About the test

As you are at an increased risk of developing diabetes during your pregnancy, we would like to measure your blood sugar levels. During the test, we will ask you to drink a sugar solution consisting of water and sugar. This test is also referred to as a glucose/sugar tolerance test.

The test takes about 2½ hours.

There are different reasons why people develop gestational diabetes There is a greater probability for women that:

• had a BMI of 27 or above before pregnancy
• have diabetes in the family
• have previously given birth to a child weighing more than 4,500 grams
• have had gestational diabetes before
• have or have had sugar in their urine during pregnancy
• are expecting more than one child
• suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Important preparation

You must fast before the test

You must fast before the test. This means that, eight hours before the test:

• you must stop eating. This includes chewing gum, hard candy and lozenges
• you may only drink half a glass of water. Take any medication you need with this half glass of water.

Avoid exercise ahead of the test

Avoid intense exercise eight hours before the test, as this can affect the results.

Avoid smoking or using products with nicotine

Do not smoke or use products with nicotine in the last eight hours before the test.

Contact us if you become ill

Please contact us if you become ill or feel ill, develop a fever or you test positive for an infectious disease. We cannot carry out the test you if you have an infection. Therefore, please call us no later than the morning of your appointment, so we can schedule another date.

Contact us before your appointment if you have been admitted to a hospital outside the Nordic countries within the last year (a hospital outside, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands).

Bring reading material and something to eat

We recommend bringing a book, magazine or some other entertainment that can help you pass the time while you wait. We also recommend that bring something to eat after the test.

Leave children at home

The test is carried out in a small space and requires peace and quiet to ensure accurate results. Therefore, please ask someone to look after your children at home while you are at the hospital. If this is not possible, please call us to schedule a new appointment.

The test

When you arrive

Take a seat in the waiting area on level three, just outside the emergency admission for preganant women at Nordsjællands Hospital in Hillerød. You do not have to notify anyone of your arrival. We will call your name when it is your turn.

If your appointment is at Helsingør Sundhedshus or Nordsjællands Hospital in Frederikssund, notify the reception desk of your arrival.

Remember to check the letter from the hospital to see where you should go for your appointment.

The test

You will be asked to drink 2-3 dl of sugar water within five minutes and then wait for two hours.

Discomfort during the test

Some women feel little unwell or become nauseous after drinking the sugar water. It helps to lie down.

Rest

You will have to stay at the hospital while you are waiting. It is important that you rest, as too much movement can affect the results of the test, but you must not fall asleep. You can visit the toilet.

You may not eat, drink or smoke

You are not allowed to eat, drink or smoke while waiting as this can affect your blood sugar. However, you can rinse your mouth or drink no more than half a glass of water after drinking the sugar water.

We take a blood sample

After about two hours, we will take a blood sample from your arm. The sample will be sent for analysis.

Test results

If the blood sample shows signs of gestational diabetes, we will contact you within a week to discuss the next steps.

We will not contact you if the blood sample does not show signs of diabetes.