Diabetes during pregnancy is an extremely common disease where a person’s body lacks insulin, resulting in an inability to process glucose in the blood.
Therefore, early detection for timely treatment through tests is very important.
For pregnant women, this is even more necessary to ensure the health of both mother and baby. But, feeling sick after glucose test pregnancy might make you feel confused.
Is it a sign of a health problem? Jump into the next part to know more!
About Glucose Test Pregnancy
Why Do I need It?
This one is very common for pregnant women. As with everyone, this process can be divided into two stages:
- Glucose screening test: A blood check is performed without your fasting, followed by the consumption of a glucose beverage and a second blood check an hour later. The doctor might advise a second test – the glucose tolerance check if the result is 140 mg/dL.
- Glucose tolerance test: you need to fast for at least 8 hours. Next, take a blood test, consume a glucose beverage, and then undergo additional one 1, 2, and maybe 3 hours later.
Then why do you need to take this health check? Simply put, it helps detect diabetes early (if present) and reduces:
- Risk of preeclampsia and high blood pressure
- Incidence of postpartum hemorrhage
- Risk of injury during labor due to the large fetus
- Rate of premature birth, miscarriage, or stillbirth
- Respiratory problems, jaundice, obesity in babies
- Hypoglycemia, seizures, and low calcium in infants
When Should I Take It?
As mentioned above, the earlier you detect it, the more appropriate treatment and resolution you will have. Usually, pregnant women will take this one between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy.
What if it’s past 26 to 28 weeks, and you still haven’t tested? No problem! You can still check it out at this point. Still, the sooner, the better.
For some people, this will happen sooner. The doctor may identify an irregularity in the mother’s blood sugar during a routine antenatal checkup.
Doctors will often require you to test earlier to come up with prompt treatment.
Also, some people didn’t even take it. If you don’t want to take it, you need to ensure the following factors:
- You’ve never had a check that revealed your blood sugar level above average.
- Diabetes is not your major health concern.
- No first-degree relatives of you have diabetes (a parent, sibling, or kid).
- You are under 25 years old, and your weight is normal.
- No unfavorable consequences occurred during the previous pregnancy.
Now, do you feel sick with gestational diabetes? Scroll down to know more.
Feeling Sick After Glucose Test Pregnancy: Is It Normal?
Can the glucose test make you sick? The answer is yes.
Depending on each pregnant woman’s health status and body, the reaction will be different, but symptoms such as glucose test nausea are completely normal.
Therefore, feeling sick after a glucose test pregnancy is not worth worrying about.
What Are The Side Effects Of A Glucose Tolerance Test?
The glucose test will surely have some side effects and hazards for your body, just like any other medical ones.
You may get some of the below:
- Nausea and dizziness
- Headache
- Feeling shortness of breath
- Excited and sweaty
Some cases are more severe but very rare, such as:
- Low blood pressure
- Infections under the skin
- Faint
It should be emphasized that very few people have side effects when participating in this one.
The most common symptom is feeling nauseous after drinking a solution with a relatively large amount of sugar to perform the check. This feeling will end in a few hours at most.
But is it normal to crash after glucose test? If this is the case, you will need to rest more and eat well. If the condition persists and worsens, quickly contact your doctor for further advice.
Why Do I Feel Sick After Glucose Test Pregnancy
Not everyone is under the weather or has problems after this. So do you know why the glucose test makes you sick?
- You have low blood pressure
- The solution with a high concentration of sugar you’ve taken causes nausea
- Not getting enough sleep or not eating enough in the days before it (not counting fasting)
- Other common symptoms in pregnancy
However, these symptoms will not last long, and you can refer to some ways to relieve them in the next section.
Tips To Deal With The Sick Feeling After Glucose Test
How do you feel after glucose test? Regardless of the feeling, taking care of yourself should be prioritized to support your body to recover quickly and be healthy.
- Healthy eating: stay away from junk food and quick meals like cake, burgers, cola, etc. Provide yourself with more water, fruit, and vegetables. If you are so craving for soft drinks, consider Catorade as an alternative during pregnancy.
- Take rest: get enough sleep, rest on time and limit staying up late.
- Doing exercise: Yoga, swimming, or other exercises specifically designed for pregnant women like 21-day fix pregnancy should be chosen based on your health conditions.
- Tracking Blood Glucose Level: Check your blood sugar regularly at home or see your health care provider for a more professional check.
What Test Result Should I Expect After A Glucose Test During Pregnancy?
Before
It would help if you fasted between 8 and 12 hours before the blood test. Although you cannot eat or drink, you can typically take a sip of water during this period.
Moreover, it’s essential to tell your doctor in advance about your situation:
- Any consistent drugs you use
- Any exercise plans you adhere to
- Any additional health conditions you may have
The doctor may offer guidance on how to take any routine medications throughout the fasting period.
On The Day
On that day, the medical professional will:
- Collect a sample of blood
- Before it starts, you have to consume a sugary beverage containing glucose and water.
- Further blood samples should be taken every 30 to 60 minutes for a total of 2 hours.
The Result
You can determine your gestational diabetes risk after receiving the results.
- Normal: Under 140 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) means you aren’t at risk of having diabetes
- Prediabetes: the result will be from 140 to 199 mg/dL
- Diabetes: It’s over 200 mg/dL
If you fall into Diabetes or Prediabetes, your doctor will directly provide the appropriate treatment plan and prescriptions.
However, it is not out of the question that some factors affect the accuracy of the results:
- Certain medications you are taking can cause high blood sugar
- Some problems during fasting before it
If you are not sure about the results, you can schedule another one to ascertain.
Conclusion
It can be said that feeling sick after glucose test pregnancy is a normal sign. And, of course, you can quickly improve this situation a few hours after checking.
If the condition remains for several days with more serious symptoms such as fainting or infection under the skin, see your doctor as soon as possible.
However, remember to start a science-backed routine and maintain a balanced diet. This one prevents infection brought on by a weakened immune system while pregnant.
