Having a baby is a magical time in a woman’s life. It is an
exciting wait for a tiny miracle. It is important for a pregnant woman to take
care of herself. One of the most important decisions you have to make, if you
are expecting, is who your doctor will be and which hospital you would like to
have your baby in. Once this decision is made, you need to make sure that you
see your doctor on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy, maintain your
records, do all the tests that the doctor has advised and follow the doctor’s
directions correctly.
Tests that your doctor may advice you to do
There are three trimesters in a pregnancy of three months each.
Every trimester could be quite different from the other. The way your body
feels, your emotional and physical needs may be different for each, as your
body goes through a myriad changes during pregnancy. Your doctor will give you
some routine tests for all three trimesters and some special ones, specifically
during a certain trimester. Let’s take a look at the three trimesters and the
tests that you may be required to do.
First trimester tests
Prenatal screening
During the first trimester, it is important to do a prenatal
screening which would include fetal ultrasound and maternal blood testing. This
is to check if the fetus is healthy and has no birth defects. You may also have
to do a plasma protein screening and/or a human chorionic gonadotropin test.
These are again tests for any fetal abnormality. Apart from this, you will have
to do routine blood and urine tests to check your vital parameters. These
include a hemoglobin test to check your RBC, WBC and platelet count, fasting
and random blood sugar test to determine your sugar levels. Some people get
gestational diabetes which causes their sugar levels to go up, during
pregnancy. It usually settles down after the baby is born.
Tests during your second trimester
During the second trimester, the number of tests done may
increase. You will have your routine blood, urine and stool tests, but you may
also have to do blood tests to check for genetic markers. These are also tests
that check if the baby has any birth defects. An ultrasound will also be
advised to check the position of the baby and the placenta. If the genetic
markers show any kind of abnormality, then a test called amniocentesis may be
done. For this test, amniotic fluids will be drawn from the amniotic sac and
this will be analyzed.
Tests during the third trimester
You will be in the home stretch by now. If you have done all the
tests recommended by your doctor during the first two trimesters, you can be
sure now that you are carrying a healthy baby to term. In this trimester, the
doctor may recommend an ultrasound to see the position of the baby. In the
later stages, if you are having a difficult pregnancy, fetal monitoring may be
advised. This keeps a check on the baby’s status 24/7. This is done to ensure
that the baby does not go into distress unnoticed. If the baby does show signs
of distress, the doctor may make a decision to bring the baby out early, as it
may be safer outside than inside your womb.
Apart from these tests, the doctor will give you shots for a
variety of illnesses to immunize you and your child. If you follow your
doctor’s advice and take care of your health, you will be holding a tiny
miracle at the end of it!
