... not necessarily indicative of gestational diabetes. This is a common occurrence due to the higher glomerular filtration rate accompanied by a diminished absorption of glucose by the renal tubules during pregnancy (Beischer et al, 1997). It is part of the midwives role to detect any abnormalities and as glucose was present on two occasions during her antenatal care, Leila was requested to undergo a glucose tolerance test (GTT). This requires fasting overnight, then receiving a 75g load of glucose in the form of a sugary drink. Blood samples are taken at one hour and two hours post test. If the blood glucose level is greater than 7. mmol/l after one hour or over 10. mmol/l at two hours, this can be a positive diagnosis of gestational diabetes (Lloyd and Lewis, 1999). The results came back with a fasting blood glucose level of 6.9 mmol/l. As this was a borderline result, ...

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