"My glucose test is next week. And I've been eating sweets."

It was your cousin's wedding. Or Raksha Bandhan. Or just a week when the laddoos kept coming and you kept saying yes.

Now the glucose test is on Monday, and you're doing the maths in your head. Two gulab jamuns on Tuesday. The kheer on Thursday. Did I just give myself diabetes?

Take a breath. Let's go through it.

Did a week of sweets cause this?

No.

Gestational diabetes happens because of pregnancy hormones. As your placenta grows, it makes hormones that make it harder for your body to use insulin. Some bodies keep up. Some need a little help.

A few sweets last week do not decide which one you are. Plenty of moms in our group who barely touch sugar still got a high reading. Plenty of moms with a sweet tooth came out normal.

So can I "fix" it before the test?

Please don't try.

Some moms stop all sugar and roti for days before the test, hoping to pass. This can throw the result off, and the test stops being useful. The test only works if it shows how your body handles sugar on a normal day.

Eat your usual home food in the days before. Skip the extra mithai. That's it.

Which test are you doing?

This is where most of the confusion in our group comes from. In India there are two common ways.

Without fasting (DIPSI): You drink 75 gm glucose in water at any time of day. One blood sample is taken 2 hours later. This is what the government guidelines use.

With fasting (OGTT): You fast overnight, usually 8 to 10 hours. Blood is taken before the drink, then again at 1 hour and 2 hours.

Both are fine. Just ask your doctor which one she wants, and follow the lab's instructions exactly. If it's the non-fasting test, have a light, normal meal before, nothing sugary.

When is it done?

Often once early in pregnancy, and again between 24 and 28 weeks. Your doctor will tell you when.

On the day

• Finish the glucose drink within 5 to 10 minutes
• Sit quietly while you wait. Don't walk around or eat anything.
• Sip plain water only if the lab says it's okay
• Carry a snack for after the last sample
• Take someone with you if you can. Two hours is long.

If you throw up: Tell the lab straight away. If it happens within 30 minutes of drinking, the test usually has to be redone another day.

What if the result comes back high?

First, you are in very good company. Gestational diabetes is very common in Indian pregnancies. You didn't do anything wrong.

Most moms manage it with food changes and a daily walk. Some need tablets or insulin, which are safe and common. Your doctor or a dietician will guide you.

And for most women, it goes away after the baby is born.

The real reason for the test

The test is there to catch high sugar early, so you and your doctor can keep your baby safe. A high result that gets found and managed is far better than one that's missed.

So let go of the guilt about last week. Eat normally, take the test, and let it do its job.