As new moms, many women are unaware or don't know what to expect about the 3 hour glucose test during pregnancy. Everyone knows what it is. It checks a woman's blood sugar levels. But, do people really think about the process and how difficult it can be for some women? The main concern women have about the glucose test is testing positive for gestational diabetes, which is common during pregnancy.

About 1 in 10 women will develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy, which is why doctors and practitioners screen for this in every patient. For the most part, it starts with a one hour test. Depending on the result, it can last up to three hours, or longer. Women with gestational diabetes are likely to have wonderfully normal pregnancies and healthy babies, they will just have to alter their eating habits and live a healthier lifestyle.

Want to learn more about the three hour glucose test? Read below to gain more knowledge about the process and now we will all be aware of what to expect when walking into the doctor’s office between 24-28 week check-up.

12 Sugar Sugar Everywhere

Diabetes can be genetic or due to a lifestyle factor. When you go to your first prenatal visit and the doctor finds out diabetes run in your family or if your body mass index was 30 or higher before pregnancy, they will test for diabetes. Usually, gestational diabetes is tested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy and about 1 in 10 women will develop it during their pregnancy.

The process is quite simple….sometimes. You’ll drink a syrupy glucose solution. One hour later, you’ll have a blood test to measure your blood sugar level. If your blood level comes out normal, great! The doctor will see you again next visit. If your blood sugar is higher than normal, you’ll need a glucose tolerance test, aka the 3 hour glucose test, and you might as well bring books, your laptop, or anything you can entertain yourself with for 3 hours.

11 Stay Away From Food And Drinks

The best way to avoid a high glucose test is to schedule your appointment first thing in the morning, and DO NOT eat anything. Just drink water. The reason I say this is because there are many instances where women eat and drink sugary drinks a few hours before their appointments and hope the food is digested, and guess what? The test comes out positive and now they're stuck at the doctors office for 3 hours to do it all over again. I was one of those women. As a first time mom, I always scheduled my appointments in the afternoons. An excuse not to go back to work. I ate breakfast and avoided sugary foods. Well, my blood sugar test came out high. Lucky me, I had to schedule another visit and was expected to be there for 3 hours. What a drag!

Ladies, trust me, schedule your appointment early in the morning, only drink water and wait till afterwards to eat.

10 Glucose Syrupy Drink...Ugh

If you’ve never taken the glucose test during your pregnancy, you’re probably nervous about how this glucose solution drink might taste like. Will it make me throw up? Will I have to drink it again if I do throw it up? That nauseous feeling you already get in the mornings don’t make the thought of it any better. Ladies, let me tell you, this drink is not bad at all. Well in my opinion, it’s not the best, but it’s drinkable. You are usually given a few flavor choices. In my doctor’s office, it was lemon-lime and orange. I chose orange, and it tastes similar to orange soda, so it wasn't a horrible experience.

It is different for each women; for some, it's more difficult to get the glucose drink down. But it has to get done. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy, and this is most commonly done to check for gestational diabetes.

9 Raises A Red Flag

Usually, between 24 and 28 weeks, your doctor’s appointment consists of peeing in a cup, drinking a glucose syrupy drink, waiting an hour for the drink to digest into your system and lastly getting your blood drawn. As you wait for your result, the only thing on your mind is, what am I going to eat afterwards, right?

This test can be nerve-wracking because about 15-25% of women fail the one hour test and have to go through the glucose tolerance test also known as the 3 hour glucose test. For the most part, doctors do a really good job tracking your health and making sure you don't have diabetes, or if you do, making sure you are taking the necessary steps to control it during your entire pregnancy. Every time you pee in a cup, your doctor is also checking for glucose in the urine which can be an indicator if you have diabetes or not. The 3 hour glucose test is the best indicator to know if you have gestational diabetes.

8 Glucose Tolerance Test Screening

Unlike the 1-hour glucose test, the glucose tolerance test requires 14 hours of fasting before the test is done. A baseline sample of blood will be taken at the beginning of the doctor's appointment, which can tell the doctor what the glucose level for the mother is when she's fasting. The mother will then take the glucose solution drink and blood will be taken every hour for the next 3 hours. If at least two of the blood sugar readings are higher than normal, you'll be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

As draining as it sounds, having to be at the doctor's office a little over 3 hours, it is highly important to take this test seriously, for the health of the mom and her growing baby. Like I previously mentioned, don’t forget to bring a book or something you can entertain yourself with for the time you’ll be at the doctors.

