A 24-hour blood sugar profile can be used in those cases where there is an increased risk of developing diabetes, and where it is not possible to complete a glucose tolerant test.
The measurement takes place over 3 days.
What is pregnancy related diabetes:
Gestational diabetes is a mild form of diabetes that usually disappears after childbirth. The condition is also known as GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus). Approximately 4% of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes.
Who is at risk of developing gestational diabetes?
Usually, you do not have any symptoms, but since the condition can have an impact on your pregnancy, birth, and newborn baby, it is important that you are examined.
You are at risk of developing gestational diabetes if:
- You have a family history of diabetes (either type 1 or type 2)
- You have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
- You are overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg/m2)
- You have previously given birth to a child weighing 4500 grams or more
- You are expecting twins
- You have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO/PCOS)
- You have sugar detected in your urine during pregnancy.
If one or more of these factors apply to you, we recommend that you are examined.
Why is it important to detect gestational diabetes?
Even if you don't usually have any symptoms of gestational diabetes, changes in your glucose metabolism can affect your unborn child. During pregnancy, the child receives sugar from you. When your blood sugar is elevated for periods of time, the child's blood sugar will also be elevated. Due to the increased concentration of sugar in the blood, your child will produce more insulin than normal. This can cause the child's blood sugar to be too low after birth. Your newborn child may therefore need formula after birth as a supplement. In addition, your newborn child may have a higher birth weight than average. There is also a slight increased risk that the child will develop jaundice after birth.
If you have gestational diabetes, you also have a slightly higher risk of developing high blood pressure during pregnancy, preeclampsia, too much amniotic fluid, or premature labour.
Examination for gestational diabetes with 24-hour blood sugar monitoring
When you are being examined for gestational diabetes, we generally recommend a glucose tolerance test (also called OGTT), where you drink a large glass of sugar water. If you have not been able to complete the glucose tolerance test, we offer a test where you monitor your blood sugar over a time span of 24 hours for 3 days.
Pregnant women who have had surgery on the stomach as part of treatment for obesity (e.g. gastric sleeve or gastric bypass) and have one or more of the risk factors mentioned, are offered a 24-hour blood sugar monitoring, as they cannot tolerate a glucose tolerance test.
How is a 24-hour blood sugar profile performed?
You will be given a small blood glucose meter that measures your blood sugar quickly and easily. We will teach you how to prick your finger and how to use the meter. You should prick the tip of your finger so that a small drop of blood forms. Your hands should be dry, warm and clean, and free of hand lotion or creams. The small drop of blood is placed on a test strip, and the result appears on the meter’s display within 5 seconds.
24-hour blood sugar monitoring should be done over 3 days, measuring blood sugar levels both before and after the 3 main meals. You should eat as you normally would, i.e. as your meals would normally be on a normal day.
During the 3 days, the measurements will be spread out over the day:
- 1st measurement: Fasting before breakfast
- 2nd measurement: 1½ hours after breakfast
- 3rd measurement: Before lunch (you must not have eaten anything 2 hours before)
- 4th measurement: 1½ hours after lunch
- 5th measurement: Before dinner (you must not have eaten anything 2 hours before)
- 6th measurement: 1½ hours after dinner
Results of the measurements
You must enter your measurements into the MinSP app. Please install the app before your first appointment with us. We will show you how to use the app and enter the measurements.
Your blood sugar readings must be less than 5.5 before meals (i.e. when you are fasting) and less than 7.0 after meals. If there are 2 elevated values in the 3 days, this means that you have gestational diabetes.
If you only have 1 elevated number, we will ask you to repeat the measurements after 4 weeks, unless you are more than 36 weeks and 0 days into your pregnancy.
When the 3 days are up, we will call you and review your numbers together. If you have developed gestational diabetes, you will receive extra checks and information about how it affects your pregnancy.