Asking for an alternative to the GD test

[jlw617]

Ok so I've read some info about how some ladies have drank wenches grape juice or eaten jelly beans even in place of the nasty drink they make you take for the GD test, during my last pregnancy which ended in mmc, I had asked about an alternative and she looked at me like I was crazy and she was a midwife no less! What are your thoughts and ideas on this?

 

[orionfox]

I think its all up to what the place offers. Not every place has different options. You can ask if they have a different option to the sugar drink, but if they dont have the others then there is no option. So those who have had different it would be because the place they were at had more than one option available. Some places dont. But no matter what any option is going to be gross and disgusting as its all going to be just sugar mostly and not nice tasting.

 

[mommyB]

My first pregnancy I had to do it twice because I failed the first time. I don't remember having an issue drinking it. The second time I gagged it down and started crying. Lol. I'm not looking forward to it, but it's something you have to do. I remember talking to someone who refused it. I don't know if there are any other options.

 

[jlw617]

Thanks ladies, I'm not talking about what they offer orionfox, the times I've read about other women using alternatives, they just acquired it from home, jelly beans, grape juice etc...to me grape juice or jelly beans sound way more palatable than the stuff they make you drink

Mommyb-I had to take it 2x in my second pregnancy because I misunderstood the nurse about eating something before hand. Blech

 

[lomelindi17]

Yes there is an article on Mommypotamus about this very thing. The Glucola drink is very unhealthy, and full of bad ingredients, especially for pregnant women, and I hate that the medical profession makes everyone drink it without a care when there are easy alternatives. I plan not to drink that stuff either.
https://www.mommypotamus.com/natural-alternatives-to-the-gestational-diabetes-test/
I have read that some midwives use regular grape juice, or just a big breakfast of eggs, toast, and a piece of fruit. I think in order to convince your midwife if she isn't familiar with it, you may have to do some research and present it to her. Perhaps contact a few home birth midwives and ask if they use any alternatives. I'm hoping my midwife is open to alternatives too, I haven't met her yet. Good luck!

 

[orionfox]

Ah i see...anyhow im not too worried about it as i havent heard of a lot of others out here where i live choosing to do an alternative. Even though that one article talks about how unhealthy it is for you, unless i hear from a bunch of others who have developed issues from it or had their children develop issues im not going to worry too much. Mom did it with all three of us kids as she had gd for all of us. She has no problems from it and neither did we. So its one of those things not tested out for sure if its actually that bad for you. Not that i dont think its a possibility, but that there isnt enough to show its actually very harmful at this point. But obviously each to their own how they feel about it.

 

[NDH]

Some women I know have opted just for HBa1c blood tests vs the usual sugar drink. Or using a monitor to test their own blood sugar after meals (and possibly eat as if they did have GD and just skip the testing) You do have options I wil not be overloading my system with hugs quantities of sugar either just to see if I can process it (and better than a non-diabetic woman at that as the acceptable range in pregnancy is considered lower than non-pregnancy.

 

[ElmaWG]

I've never heard of anyone who drank/ate something else instead of the gross beverage, but it would be great. But I would image you'd need to consume a specific calibrated amount of whatever it is, so the docs can tell if your bodies response is appropriate. Like you couldn't just east a handful of jellybean, but rather exactly 27, or however many have equivalent sugar to the original drink. Or maybe I'm wrong about this...

 

[lomelindi17]

Elma yes that's what I've read too, it needs to be a specific amount of whatever food you use.

NDH I agree, if you never drink soda or juice or eat much sugar, then suddenly overload your system with a super sugary drink, of course your levels are going to be high, that's why I think the GD test gives a lot of people false positives. I'm no expert but I don't see why you'd need a tolerance to that high an amount of sugar if you don't typically even eat that way. They are basing the test on the standard diet which has way too much sugar in it to begin with, and I don't think a one size fits all test is appropriate. If someone were to get a false positive for GD, that opens them up to the label of "high risk" which can bring along a whole host of other interventions.

