What To Eat Before Pregnancy Glucose Test? Let’s Find Out!
Among a lot of new moms, the question of what to eat before pregnancy glucose test is a common concern. The popular glucose challenge test helps measure the response of the body towards sugar, also known as glucose.
The glucose challenge test is mainly done when a woman is pregnant. The primary purpose of this test is to check for growing diabetes during pregnancy. The condition is widely known as gestational diabetes.
There are two main steps involved in this test. In the first one, the woman needs to drink a sugary drink. An hour later, her blood sugar is measured. The results confirm if she has gestational diabetes in her blood.
If all the results reach beyond the standard limit, more testing needs to be done to diagnose gestational diabetes.
However, for new moms, it is important to know every intricate detail about this test to be able to pass it without any complications. So, if you want to find out more about what to eat before the pregnancy glucose test and how to pass it, stay with us till the end of the article.
What Is A Glucose Pregnancy Test?
Before we take you to the part where you get all the food instructions before a pregnancy glucose test, it is important that you know what exactly a glucose test is and why it is done.
As you may have read already, the glucose test is done to check for gestational diabetes in women during pregnancy.
Women with an average gestational diabetes risk primarily get this test done within the second trimester. The best time to do it is between 24 and 28 weeks.
Women who are at a high risk of gestational diabetes need to get this test done way before the referred 24 to 28 weeks. The risk factors include:
- A 30 or higher body mass index.
- Lacking any physical activity.
- Gestational diabetes in the earlier weeks of pregnancy.
- Medical conditions that are related to developing gestational diabetes, like polycystic ovarian syndrome or metabolic syndrome.
- Being 35 or older at the time of pregnancy
- Genetic diabetes
- If the baby from the earlier pregnancy weighs over 9 pounds at the time of birth.
- Being Hispanic, Black, Asian American, or American Indian.
However, most women who still suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy tend to deliver healthy babies. If they fail to manage it carefully, gestational diabetes might result in pregnancy complications.
Sometimes, this might lead to fatal problems like Preeclampsia.
Gestational diabetes might also increase the risks of having larger than usual babies. Delivering large babies might lead to C-section deliveries or increase the risk of birth injuries.
Sometimes, people who suffer from gestational diabetes might also be at risk of getting type 2 diabetes. So, it is always better to test it before things get out of hand.
What To Eat Before Pregnancy Glucose Test?
When you eat, the body breaks down all the carbohydrates into glucose. It is the main source of energy for the body. However, an increased amount of glucose in blood has adverse effects on the body. At the time of pregnancy, there are mainly two types of tests that can help detect blood sugar levels and diagnose gestational diabetes.
Each of them requires different ways of eating. Usually, only the women who do not pass the first test are referred for the second one.
Glucose Screening Test
Between the 24th and 28th weeks, doctors conduct a glucose screening test on pregnant women.During this screening test, (or the one-hour or two-step glucose test) you would have to drink a very sugary beverage. It might be something similar to plain soda or anything too sweet. An hour later, the doctor would draw out some of your blood to check if there is anything unusual about the glucose level in the blood.
When you go for the glucose screening test, do not make the mistake of not eating anything or eating a super sweet and carb-rich breakfast in the morning. Either of these might drastically increase the sugar levels in your blood.
Instead, you might try to maintain a balanced protein and carb meal the night before and the day of the glucose test.
Food that serves complex or good carbs is high in fiber. Therefore, it takes pretty long for the body to digest these foods. These items enter your bloodstream pretty gradually. So you would not have any of those irritating spikes in blood sugar levels.
Some of the most popular complex-carb foods might include:
- Vegetables – especially the ones without any starch like cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, broccoli, and green beans
- Whole grains – oatmeal or whole bread
- Fresh fruits – watermelon, apples, and berries
- Legumes – mainly in the form of black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans
If you wish to get energy for a long time, balance the meals with foods rich in protein like nuts, dairy, fish, or lean meat such as poultry.
Breakfast Options Before The Glucose Screening Test
Pregnancy nerves can test your limits to an extreme. So, sometimes, bringing together the easiest breakfast options might seem like the most difficult thing to do. To sort this out, we have listed down some healthy and hearty breakfast options to try out before a glucose screening test.
- A whole wheat toast with the topping of mashed avocado or natural peanut butter.
- Plain Greek yogurt with the topping of blueberries
- A healthy oatmeal with low-fat milk and fresh berries
- Omelet with cheddar cheese and broccoli
- Scrambled tofu with Swiss cheese and spinach
- A whole wheat burrito with a filling of beans, scrambled eggs, and tomatoes.
It is also a very clever idea to have a look at what you are eating before the pregnancy screening test. This is mainly because every time you go to the doctor, they would ask you to pee in a cup to check for your sugar levels. To make sure you pass in each of these tests, it is better to follow a healthy eating routine every time before the test.
Glucose Tolerance Test
When the blood sugar levels come up too high in the glucose screening test, it implies that your body is not producing enough insulin to break down the extra glucose when pregnant.
When the screening results are too high, doctors would ask you to go for a glucose tolerance test. This is also known as the three-hour or one-step glucose test.
