You will not need to do anything special before or after the test. Visit the Ministry of Health National Maternity Guidance web page. They will also refer you to a specialist for advice. The glucose tolerance test, also known as the oral glucose tolerance test, measures your body's response to sugar (glucose). When you are pregnant, your body produces lots of other hormones to help your baby grow. Some of these hormones can stop insulin working well. For this test, you’ll drink a sugary drink and then wait 1 hour before giving a blood sample. If the HbA1c test shows that you have diabetes, you’ll be offered another HbA1c test 3 months after your baby is born to check that your blood sugar level is back to normal.

If you are not at high risk of diabetes in pregnancy, your midwife (or specialist doctor) will offer you an oral glucose challenge test (also called a polycose test) when you are between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant. Usually, you'll be asked to take this test if you've received a positive result on the glucose screening test. With an oral glucose tolerance test, the person fasts overnight (at least 8 hours, but not more than 16 hours). The HbA1c test shows your average blood sugar level for the past 4–6 weeks. This test will confirm if you have pregnancy diabetes or not. A glucose tolerance test is a common type of testing for potential gestational diabetes. Whenever we eat, a hormone called insulin helps move the sugar from our food through our blood and into our muscles, where it is turned into energy to help us move. This test will show if you have gestational diabetes. This test is done on an empty stomach, so your appointment for the test will be in the morning. When you arrive for the test, a blood sample is taken to measure how much sugar is in your blood after you’ve been fasting. The glucose tolerance test can be used to screen for type 2 diabetes. You will be offered it at the same time as your first antenatal blood tests. It measures what percentage of your haemoglobin (the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen) is coated with sugar (glycated). If a woman tests positive during this screening test, the second test, called the Glucose Tolerance Test, may be performed. More commonly, a modified version of the glucose tolerance test is used to diagnose gestational diabetes — a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. This test measures how well your body can process sugar. The, Services and support for you and your child, Release calendar for our Tier 1 statistics, Learning about pregnancy, birth and parenting, Factsheet: Testing for diabetes in pregnancy, your baby can grow too big, and this can cause problems for you and your baby during the birth, you can develop high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia (a serious condition that can give you headaches, abdominal pain, nausea and other problems). A high HbA1c level means that more sugar has been circulating in your body and you have a higher risk of getting diabetes in your pregnancy. You can eat normally the day before the test, but don’t have anything to eat or drink (except water) after your last meal the evening before. Next, you’ll drink a sugary drink and then wait 2 hours before giving another blood sample. Some feel sick, sweaty or light-headed after they drink the sugary drink, but long-term, serious side effects from this test are very uncommon. This test …

If you have diabetes when you are pregnant and don’t get treatment: There are 3 blood tests that can help you find out if you have or are at risk of getting diabetes during your pregnancy. Most people do not have side effects from the oral glucose challenge test. The HbA1c is a simple blood test. Since the 1970s, the World Health Organization and other organizations interested in diabetes agreed on a standard dose and duration. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) If your HbA1c or oral glucose challenge test results were high, your midwife will offer you an oral glucose tolerance test. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything for at least 8 hours before the test. This causes sugar to build up in your blood because it can’t get to your muscles. The first, called the Glucose Challenge Screening, is a preliminary screening test performed between 26-28 weeks. If your HbA1c or oral glucose challenge test results were high, your midwife will offer you an oral glucose tolerance test. The GTT determines for sure whether you have gestational diabetes. There are several tests intended to identify gestational diabetes in pregnant women. Most people do not have side effects from the OGTT. The glucose tolerance test (GTT) is also called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) or the three-hour glucose test. You have diabetes when you have too much sugar in your blood. This test will confirm if you have pregnancy diabetes or not. Talk to your GP, midwife, diabetes nurse or specialist. If a glucose tolerance test diagnoses gestational diabetes, you'll probably be referred to a nutritionist for a special diet. You'll also need to monitor your glucose levels at home several times a day with a special machine that uses a drop of blood (just one) from your finger to give you an immediate reading. Attend regular check-ups with your midwife.