# Can I refuse the 3 hour glucose test?



## Sweetmomma0107 (Jun 12, 2007)

Hello everyone,

I posted this on the October board too, I hope it's okay to post it here too. I am due Oct 2nd, but baby may come earlier due to my history. Anyway, I have anxiety with getting my blood drawn, and usually faint or almost faint. It is awful to go through. I was mortified to find out I failed (only by a couple points) the 1 hour glucose test. The 3 hour consists of fasting and 4 blood draws. I do not see how I will be physically possible to do this. I don't want to do it. I only failed by a couple points, and I did eat before (they told me to) and I think I would pass the 3 hour anyway. I passed the 1 hour with ds. The test sounds awful. Can I refuse this test? Will I be given a hard time if I tell them I won't do it? Please let me know any thoughts about this. Thanks so much.


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## LittleLlama (Feb 27, 2006)

Absolutely you CAN refuse. If they are insistant that there is a problem with your sugars, have them give you a blood glucose monitor. (or you can get a "disposable" one at Walgreens for$15) and just do finger prick tests.

You may have to do it four times a day for several days, but it's only a drop of blood. I had GD last time, and this is the route I'll go right away this time, I really wish I had realized I could. I tested once when I woke up and then 3x a day, 2 hours after major meals and kept a food and blood sugars log. I legitimately had GD, so there was no question that my numbers were high.

Dont let your doctor bully you into taking the test! Just simply say "I'll decline the test" and offer the above alternative or ask if they have anything better. You NEVER have to do anything unless you are court ordered to!!!!!


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## Jenlaana (Oct 28, 2005)

My midwife was incredibly pushy about the 1 hr glucola test, to the point that I never made my appointment to go back (I'm due in October as well). Its hard to decline things day in and day out when they hold it over your head like they seem to.


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## AlwaysByMySide (May 4, 2007)

I wasn't able to keep the 3 hour test down last pregnancy, and my NP resorted to three separate blood draws before diagnosing me. With this one, I'm going to start the diet early, and just keep with the monitor. I would imagine that three separate readings with the glucose monitor would get the same thing.

I am starting to feel as though Chloe's medical problems may have been caused (at least partially) by me not keeping my GD under control, so I wouldn't fight it totally, because it may be something important later on down the road. Just my two cents...


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## LittleLlama (Feb 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AlwaysByMySide* 
I am starting to feel as though Chloe's medical problems may have been caused (at least partially) by me not keeping my GD under control, so I wouldn't fight it totally, because it may be something important later on down the road. Just my two cents...

That's a really good point, it's worth finding out, but there are much more gentle ways than the standard test. The "diet" isn't that bad either. It helped me *and* DH loose the baby weight!


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## Artichokie (Jun 19, 2007)

If it is the needle you are worried about, I can tell you that they will probably put in a i.v. type device (a tube that goes into your arm via needle) and leave it there for all four hours. They can draw blood from your arm multiple times without having to stick you over and over and over with a needle.


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## mamalove07 (Jul 3, 2007)

Wow - I don't know why I didn't think of that!
I also failed my 1 hour, although not by just a couple of points, but I'd been cocky and eaten sugar all day long so I knew it was a fluke ... I ended up taking the 3-hour (which takes 4 hours and they do draw your blood 4 times) and passing no problemo. I could have refused and just taken the 1-hour over again, right?
Good for you for even thinking of refusing - most of us just take the Dr.'s orders and do what we're told ...
Good luck!


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## Jes (May 28, 2005)

I refused my 3 hour GTT. I failed the 1 hour miserably, the number was in the 180's. I had trouble controlling my sugars in my first pregnancy so I had a pretty good idea what I had to do. We came up with a plan w/o me taking the 3 hour GTT and that was checking my sugars and eating smaller meals more often, and a better diet.


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

Yes.

I do.,


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## SuperMarcy (Jul 4, 2004)

With ds I failed the one hour and then refused the 3 hour. I used a glucometer twice a day to monitor my sugars and managed very well. We had some unrelated complications, which forced me into the 3 hour-- which was terrible! I completely feel your pain about all the blood draws, I'm terrible with them. Anyway, I also failed the 3 hour, which earned me non-stress tests for the baby twice a week at the hospital. (I honestly believe these "non" stress tests caused him to flip posterior and I had back labor because of it.)

Anyway, my 2 cents is to skip the 3 hour and manage your diet with no refined sugars, very low carbs, and lots of protein and veggies! (Also, a little trick I learned last time was to eat nuts before bed and your sugar will be fine in the morning!)

