Pregnancy GTT Test

The Pregnancy GTT test or the glucose tolerance test is carried out to determine your sensitivity to the same, during your pregnancy. This test is used to determine if you have developed gestational diabetes during the course of your pregnancy; it is not unheard for women who have not had diabetes to develop the same during the course of their pregnancy. This is why this test is important and crucial both for you and the health of your baby as well. A glucose tolerance test should clearly indicate to the doctor as to how well your body is able to absorb sugar and indicate whether you have developed diabetes or not. In case of a positive result, your doctor would recommend a course of treatment to help you better control your current condition and to safeguard your health and that of your fetus.

This test is vital since gestational diabetes can cause you to experience mild to severe complications with your pregnancy. Your doctor would recommend that you take this test periodically during the course of your pregnancy to better monitor your health and ensure that you do not develop gestational diabetes. You would be required to abstain from all food up to eight hours before the test is administered, and you can drink water but avoid consuming anything else. You can return to normal diet once the test is complete. You also need to inform your doctor about any medications you are taking at the moment, as this can have an impact on the test result

This test is often used to determine if you have developed gestational diabetes during your pregnancy; your doctor would suggest that you take this test during the 24 th or 28 th week of your pregnancy but may suggest an even earlier timeframe dependent on your current health condition.

Your doctor would first draw a blood sample to use as a baseline marker for your current glucose levels after which he would ask you to drink a solution with 50 g of sugar mixed in it. And he would take another sample at the one-hour mark. The same process would be repeated for the second and third hour mark, this should enable your doctor to determine whether you have developed gestational diabetes or not. Once diabetes is confirmed, your doctor would inform you and suggest a new course of medication to help you with the same as well as suggest changes to your current diet. You may even be required to meet with a dietician, but you may also be required to exercise regularly which should help you with your diabetes.