Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages
  3. Evergreens

You failed your 1-hour glucose test – now what?

What happens if you fail the glucose test when pregnant? Prepare for next steps with this guide

By

You’ll undergo many blood tests during your pregnancy. However, the pregnancy glucose test is a rite of passage.

Unlike previous bloodwork, this second-trimester test isn’t an in-and-out affair. Instead, this test requires you to have your blood drawn. Then, you’ll drink a sugary beverage that tastes like flat orange, lime, or berry soda. After waiting in the office for an hour, you’ll be called back for another blood draw.

Recommended Videos

The 1-hour glucose test when pregnant screens for gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that occurs in pregnant people who were not previously diabetic. It’s not fun, but it’s important. Gestational diabetes can pose risks to a developing baby and pregnant person if the condition isn’t monitored or managed.

So, you took the test to be safe and hoped to move on with your life, perhaps planning your baby shower cake design.

Then, you get a call from your OBGYN. You failed the 1-hour test. Now what?

Breathe. Here’s what happens next.

Produce, sugar, and diabetes monitoring equipment on a blue overlay
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You might be able to take another test

If you didn’t pass your 1-hour pregnancy glucose test, it means your blood sugar levels were elevated enough to raise a flag.

However, the 1-hour test isn’t considered diagnostic. It’s a screen that casts a wide net to ensure doctors don’t miss anyone with gestational diabetes.

According to the CDC, 2% to 10% of pregnant people develop gestational diabetes yearly. It’s unclear how many people fail the 1-hour glucose test when pregnant, but most who do will not have gestational diabetes.

If your blood sugar levels exceed 140, your physician might ask you to take a longer test. This test requires fasting, and you’ll have your blood drawn three or four times (once before you consume the beverage and two or three times after — the post-drink draws will happen 1 hour and 2 hours after, and possibly 3 hours after). If your numbers are in check, you won’t be diagnosed with gestational diabetes — phew.

Blood sugar self-check, diabetes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You may be diagnosed with gestational diabetes — or have type 2

Though the 1-hour test isn’t diagnostic, if your blood glucose levels exceed 200, it may be a sign you had diabetes before pregnancy. You’ll need to take another test 6 to 12 weeks postpartum to determine that.

In the meantime, if those blood glucose levels are high, your provider may recommend you skip further testing and proceed to gestational diabetes management. This management will likely include:

  • Meeting with a dietician to discuss dietary tweaks to manage blood sugar
  • Education and recommendation to increase exercise
  • Checking blood sugar levels at home
  • Extra monitoring through bloodwork and scans to ensure you and the baby are healthy

Pregnant woman having an ultrasound

A word about the glucose test and gestational diabetes

Parenting guilt is real during pregnancy and after. Hearing that you “failed” a test can send you spiraling. It’s essential to remember that gestational diabetes is a hormonal reaction to pregnancy. You didn’t “cause it,” and you can’t “prepare” for it like a biology test. If you do wind up with gestational diabetes, your care team should give you all the tools you need in a non-judgmental way to manage symptoms and perhaps learn new ways to help your body thrive.

BethAnn Mayer
BethAnn Mayer
Author
Topics
Is your newborn eating too much? What to know about overfeeding
Cues to watch out for to let you know if you're overfeeding a newborn
Mother holding baby in nursery

Every parent knows the excitement and anxiety that comes when it's time to bring their baby home from the hospital for the first time. Besides the sleep schedule, many new parents may be worried about whether their infant is getting enough to eat. But is going the other direction something parents should also worry about? Is there such a thing as overfeeding a newborn? The short answer is yes. Overfeeding a newborn is a possibility, but it doesn't happen often.

Every newborn has differences in appetite where one might drink a bottle or breastfeed longer than another. Before you stress, don't worry. There are signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to giving your little one too much food. Whether it's your first or third child, if you are concerned about overfeeding your newborn, we have the information you need to know.
Why overfeeding a newborn is something you don't want to do

Read more
Recognizing early autism signs in toddlers: 6 things to know
Which toddler behaviors are quirky and which are red flags for autism?
Toddler boys playing a party game

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that about 1 in every 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. If your child is on the spectrum, the initial diagnosis can be upsetting, but early intervention following a diagnosis is vital. The early signs of autism in toddlers, though, can be easy to overlook. If you have a child you think might be on the spectrum, it's best to know the early signs as your toddler develops.

There is a long list of possible signs as the autism spectrum is wide and diverse. One sign may appear in one child, but not in another. Certain early signs of autism are more common than others, which is why knowing the red flags is important. The earlier a child receives a diagnosis, the better the support system will be for them.
Understanding autism

Read more
Can you use a heating pad while pregnant? Here’s what you should know
Heat pads and pregnancy work together, just follow some precautions
Pregnant woman using heating pad hot water bottle

Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with awe and wonder, but it's also painful and uncomfortable. Experiencing all. the changes your body goes through as your baby grows is magical, but it's also kind of a pain. As pregnancy progresses throughout the trimesters, so, too, does the discomfort. From backaches to sore feet and sciatica to insomnia, pregnancy can be very hard on a person's body.
Often, a heating pad can provide some much-needed relief from those pregnancy-induced aches and pains, but many wonder if it's safe to use a heating pads while pregnant. Using heating pads during pregnancy can be an understandable concern.
Despite the relief they may give, many pregnant people are hesitant to use them out of fear the heat they produce may harm their baby. Fortunately, using a heating pad while pregnant can be very safe as long as you do so carefully and take proper precautions.

Why would you need a heating pad?

Read more