HTH


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## Amber_G (Jun 26, 2007)

I have heard that if you refuse the 3 hour, doctors will often label you as GD anyway. I would talk to your doctor.

I failed the 1 hour, failed the 3 hour (where they did draw blood 4 times and had trouble doing it with my small veins). I'm now monitoring my blood sugar levels and they are fine with only slight adjustments to my regular diet (I added a bit more protein and cut the refined sugar). Not only are the numbers fine, they are significantly lower than the cut-offs.

I should add that I've just started doing the home monitoring, so I'm not an expert. If we decide to have more children, I will decline both the one and 3 hour tests and go right to home monitoring if they insist.


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## zjande (Nov 4, 2002)

What I would personally do is research gestational diabetes, then make a decision on whether I thought I might be at risk and/or whether you feel like it's a necessary evil. I did this my last pregnancy, didn't feel I was at risk, & refused the test.


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## LoveChild421 (Sep 10, 2004)

I refused it. I had dual care with a OB's office throughout my pregnancy even though I birthed at home. The nurses were all condescending about it and I just kept saying "sorry, I can't do it, anything with sugar makes me violently ill right now so oh well". They finally just gave up on me and decided to draw my blood right after I had eaten a normal meal and guess what? The readings were totally normal (you tend to have normal blood sugar when you just eat like a normal person and don't chug sugar solution!) so after that they just let me be. Don't get nervous, you're paying them to do a service for you and you have the right to make informed decisions about your health.


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## CarsonBookworm (Sep 25, 2006)

My issue is that the labs in my area are ONLY open when I'm at work and I can't take off a half-day to go for the test......

I'm seriously thinking about declining it.


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## LittleLlama (Feb 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CarsonBookworm* 
My issue is that the labs in my area are ONLY open when I'm at work and I can't take off a half-day to go for the test......

I'm seriously thinking about declining it.

You really would have to take at least a half day too. I mean, a full four hours just for the actual test, let alone any time in the waiting room and travel time too! ..... and then of course you'll need to take another half hour to grab something to eat to make yourself feel "normal" again.

If your doc gives you guff, say this "I'm not declining having my sugars tested, just declining that method. Can you RX me a Freestyle Flash please?"







:


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## chaoticzenmom (May 21, 2005)

I refused the test with my last two pregnancies after being tortured with it during my first pregnancy. So, YES you can refuse the test. I told them to just pretend it was positive and I'd see a nutritionist and test my blood sugar regularly. It was the best thing I ever did! I learned so much during the visit to the nutritionist and I learned how to gauge how I feel with how high my blood sugar is. I learned to really be in touch with my blood sugar and gained much less weight than in my first pregnancy.

So, refuse it, but see a nutritionist and take it seriously. My mother gave birth to a 12lb baby by not keeping her blood sugar in check!

Lisa (mom to 3 wonderful children)


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## linguistmama (Sep 25, 2006)

You certainly can refuse it. I will be next time. I know what the symptoms of high and low blood sugar are so I see no point in a test.


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## firsttime mommy (Jun 28, 2013)

I FEEL THE SAME WAY!!~ I'm due Oct 1st...i took the one hour test on wed..I'm terrified of blood and needles! .my paper from the doctor said "i did not have to fast" so i ate a sausage biscuit and a few drinks of orange juice when i woke up about 30 Min's before i drank the sugar drink... this was only the second time Ive had my blood drawn..first time was at first obgyn appointment..i was so nervous! i choked down the sugar drink "in 5 Min's" which was hard to chug down 10 oz in 5 Min's anyways!~ crying and nervous about the blood and needle for a hour waiting! she called me back 10 Min's before my 1 hour~ to draw the blood laughing at me because i was nervous~i had my head turned not wanting to see needle or my blood...when she was finished she purposely put the tubes of blood in my turned away face saying "see its not that much blood" THANKS LADY!! so a few hours later my obgyn calls and says "my level was exactly 135 and it needs to be below 135"  so if i would have fasted or the nurse would have not rushed me 10 Min's early before it was 1 hour~it would have been 134 and i would be fine???? so i spent the rest of the day and night crying stressing and praying about now having to go threw the stress of 3 hours 4 blood draws..... I'm going to talk with my doctor at me next appointment on wed and see if it is necessary to do the 3 hr test YOUR POST GAVE ME A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND!!~ THANK YOU !~AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ~ KEEP ME POSTED ON WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO !!!


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