7 Positive Results....Now What?

Are you diagnosed with gestational diabetes? No worries, after the baby is born, usually, gestational diabetes will end with the finalization of the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is treated in the same way as normal diabetes. The doctor will likely advise the mother of a dietary change that will benefit the mother and her growing baby. On top of a dietary change, the doctor might also request the mother to participate in some physical activities, even if it means walking for 20 minutes a day, any activity counts to control blood glucose levels.

Some women will also need to use insulin to control their blood glucose levels. Mom will have to test her blood sugar levels throughout the day and try to maintain healthy levels for both her health and the health of the baby.

6 Physical Activity Is Important

Your glucose test came back high in blood sugar, now what? Your lifestyle has to change. The doctor might have suggested for you to increase your physical activity and change your diet to hearty and healthy meals. There are myths that women who are pregnant cannot perform much physical activity because it can be dangerous. Wrong! Regular exercise reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, and shortens the duration of active labor.

Throughout my pregnancy, I went walking almost every single day and did some moderate workouts in the gym. It made me feel great whenever I felt like I couldn't do anything else. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes experienced better glycemic control and lower glucose levels by performing resistance training three times a week.

5 A Diet Change Is Also Important

A healthy diet is essential when trying to prevent diabetes or help in assisting to control your blood sugar. Although there are no foods, drinks, or herbs that will lower blood sugar, medication and exercise can. There are, however, foods you can eat that won’t raise your blood sugars. A diet change is important when you have diabetes or to prevent it.

Some foods that will help in not raising your blood sugar levels are avocados, fish with omega-3 fatty acids, apple cider vinegar, leafy greens, eggs, almonds, whole grains, fruits, and coffee. Following a healthy diet can help tremendously. Some women crave the craziest things when they're carrying a baby, and they MUST have it. Like me, I was never a huge chocolate eater until I was pregnant, I needed it everyday. And even though my blood sugar level was normal, some women really have to watch out on eating a lot of sugary foods.

4 How Is My Baby Affected?

When a mother has high levels of blood glucose, it affects the baby just as much as it does the mother. The baby gets all their nutrients from the mother via blood which causes the extra sugar to store as fat in the baby. Extra sugar means extra weight, which is the reason these babies grow larger than normal. They are likely to have certain complications such as injuries during delivery because of their size, jaundice, low blood sugar and mineral levels when they’re born, temporary breathing problems, and preterm birth. Your baby might have a higher chance of obesity and diabetes, that’s why it’s important to help your baby live a healthy lifestyle to decrease the chances of these complications.

3 How Am I Affected?

For the most part, after a women with gestational diabetes give birth, their blood sugar will probably return to normal. She also has a risk of developing type 2 diabetes later or gestational diabetes with her future pregnancies. I cannot stress enough how important it is living a healthy lifestyle, especially if you have diabetes. There are various complications that can also occur to the mother during her pregnancy such as, miscarriage, pre-term birth, high blood pressure or preeclampsia, and you will have a higher chance of needing a C-section because of how big your baby may be. Many women with gestational diabetes still have vaginal births. It’s just a conversation you will need to have with your doctor about.

2 Questions Are Important

There are several drugs that may interfere with the glucose test, and it’s the reason why it’s important to tell your doctor all the medications you are taking. As a first time mom, not knowing what to expect can be stressful not knowing what the results are going to be -for any tests really - because the only thing you want is to create a healthy baby. Well, doctors are here every step of the way and it’s important you have a doctor with which you are comfortable. Asking lots of questions ensures that your mind is at ease, as well as everyone's around you.

Usually, certain medications can result in a positive glucose result for the 1 hour test, as well as when your urine is being checked for glucose. Remember ladies, ask questions and ensure your doctor knows of all the medications your are taking.

1 Face Your Fears

I have met numerous people who hate having their blood drawn, my fiancé being one of them. Unfortunately, pregnant women have absolutely no way to avoid it. With both the one hour test and the glucose tolerance test, blood has to be drawn, even with other prenatal visits. Some people are what you call “needle phobic.” Usually most women face their fears at the thought of needles and getting their blood drawn because they have to get it done, basically throughout their whole pregnancy.

There are a few suggestions that can help to ease your fears. Lying down and closing your eyes can help you relax and put you in a more comfortable position. A good trick is to keep a conversation going, silence definitely makes people nervous.

Resources: Mayo Clinic, What To Expect, BabyCenter, WebMD