So... less than 24 hours after my glucose tolerance test, I got a call from my GP. My result was borderline pass/fail. Therefore, a second, more amusing test, was required. This second test, which I dutifully underwent this morning, required at least an 8 hour fast, and involved drinking an even sweeter drink (hard to believe). Three blood samples were taken: baseline, 1 hour post drink, and two hours post drink. It was horrible to consume that godforsaken beverage as my first food of the morning. I never want to see it again. The puncturing was not all that bad - of course, they had to alternate arms, which meant repuncturing the arm that was punctured on Wednesday. In fact, by the time they got to the 2h sample, the needle they inserted on the left side wouldn't draw blood anymore (although, to give them credit, they certainly tried to shove it in until it could). So, that's five punctures in the space of about two days.
Now I wait for results (hopefully negative ones).
But in a worst case scenario - i.e. gestational diabetes, I expect there will be some dietary changes for yours truly. The incidence is 3.5% in non-Aboriginal women, 18% in Aboriginal women. Risk factors include: a previous diagnosis of GDM, age over 35 yrs, obesity, a history of polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism, acanthosis nigricans, being a member of a population considered to be at high risk for diabetes, including women of Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or African descent. Clearly, I don't have a single listed risk factor (which is no guarantee of anything). If you have gestational diabetes, you can easily end up with a mega-size baby :( (I think they are actually referred to as "macrosomic"), and the baby can have a few problems with breathing and hypoglycemia.
The bottom line is: I have to wait and see. But I am keeping my fingers crossed.
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