for gestational diabetes, such as a strong family history of diabetes, having polycystic ovarian syndrome, high blood pressure or gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.

The gestational diabetes test provides a way to see how your body responds after ingesting a higher concentration of glucose (aka sugar).

Generally when you consume glucose through your food, it is released into the bloodstream. Your body will then release insulin to help move the glucose from the bloodstream into your cells where it can be used for energy. This creates a natural rising and falling of our blood glucose levels which is a very normal part of our physiology.

Due to various factors during pregnancy, your body is not as sensitive to the insulin, meaning that the glucose remains in the bloodstream for longer, creating blood glucose levels that remain elevated for longer over what they may normally be. Excessively elevated blood glucose levels have been linked to potential birth complications.

This is what is being screened for, so that if you do, in fact, have gestational diabetes, you can be monitored and taken care of for the remainder of your pregnancy.

It is important to note that gestational diabetes affects 7% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States each year. And receiving a diagnosis is not your fault or a reflection on your diet.

What To Expect During The Test?

Most practices use the non-fasting one hour glucose tolerance test.

For this test, you will typically be given a sugary solution containing 50 grams of glucose called glucola to drink. This is similar to a very sweet flat soda or juice drink.

You will be asked to drink the 6oz drink in 5 minutes or less. Some providers may give you the drink to have at home, so that you can drink it just before going into the lab for a blood draw. If this is the case, you can make sure the drink is chilled and drink it with a straw which makes it slightly more pleasant to consume.

Some women may experience nausea after ingesting the drink. You should be able to sip on water after the glucola (noting that each lab has different instructions on this, so check with them), but do avoid caffeine, nursing or excessive movement while you are waiting for your blood to be drawn as this can impact your glucose reading.

At exactly one hour after you took your last sip of the drink, you will have your blood drawn so that the amount of glucose in it can be measured.

Blood glucose levels of less than 140mg/dL at the one hour mark is considered a ‘pass’.

If the result is above 140mg/dL after the one hour test, you will be encouraged to complete the three hour glucose test in order to confirm or rule out a gestational diabetes diagnosis. This test involves you drinking a 100 gram glucose solution and then having your blood drawn each hour for three hours.

Alternative Gestational Diabetes Test Drinks And Methods

There are some practices open to using alternative glucose solutions, so this is something you can speak to your provider about.

Approximately 10% of people are unable to tolerate the glucola drink. However, since the purpose is to ingest 50 grams of glucose, alternative glucose solutions to the glucola drink include:

11 oz of grape juice
16 oz of orange juice
10 twizzlers
Approximately 28 jelly beans

And if none of this sounds enticing to you, another method of screening includes keeping track of your blood sugars at home for one week, which is actually a more insightful method of what your blood glucose is doing in real time.

How To Prepare For Your Pregnancy Glucose Test

In the lead-up to the test, continue to follow your regular eating routine and try to get good rest when you sleep. Not sleeping well can increase your cortisol levels (a stress hormone) which can impact your blood sugar levels.

Should You Fast Before the Glucose Test?

If you are concerned that your blood sugar may be high, it is tempting to try and pull out some last minute strategies to try and receive the ‘best’ result.

It will not benefit you to try and fast before the screening. This is unlikely to help you ‘pass’ the test, but is more likely to make you feel unwell after drinking the solution, and ultimately will not give you the accurate results we are looking for.

What To Eat The Night Before

The night before your test, it is recommended that you eat a meal containing a good source of fiber and protein. Protein and fiber will help slow down your digestion and metabolism so that the meal stays with you longer and blunts the after-meal blood sugar spike. This will also help take you into the day of your screening with even, balanced blood sugars.

Good sources of fiber will be found in:

Whole grains
Legumes
Beans
Soy
Veggies
Fruit

Good sources of protein include:

Meats
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Cheese
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Soy
Beans
Seeds
Nuts

What To Eat For Breakfast Before The Glucose Test

The day of the test, you want to continue that balance by having breakfast or a meal that also contains fiber and protein. It is also recommended that you go into the test well hydrated.

Some examples of blood sugar balancing meals to eat prior are:

Avocado toast with two eggs on multigrain bread
Breakfast sandwich and a cup of berries
Turkey, cheese, hummus, and veggies in a whole grain wrap or bread
Drinkable yogurt with a slice of whole-grain toast with peanut butter

What To Eat After The Test

Some women are more sensitive to the blood sugar spike (and crash) than others and may feel hungry, nauseated, shaky, or tired. So, it can be helpful to plan ahead to have a balanced snack or meal after you’ve left the lab.

Eating something after the gestational diabetes test that contains fiber and protein will help settle your symptoms and restabilize you for the remainder of the day.

Final Thoughts

Undergoing the gestational diabetes test is one of the less pleasant parts of pregnancy but is very important for you and your baby. While perhaps not completely avoidable, there are dietary strategies you can try prior to and after the test to help reduce the side effects of the drink, while also promoting balanced blood sugar levels.

And know that no matter what the outcome, we are here to support you. In fact, we have created a course especially for mamas-to-be who have gestational diabetes. Eat for Two with Gestational Diabetes is an evidence-based nutrition course all about balancing your blood sugar, and supporting your changing body with gestational diabetes.