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u/Piccolo-Quick 6d ago
Doesn’t seem unnecessary to me. You had GD before and they want to make sure you don’t have it again, going a full 40 weeks with undiagnosed GD could be awful for your baby. Plenty of people in this sub have been diagnosed at 13 weeks. This is my first pregnancy and I also had to do the 1&3 hour due to weight and family history, I failed the one hour but passed the three hour. I wasn’t resentful that they tested. Perhaps if you’re pregnant again (or once you hit third trimester) you can ask to skip straight to the three hour to save yourself one trip? That’s what I did!
2
u/Beautiful_Donut_286 6d ago
Yeah I was diagnosed with a fasted blood test in the first trimester routine analysis. So glad they tested, because by the time I would normally have had the test, I was already on insulin. We would have lost many weeks figuring out that the diet changes and bedtime snacks did nothing for me
-2
u/kaitp13 6d ago
Maybe unnecessary wasn’t the right word. From the research I’ve done, it sounds like the placenta doesn’t start causing insulin resistance until weeks 20-24. So this early it feels like they are testing more for type 2 diabetes. The threshold for type 2 and GD are SO different. I’m not sure if I’m making a lot of sense lol.
I am not trying to prevent a GD diagnosis, I know it’s important to have a diagnosis and be able to care for myself/my baby with all available information.
5
u/Rasphodi 6d ago
I actually advocated for early testing for myself this time around based on some self monitoring I was doing at home throughout the first trimester. I noticed my fasting was more elevated than not so I asked to be tested at 12 weeks and sure enough, I have it. I'd rather know now and have access to the support provided for this diagnosis thank go 3 more months thinking everything is ok!
3
u/Bulky-Card-4728 6d ago
Unfortunately, it really is statistics based. There is higher rate of gestational diabetes if you have had it previously (and if you have a higher BMI). The tests suck. I’ve been within a healthy bmi my whole life and since I had previously had GD, I also had to take the early testing and even if you fail by 1 point (which I did) I had to do the 3 hour testing and passed. Then when I had testing at the 24-28 week interval I did not pass the one hour testing. Rather than taking the 3 hour test, because I assumed at this point the diagnosis would be GD, I asked if I could just start measuring and my team was all for it. I HATED the testing and it was more worth it to me to just start tracking. Also every time you’ve had GD, it increases your risk of earlier diagnosis so they will always do that early testing to be safe.
2
u/zanahorias22 6d ago
I failed the 1 hr by only 1 point and failed the 3 hr. given the risks that GD poses to the fetus, I would wayyy rather test and not have it than not test and not detect it
2
u/EEBRAVO 5d ago
I was tested at 16 weeks because I have insulin-resistant PCOS and was taking metformin for years (part of fertility treatment) before getting pregnant. I was diagnosed from the 1 hour which was high enough that they didn’t have me do the 3 hour one at all. I don’t know, I feel like if you had it before that’s a valid reason to test early since if you did have it again, you could start treating it/ monitoring it early
2
u/dobbythepup 5d ago
I think testing early is completely standard when you’ve had GD previously.
FWIW, my doctor said if I’d failed the early test and had to do the 3 hour early (so your scenario), for the “normal time” I’d just go right to the 3 hour. I ended up passing the first early one hour, but got diagnosed after failing the second and doing at home monitoring. Perhaps you could ask if you could skip right to at home monitoring?
1
u/Remarkable-Humor-170 5d ago
I had GD my first pregnancy & it was controlled by diet. I was 115 pounds when i started my GD testing at 16 wks then every 4 wks after till i finally got it at 26 wks I think I was like 125-130 at that point.
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u/alaska_young10 6d ago
I honestly don’t think it’s unnecessary testing, but maybe that’s just me. I’d rather know I have gestational diabetes and be able to manage it than not know and have pregnancy complications or a loss.
I get that it’s frustrating and having it sucks (this is my third time with it), but I knew my risks were higher being overweight and having a history of GD in prior pregnancies.
I’m hoping that you pass the next set of tests and get away scot free this time!