Fasting bloods?

[buddabun]

I have FINALLY managed to book myself in for antenatal care and she has asked me to come back on Tuesday having fasted since 8pm the night before. I asked if that was to test for diabetes and she said no.

Why else would they need me to fast before taking bloods?! She mentioned doing "a Hep A screen and testing for everything really" but surely the only reason to fast would be to measure my residual blood glucose levels which surely refers to diabetes? I am not diabetic, not vastly overweight (although my BMI is just tipping into the 'higher than normal' category) and have no family history of diabetes so I guess it's a check for gestational diabetes rather than mellitus.

What is going on here?

I am a real honest-to-goodness needle phobic (it's pathetic) and, while I realise that I will be prodded around and poked with sharp things a lot during pregnancy, I'd quite like to know why it's happening!

On the plus side I've asked her to measure my hCG levels too so hopefully that'll reassure me a bit.

Anyone got any insight into this blood malarky?

 

[trixipaws]

idk iv only ever had to fast for a diabetes test. i never had to fast throughout my whole pregnancy with millie. the only bloods they took were at 16 weeks when they tested for hep A, rubella, HIV and syphilis. and i think all thru the second and third tri i had blood taken every 4 weeks or something (cant remember now!) but idk what it was for sorry i'm not much help!

 

[buddabun]

thanks mate. I am just racking my brains trying to figure out why I would need to fast if it weren't a diabetes test!!!

Maybe she made a mistake ?

 

[maybebaby]

I didn't have to fast for any routine bloods in either of my pregnancies, only for the GTT at 28 weeks. Seems a bit odd to me

 

[buddabun]

What's GTT, sorry... Clueless!

I will ask them on Tuesday but denying me food at night is tough. Especially as I can't eat anything but yoghurt until after about 4pm!!!!!

 

[maybebaby]

Sorry, GTT is a Glucose Tolerance Test where you fast, then have bloods and a glucose drink, then more bloods after 1 and 2 hours to test how well your body breaks down the sugar. No everyone has it, only if they think you're at risk of developing gestational diabetes. I've never heard of anyone having one before 28 weeks though, and you'd need to be there for 2 1/2 hours so they would have warned you if it was something like that.

 

[buddabun]

how weird. well the surgery is only on camp so I could potentially come back if need be.

I am really curious to see what the heck they do to me on Monday. I certainly don't want TWO sets of blood taken if I can avoid it

 

[splashmonkey]

I'm sure they'll do all the screening tests at the same time, budda - like she said the Hep A and all the other stuff they check for, it's a huge list lol! But I agree the only reason I've ever come across for fasting is glucose. Oh and cholesterol I think (my OH just had that, but maybe they did glucose as well and that's why, not sure). Can't see why they wouldn't kill all the birds with one stone though TBH.

 

[curlygurl]

No idea. Normally they tell you to make sure you have had something to eat before you come in to make sure you don't faint. It is also harder to find a vein if you are a bit dehydrated as well. Seems like bonkers advise to me. I'd ring them up and double check, and if they can't give you a sound reason, then I'd ignore them.

 

[buddabun]

I'm allowed water (I would have refused otherwise) and the doctor rang them up in front of me so I know its kosher. I am jusrt dead curious as to why on earth they are doing this>

They must be doing the diabetes test or they wouldn't bother.