Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/855118
Page 52 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com If you are low risk, then you can probably safely avoid the test but should s ll eat a healthy, low glycemic diet. What About the Rest of Us? Many of you will have at least one high-risk characteris c, i.e., age >25 years old, but will otherwise be low risk. Do an honest self-assessment of your risks, your current diet, and have a heart to heart with your care provider about your concerns around tes ng. And ul mately, make the decision that makes the most sense and feels most comfortable to you. Regardless of whether you choose to test there is no subs tute for an op mally healthy diet before and during pregnancy to keep you and your baby healthy. And there's also no subs tute for a prenatal care provider who respects your decisions and priori zes your nutri on as the cornerstone of a healthy pregnancy, birth, and baby! Are There Testing Alternatives? Many women are unable to tolerate or don't want to use the typical oral glucose drink but do want to get tested. The following are possible alterna ves: Serial glucose monitoring – Periodic random fas ng and blood glucose tes ng 2 hours a er a meal is a monitoring op on for women at high risk for gesta onal diabetes who are unable to tolerate an oral glucose load. A fas ng plasma glucose – In a systema c review of screening tests for gesta onal diabetes, a fas ng plasma glucose level less than 85 mg/dL by 24 weeks gesta on was effec ve in iden fying women who did not have gesta onal diabetes. A fas ng plasma glucose level >126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) or a casual plasma glucose >200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) meets the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes, if confirmed on a subsequent day, and precludes the need for any glucose challenge. A Glucola brand that doesn't contain ar ficial colors and is BVO-free can be obtained from Azer Scien fic. Tests should be done on the basis of individual risk. It's rare, that a test needs to be universally done.