Antenatal Tests During Pregnancy
Once you discover that you are pregnant your health care provider will want to start screening you for certain things that could complicate your pregnancy. These tests are called antenatal tests. Getting ultrasound and blood tests as well as checking for protein in your urine and blood pressure tests are standard. You will also get your weight check by some doctors, however nowadays some doctors don't check weight or put much emphasis on it as it can vary greatly and is often not an indicator of how healthy or well you are in pregnancy. Weight in pregnancy is due mostly from the baby, the rest is due to the reserves of fat that you will need to make breast milk.
Your weight is usually checked at each visit, however some doctors have now stopped checking weight because it varies so much. Most of the weight is from the baby but a lot of it also comes from the reserves of fat that you will need to produce breast milk in the upcoming months. Your doctor will also check your urine at every visit to make sure you do not have any protein in it. Protein in urine is usually an indicator that pre-eclampsia may be developing, This is a serious condition that can harm mother and baby.
Pre-eclampsia will cause flashing lights and spots to appear before an expectant mother's eyes. Your doctor will also check your blood pressure as an elevated blood pressure is part of this condition. Your blood tests are often done to find out several things such as if you are rhesus positive or negative because if you are pregnant and rhesus negative, then injections are required very early in the pregnancy to prevent a miscarriage. There is usually a great risk of this happening if the woman has had a child before or even a miscarriage. Blood tests also check for anemia which happens quite a bit in pregnancy and you will need to get supplements if your blood count gets low.
Blood tests also help your doctor to detect whether or not you are suffering from anemia which causes a low blood count, this is quite common in pregnancy and must be treated with iron supplements. Your blood tests will also detect whether or not you have HIV. HIV infections must be treated immediately so that it doesn't infect the child.
Mothers, especially first time ones are always nervous about antenatal testing because they are always on the edge and want to know that everything is going okay and that they are in good health to carry a baby, this is perfectly normal. Perhaps no test brings out as much anxiety and joy as those ultrasounds. The first one because you are anxious to know that your baby has implanted well and that there is a strong heartbeat. The twenty week scan will confirm whether your baby is growing normally and that the organs are in place that is why it brings so much anxiety.
Your weight is usually checked at each visit, however some doctors have now stopped checking weight because it varies so much. Most of the weight is from the baby but a lot of it also comes from the reserves of fat that you will need to produce breast milk in the upcoming months. Your doctor will also check your urine at every visit to make sure you do not have any protein in it. Protein in urine is usually an indicator that pre-eclampsia may be developing, This is a serious condition that can harm mother and baby.
Pre-eclampsia will cause flashing lights and spots to appear before an expectant mother's eyes. Your doctor will also check your blood pressure as an elevated blood pressure is part of this condition. Your blood tests are often done to find out several things such as if you are rhesus positive or negative because if you are pregnant and rhesus negative, then injections are required very early in the pregnancy to prevent a miscarriage. There is usually a great risk of this happening if the woman has had a child before or even a miscarriage. Blood tests also check for anemia which happens quite a bit in pregnancy and you will need to get supplements if your blood count gets low.
Blood tests also help your doctor to detect whether or not you are suffering from anemia which causes a low blood count, this is quite common in pregnancy and must be treated with iron supplements. Your blood tests will also detect whether or not you have HIV. HIV infections must be treated immediately so that it doesn't infect the child.
Mothers, especially first time ones are always nervous about antenatal testing because they are always on the edge and want to know that everything is going okay and that they are in good health to carry a baby, this is perfectly normal. Perhaps no test brings out as much anxiety and joy as those ultrasounds. The first one because you are anxious to know that your baby has implanted well and that there is a strong heartbeat. The twenty week scan will confirm whether your baby is growing normally and that the organs are in place that is why it brings so much anxiety.
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