3 Most Important Check-Ups Every Woman Should Do When Pregnant

In the three trimesters of the pregnancy, several prenatal tests are performed that are required to keep track of mother’s and child’s health and well-being. 

Prenatal care check-ups are done one or more times to detect any issues or underline diseases that a mother or a child might be suffering from and to prevent certain health problems that can affect the growth and development of the baby. For this you need best gynaecologist in Sharjah.

3 important prenatal check-ups

Screening and diagnostic tests are the two types of tests that a woman goes through. Screening tests are done to keep a track of the health conditions of the baby. However, the results of screening tests do not tell of any underlying health conditions of the mother or the baby. Diagnostic tests provide such results.

If the health of your baby is shown at high risk of some health condition in a screening test, then the doctors recommend a diagnostic test to confirm whether or not there is some issue that must be taken urgent actions to deal with.

Tests done in the first trimester (Months 1, 2, & 3)

• Carrier screening (to determine genetic conditions): This is a screening test which determines if you are a carrier of a certain genetic condition that can affect your baby’s health. This is done by checking your blood or saliva. The carriers of the disease themselves are not affected but the genetic conditions can be passed on to your baby. If both the partners have the same genetic conditions, then most probably your baby is going to have the condition as well.

• Cell-free fetal DNA testing: Another screening test which is done after 9 weeks of pregnancy, checks the DNA of your baby by examining your blood for certain genetic conditions such as down syndrome. Not everyone has to go through with this test. If the ultrasound result shows some defect then your gynecology clinic professional may recommend it.

• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS): This is a diagnostic test performed to examine tissues from the placenta to see the genetic conditions of a baby. It is done from 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy and generally performed by the females who are older than 35 years old.

• Ultrasound: Using the sound waves, ultrasound provides the picture of your baby inside the womb. This is generally done to date your pregnancy so you know how far along you are in pregnancy.

Tests done in the second trimester (Months 4, 5, & 6)

• Maternal bleeding screening: Also known as quad screen, this is screening test that examines the blood of the mother to examine the birth defects like down syndrome. The name quad screen is due to the fact that in this test four substances in your blood are checked including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), estriol, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and inhibin A and the test is performed 15 to 22 weeks into pregnancy.

• Ultrasound: Another ultrasound is performed during 18 to 22 weeks of the pregnancy to provide the data of baby’s growth, development, and health conditions.

• Amniocentesis: Amniocentesis is a test where a sample of amniotic fluid is taken from the mother’s Womb around the baby to examine for birth defects or genetic conditions. This is another test which is recommended to be performed by women older than 35, but in case the screening test of your first trimester shows your baby at high risk of birth defects or there is a medical history of genetic conditions in your family then the test is performed by the ladies younger than 35 as well.. It is done 15 to 20 weeks after pregnancy.

• Glucose screening: In this screening test gestational diabetes is examined as many women develop it during pregnancy. The screening test is performed during 24 to 88 weeks in pregnancy.

Tests done in the third trimester (Months 7, 8, & 9)

• Group B test (GBS): This is the only test performed by the medical professionals during the third trimester. Group B streps is an infection that can be passed into your baby through you during birth. The fluid of your cervix is examined during the test to check if you have GBS. 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy is the ideal time.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a sensitive period of your lifetime that does not have to be complicated with proper care and time management. Consulting best gynecologist sharjah during the pregnancy period for timely checkups and consultation is a must.

You can also visit the best medical professionals for treatments like ivf treatment or ectopic pregnancy treatment for a safe and sound bond between mother and child.