Prenatal checkups are very important for proper monitoring of the pregnancy, knowing that everything is going well, and that your baby is developing as it should. They are so essential that the WHO recommends that pregnancy monitoring visits be doubled from four to eight.
It is necessary to go to all the controls and perform all the indicated tests to detect and be able to solve any complication in pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, retarded growth, etc.
During pregnancy, there are a series of tests that will be performed depending on the stage of pregnancy. We detail the prenatal tests that will be done trimester to trimester to monitor your pregnancy .
Medical tests in the first trimester
As soon as you find out that you are pregnant, you should make a first appointment with your doctor to confirm the pregnancy and perform the first pregnancy tests. Later, towards the end of the first trimester, tests for chromosomal abnormalities will be done. We detail them all here:
First trimester blood test
The first analysis is used to determine blood group and Rh factor; know the number of red, white blood cells and platelets; blood sugar concentration; determine if the pregnant woman is a carrier of the hepatitis B or C virus; detect toxoplasmosis, rubella syphilis, and HIV antibodies.
First trimester ultrasound
In addition to the first ultrasound that can be done at the beginning of pregnancy to confirm the pregnancy, during the first trimester you will have an ultrasound, around week 12 (between weeks 10-14), in which the growth of the baby is monitored and the measurement of the nuchal fold is performed.
Triple screening
In the same period, towards the end of the first trimester or in some cases at the beginning of the second, triple screening is performed, also called triple test, a test that is performed on the pregnant woman to detect possible chromosomal abnormalities. It is a blood test that is performed on the mother and allows the comparison of three substances produced by the placenta and the embryo: alpha-fetoprotein, chorionic gonadotropin, and free estriol.
These biochemical values are crossed with the data from the measurement of the nuchal translucency (nuchal fold) of the fetus determined by ultrasound and are weighted according to demographic data (age of the mother, race, weight, if she is a smoker, or has diabetes ) yielding a control algorithm that measures the chances that the fetus has an abnormality.
When the values are less than 1: 250, a chorionic biopsy or amniocentesis is recommended to obtain more conclusive data.
Medical tests in the second trimester
Second trimester blood test
Again, the number of red blood cells and the hemoglobin and hematocrit values are controlled to control the mother’s anemia status, toxoplasmosis antibodies and indirect Coombs test that allows detecting the presence of antibodies related to hemolytic disease.
O´Sullivan test
One of the most important tests performed in the second trimester, between weeks 24 and 28 of gestation, is the O’Sullivan test, which is a test in charge of measuring glucose in the blood.
The pregnant woman must drink a solution of 50 g of 25% glucose in 200 cc, and after an hour a blood sample is taken to analyze her blood glucose level . If the results of this test are less than 140 md / dl blood glucose (7.8 mmol / l), the presence of gestational diabetes would be ruled out.
But if they are equal to or greater than 140 md / dl of glucose in the blood, another test called the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (TTOG) or long glucose curve should be performed.
Long glucose curve (TTOG)
The long glucose curve test or TTOG Once the pregnant woman arrives at the hospital for the test, a fasting blood sample will be drawn, and then a solution of 100 grams of glucose will be given to drink. Blood draws will be repeated 60 minutes after taking glucose, 120 minutes and 180 minutes. That is, four extractions in three hours. It is necessary to go with a fast of between eight and 12 hours.
Morphological ultrasound at week 20
The ultrasound at week 20 is the most important in pregnancy, since it allows to see in detail the fetal growth, assess the heartbeat, the movements of the fetus, its morphology and observe its internal organs.
If it has not been seen before, it is very likely that the sex of the baby can be known in this ultrasound.
In addition to this ultrasound, we find 4D and 5D ultrasounds that can be performed at any time during pregnancy, but they are recommended between weeks 24 and 30 because the proportion of amniotic fluid and the intermediate size of the baby allow it to be better visualized.
Medical tests in the third trimester
Third trimester blood test
At the end of pregnancy, a blood count is performed again to assess the presence and degree of anemia, as well as coagulation tests to assess the risk of bleeding at the time of delivery and the possibility of applying epidural anesthesia.
Strep B test
Between 35 and 37 weeks, the pregnant woman is routinely tested for group B strep infection , known as a Strep Test.
It is done in a similar way to a Pap smear. Cell samples are taken from the lower part of the vagina and rectum and sent to a laboratory to grow in a culture that will identify if strep bacteria are present.
Third trimester ultrasound
The third trimester ultrasound, the last one before delivery, is performed between weeks 32 and 36 of pregnancy and provides information about delivery.
Fetal growth, status, and degree of maturation of the placenta are assessed; the amount of amniotic fluid to detect if there is excess (polyhydramnios) or deficiency (oligohydramnios); estimate the baby’s weight and position in the uterus.
In Babies and more | Pregnancy from week 1 to week 40: everything that happens from conception to birth