This time, they will take your blood the moment you arrive. For this, you need to fast ahead of time.
Once this is done, you will have to drink a sugary soda or anything that is sweet and have your blood taken three times. This will be done on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hour after your sugar consumption. To do the glucose tolerance test, you would be required to avoid eating anything for 8 to 14 hours before the scheduled appointment.
How Do You Pass Your Glucose Screening Test?
Even when you know all the right things to eat before a glucose screening test, there is a high chance that you might not pass it in one go. For your best results, there are a few tips and tricks that might help you pass your glucose screening test without any worries.
Eat Your Breakfast
Going for a glucose screening test in an empty stomach is one grave mistake that you might want to avoid. On the morning of your appointment, make sure to eat a healthy and balanced breakfast that is high in proteins and complex carbs.
However, if you are going for a glucose tolerance test, it means you have already gone through the glucose screening. The process to follow does not stand the same when it comes to a glucose tolerance test. For your glucose tolerance test, you need to avoid eating for 8 to 14 hours before your test appointment.
Avoid Refined Carbs Or Sugar
Do not eat foods that are high in sugar on the morning of your glucose screening test. Your body can easily break down these foods, which might result in blood sugar level spikes. This means you need to avoid all your favorite breakfast options like:
- Mango juice or any other fruit juices
- Refined cereal
- Sugary granola
- Waffles, pancakes, and French toast
- Sweet toppings like syrup or jam
- White bread
- Donuts
- Many other breakfast options that consist of refined flour, like croissants, banana bread, pastries, and muffins.
Go For A Walk
This might be one of the most basic things to do, but if you can somehow squeeze in a short walk right in between your breakfast and screening appointment, it can actually help get your blood sugar levels in check.
Result Metrics
The results of both glucose challenges come out in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Here are the result metrics that can help you understand the limits and extends to which your blood sugar level can reach during these tests.
- A sugar level that remains below 140 mg/dL is the standard consideration.
- A blood sugar level equal to or more than 140 mg/dL but less than 190 mg/dL indicates the need for the glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes.
- A sugar level of 190 mg/dL or more is a clear indication of gestational diabetes. Anyone who reaches this level needs to get their blood sugar monitored at home every day before breakfast and after their meals.
Some handful clinics also keep their standard benchmark as 130 mg/dL for gestational diabetes.
People having gestational diabetes might still be able to avoid complications if they carefully manage their blood sugar levels throughout their pregnancy.
As per the recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, people having gestational diabetes take a glucose tolerance test of only two hours, likely 4 to 12 weeks after delivery to check for type 2 diabetes. If there is anything that you would like to clear out about gestational diabetes, it is best to ask your gynecologist to get the best opinion depending on your pregnancy.
What Happens If You Do Not Pass The Glucose Screening Test?
This is yet again a major concern among to-be mamas about the pregnancy glucose test. On your regular urine or glucose screening test, sometimes it is possible to get a positive result that your doctor might consider to be “medically insignificant.”
This means your condition will not have any evident effect on your growing baby. But, it is still important that you look for and follow healthy eating habits to make sure everything stays fine throughout the pregnancy.
And, if your test does come back positive and you end up with gestational diabetes, keep in mind that the condition is manageable and goes away once you deliver the baby.
However, you need to maintain a proper diet throughout the pregnancy, or gestational diabetes might turn into type 2 diabetes after the delivery.
In the meantime, your doctor will advise you to keep track of blood sugar levels throughout, and, depending on your health conditions, they will give you a balanced diet comprising the right amount of protein, carbs, and fibers.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no guarantee that you will pass your glucose test. However, there is a chance of getting good results if you eat proper meals before your glucose screening test. Make sure to eat a breakfast that has complex carbohydrates in it. And, absolutely do not take the test on an empty stomach.
However, when you do go for a glucose tolerance test, you need to avoid eating anything 8 to 14 hours before taking the test.
Failing the glucose screening test means you have a positive test result. In this case, your doctor would ask you to go for a glucose tolerance test to confirm if you have gestational diabetes. If you also fail the glucose tolerance test, your doctor will discuss the necessary steps depending on your health condition.
Often, you would need to manage your diet and track the sugar levels in your blood. While it is indeed intimidating to get GD at the time of pregnancy, it is easily manageable and goes away shortly after the baby is born.
The Bottom Line
Pregnancy is a tough time and often comes with many complications for mothers. Multiple health issues like blood pressure and GD can appear once the women conceive.
Glucose screening and glucose tolerance tests are the two major tests that pregnant women take to check for gestational diabetes. Therefore, most of the time, women stay worried about what to eat before pregnancy glucose test.
The list of foods to eat before the glucose test is nothing complicated. Just try to avoid anything too sugary. Stick to protein and complex carbs in case of a glucose screening test. Do not turn up in an empty stomach, as that might have an impact on how your results turn out.
As for the glucose tolerance test, you need to stay empty stomach for at least 8 to 14 hours before the test. But that is a story for later, as a glucose tolerance test happens only when your glucose screening test comes back positive.
And even if you do test positive for GD, there is nothing to worry about. With the right food and regular tracking, it will disappear as soon as the baby comes out.
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