I don't think drinking the Glucola one time is going to be so harmful that it causes birth defects or harm you in any significant way, but I just think it's counterproductive to drink that processed, artificial coloring and flavored laden drink when I'm trying really hard to only put very healthy things in my body and doing a lot of things to avoid chemicals in my daily life. Not that it's the mothers' fault, but it's (another) issue I have with Western Medicine. I think there are lot of "harmless" products that when added all together are anything but. I do think it contributes to the toxic load on your body, which won't really harm you if you are generally healthy but for some people who are already loaded up with toxins it may. I've read stories about the mother drinking it and about 5 minutes later feeling her baby going nuts flipping around and obviously all hyper.. that kind of sugar overload also affects the baby. And I believe refined sugar is a poison for the body. For me, if there is a healthy, natural option to achieve the same result - finding out how your body processes sugar - then why not.

I don't blame anyone who drinks the Glucola of course, it's easiest and it's most likely not going to hurt you, and everyone's doctors are more comfortable with it, but I personally just tend to be very skeptical about a lot of "standard" products and procedures, and I don't have much trust in allopathic medicine obviously. I tend more towards Naturopathic Medicine as I feel it is more accurate and comprehensive, as well as evidence-based whereas a lot of Western Medicine practices are based on established methods (habit) or convenience/cost-based, and are inflexible to new science. But anyway, off my soap box now

 

[flamingpanda]

Does the drink taste different elsewhere? I was told it tasted like flat Coke and I have to say I thought that was pretty spot on. All in all the worst thing about the test was the amount of time it took. I'm taking a book this time!

 

[flamingpanda]

Oh wait, I think I read this wrong, you mean health wise rather than taste wise?

 

[NDH]

Elma yes that's what I've read too, it needs to be a specific amount of whatever food you use.

NDH I agree, if you never drink soda or juice or eat much sugar, then suddenly overload your system with a super sugary drink, of course your levels are going to be high, that's why I think the GD test gives a lot of people false positives. I'm no expert but I don't see why you'd need a tolerance to that high an amount of sugar if you don't typically even eat that way. They are basing the test on the standard diet which has way too much sugar in it to begin with, and I don't think a one size fits all test is appropriate. If someone were to get a false positive for GD, that opens them up to the label of "high risk" which can bring along a whole host of other interventions.

I don't think drinking the Glucola one time is going to be so harmful that it causes birth defects or harm you in any significant way, but I just think it's counterproductive to drink that processed, artificial coloring and flavored laden drink when I'm trying really hard to only put very healthy things in my body and doing a lot of things to avoid chemicals in my daily life. Not that it's the mothers' fault, but it's (another) issue I have with Western Medicine. I think there are lot of "harmless" products that when added all together are anything but. I do think it contributes to the toxic load on your body, which won't really harm you if you are generally healthy but for some people who are already loaded up with toxins it may. I've read stories about the mother drinking it and about 5 minutes later feeling her baby going nuts flipping around and obviously all hyper.. that kind of sugar overload also affects the baby. And I believe refined sugar is a poison for the body. For me, if there is a healthy, natural option to achieve the same result - finding out how your body processes sugar - then why not.

I don't blame anyone who drinks the Glucola of course, it's easiest and it's most likely not going to hurt you, and everyone's doctors are more comfortable with it, but I personally just tend to be very skeptical about a lot of "standard" products and procedures, and I don't have much trust in allopathic medicine obviously. I tend more towards Naturopathic Medicine as I feel it is more accurate and comprehensive, as well as evidence-based whereas a lot of Western Medicine practices are based on established methods (habit) or convenience/cost-based, and are inflexible to new science. But anyway, off my soap box now

I think we must be kindred spirits lol

 

[Mrs_Bump]

I had this test in my last pregnancy and the sugar didn't dissolve in the water properly so I was given a spoon and told to eat the grit at the bottom. I was very nearly sick. I completely go off sweet stuff in pregnancy anyhow. I came up strongly negative for gd, so much so I was told I needed to eat small regular meals as my body was almost too efficient in how it deals with sugars. Having said this I will do it again in this pregnancy because each pregnancy is different and the risk of unchecked gd is a worry for me. I'm a very tall broad lady so already produce big babies.

 

[jlw617]

Oh wait, I think I read this wrong, you mean health wise rather than taste wise?

.

Well pretty much both, that stuff tastes disgusting but I think NDH and lomelindi17 summed up my concerns about it-especially because in this pregnancy I actually have an aversion to sugar so I am dreading having to do this test,

 

[misspriss]

I asked to do an alternative, after some back and forth from the OB she okayed apple juice instead. She also had me do some extra home monitoring too, and I passed with no issue.