LSP2005
Bunny kisses are so cute!
Member since 5/05 19458 total posts
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List of Prenatal Tests and When They are done
In light of all the recient posts, I thought that this article from babycenter.com would be useful to clear up any questions.
First trimester tests
Prenatal tests are one of the many ways your healthcare practitioner can check on your well-being and that of your growing baby. At your first prenatal visit, your practitioner will give you a thorough physical, including a pelvic exam. She'll do a Pap smear (unless you've had one recently) to check for abnormal cells, including cervical cancer. She may also do a culture to check for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Next, she'll order routine blood tests to identify your blood type and Rh status, and a blood count to check for anemia. She'll also have the lab test your blood for syphilis, hepatitis B, and immunity to German measles (rubella), and offer to test for HIV. (If your practitioner doesn't offer you an HIV test, be sure to ask about it. Being treated for HIV during pregnancy can dramatically reduce your chances of passing the infection to your baby.) In addition to taking blood, she'll ask for a urine sample to test for urinary tract infections and other conditions.
If you're at high risk for gestational diabetes, a glucose challenge test might be done at your first visit. In some cases, your provider will also do a skin test to see if you've been exposed to tuberculosis. And if you're not sure whether you've even had chicken pox (or been vaccinated against the virus), she'll order a blood test to check for immunity.
In addition, your caregiver may offer you genetic screening, such as a nuchal translucency screening (an ultrasound done at 10 to 12 weeks) or a first-trimester combined screening (an ultrasound and a blood test). These screening tests can give you some information about your baby's risk of having certain chromosomal problems and other birth defects. If you'll be 35 or older on your due date or are otherwise at high risk for having a baby with genetic problems, you may opt to have a CVS, a prenatal genetic diagnostic test done between 10 and 13 weeks. Finally, depending on your ethnic background and medical history, you may have a blood test to see if your baby is at risk for sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, and certain other genetic disorders.
Second trimester tests
During each of your second trimester prenatal visits, your practitioner will ask for a urine sample to screen for signs of preeclampsia, urinary tract infections, and other conditions.
Most practitioners routinely order an ultrasound between 16 and 20 weeks to check for physical abnormalities and to verify your baby's due date. You'll also be offered a multiple marker screening (a blood test done between 15 and 20 weeks that can give you some information about your baby's risk of having certain chromosomal problems and other birth defects). And if you're going to be 35 or older on your due date or have other risk factors for genetic problems, your practitioner will offer you an amniocentesis, a test that can diagnose chromosomal abnormalities and many other types of genetic disorders.
Between 24 and 28 weeks, you'll be given a glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes, and possibly another blood test to check for anemia. If you're Rh-negative (but your baby's father isn't, or you don't know whether he is), an extra tube of blood may be drawn to check for Rh antibodies before you're given an injection of Rh immune globulin at 28 weeks.
Third trimester tests
During your third trimester prenatal visits, your practitioner will continue to ask for a urine sample at each visit to check for signs of preeclampsia, urinary tract infections, and other conditions. Also, between 35 and 37 weeks, you'll be tested for a common infection called group B strep. If your test is positive, you'll be given antibiotics during labor to help keep you from passing it on to your baby. (If you've had a group B strep urinary tract infection during this pregnancy or a previous baby infected with group B strep, you won't need testing because you'll automatically be treated during labor.)
Here are some other tests you may be in for this trimester:
• If your blood glucose level was elevated when you took your glucose challenge test, you'll have a glucose tolerance test to determine whether you have gestational diabetes.
• Your blood may be checked again for anemia, particularly if it wasn't retested late in the second trimester or if you were anemic earlier in your pregnancy.
• If you're at risk for STIs, you'll be tested again for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV.
• If you were found to have placenta previa or a low-lying placenta during an earlier ultrasound, you'll have another ultrasound to check the location of your placenta.
If your pregnancy is high risk or your practitioner becomes concerned about certain problems, she'll order tests such as a biophysical profile or a nonstress test to make sure your baby's thriving. When and how often you go for these tests will depend on the reason for the testing. If your practitioner's concerned about your baby's growth, she'll order periodic ultrasounds to measure him and check your amniotic fluid level.
If your pregnancy is normal but you go past your due date, you'll need testing to make sure your baby's still doing well. Between 40 and 41 weeks, you may get a full biophysical profile or a modified one, which includes a nonstress test to assess your baby's heart rate and an ultrasound to check your amniotic fluid level. These tests are usually performed twice a week to help your practitioner decide whether it's safe to continue waiting for your labor to start on its own.
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