3 Hour GTT

One of the things you have a higher risk of developing if you are pregnant with twins is gestational diabetes.  Because of this, usually you are screened earlier than people who are pregnant with one baby. So at my last appointment I was given the screening.  I had to avoid eating and drinking simple sugars throughout the day.  Then an hour before my appointment, I had to drink this glucose drink.  It basically tasted like super concentrated Kool-Aid.  The first sip was kinda good because it was so sweet, but then it was disgusting by the end of the bottle because it was so sickly sweet.  The next step is to have your blood drawn.  A few days later, a nurse called with my results.  I had failed!  Bummer!  

Since I failed, I had to do the more intense 3 Hour Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT).  I guess this test gives a better idea of how well your body actually processes glucose, or sugar.  There are a few different steps to this test.  

The first thing you have to do is fast.  I wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink past midnight on the night before my test.  I was pretty surprised that I wouldn't be allowed to drink water.  I even called back my doctor's office and double-checked with them about that.  I was told that I can only have a sip of water.  This didn't really make sense to me since I would have bloodwork done the next day.  Typically you want to be hydrated so your veins are nice and plump.  But what do I know?  I ended up setting my alarm for 11:30 so I could drink a bunch of water.  Of course this made me wake up two times afterwards to go to the bathroom.  Needless to say, I didn't really get a very good night's rest.  

The morning of the test, I made my way to my doctor's office.  The first thing I did that morning was have my blood drawn.  The gal who did this asked me if I had been drinking water and I told her that I was told not to.  She rolled her eyes and said that was wrong and that she should figure out who I had talked to.  I was a bit perturbed that I was gypped out of water, but I wasn't too thirsty.  I guess you can drink as much water as you like before the test, but after the first blood draw, you can't have anything more than a few sips.  

After my first blood draw, I had to drink a sugary glucose drink.  It wasn't very good, but I managed to get it down.  The nurse marked down the time I finished, 8:46.  Now I would have to wait another hour to have my second blood draw.  A nurse asked me if I wanted to lay down in one of the exam rooms for the next three hours.  I was very excited about this idea.  Laying down is much more comfortable than sitting for me at this stage in my pregnancy.  Someone keeps pushing on my ribs...

So I happily laid down in one of the rooms.  I had brought a bag of things to keep me entertained since I wouldn't be allowed to leave the office between blood draws.  I had my phone, my Kindle, a book and some magazines.  I managed to keep myself busy until 9:46, which was when I had my second blood draw. I was still doing okay at this point and was still managing to find things to keep me busy.  

10:46 rolled around and it was time for my third blood draw.  It turned out that my right arm had bruised up from the second blood draw, so the nurse decided to do the remaining blood draws on my left arm.  I was over all the blood draws at this point.  Plus, I was really thirsty and the sips weren't cutting it.  And I was starving!  I eat a surprising amount of food by 10:46 each morning.  

The last hour of waiting was the hardest.  I was getting bored.  I walked around the little office and stared out the window.  I did some stretches.  Eventually 11:46 rolled around.  It was finally time for my fourth and final blood draw!  Yipee!  I was so glad to get that test over with!

I had to wait two days until I got the results.  It turned out that I passed the 3 Hour GTT!  My blood sugar levels were in the appropriate range for each of the four blood draws.  I'm not sure why I didn't pass my first screening, but I was happy to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes.  I'll have to do the screening again later on in my pregnancy, but I'm not going to worry about that now.  Now I think I'll have a cookie...