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Prenatal tests help your health care provider find out how you and your baby are doing during pregnancy.You get some prenatal tests, like a blood pressure check and a urine test, several times during pregnancy.Other prenatal tests, like an ultrasound or special blood tests, are only done at certain times during pregnancy or if you have certain problems.Some prenatal tests check to see if your baby has certain health problems, like birth defects or genetic conditions.Talk to your provider about which prenatal tests are right for you.What are prenatal tests and why are they important? Prenatal tests are medical tests you get during pregnancy. They help your health care provider find out how you and your baby are doing. You get some prenatal tests several times during pregnancy at your prenatal care checkups. These tests make sure you and your baby are staying healthy. There are other tests that are done at certain times during your pregnancy. These prenatal tests check to see if your baby has any health problems, including:
If there is a history of certain health conditions in your family, you may want to talk with a genetic counselor. A genetic counselor has training to help you understand about birth defects and other medical conditions that run in families and how they can affect your health and your baby's health. What are screening tests and diagnostic tests? Screening tests check to see if your baby is more likely to have a health condition, but they don’t tell you for sure if you baby has a condition. There are no risks to you or your baby when you have a screening test. Diagnostic tests tell you for sure if your baby has a health condition. If a screening test shows your baby is at high risk of a health condition, your provider may recommend a diagnostic test to confirm the results. Some diagnostic tests may have some risks for your baby, like miscarriage. Miscarriage is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Screening test results can help you decide if you want to have a diagnostic test. You may or may not want to know if your baby has a health condition. If you decide to have a diagnostic test, you can learn more about your baby’s condition and how to care for your baby after he’s born. You also can make plans to give birth in a hospital that can give your baby special medical care. What prenatal tests do you get all through pregnancy? You can get these prenatal tests several times during pregnancy:
Your provider also checks your weight at each prenatal care checkup to make sure you’re gaining the right amount. What prenatal tests are done in the first trimester? You may have several tests in your first trimester (months 1, 2 and 3). Talk to your provider to find out which tests are right for you.
What tests are done in the second trimester? Your provider may offer you these prenatal tests in your second trimester (months 4, 5 and 6 of pregnancy):
What tests are done during the third trimester? In your last trimester (months 7, 8 and 9 of pregnancy), your provider does a test for group B strep (also called GBS). Group B strep is an infection you can pass to your baby during birth. The test checks fluid from your cervix to see if you have GBS. You get this test at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. What are kick counts and how do you do them? Kick counts (also called fetal movement counts) is a way for you to track how often your baby moves. By about 5 months (20 weeks) of pregnancy, you should start to feel your baby move in your belly. Your baby can turn from side to side and sometimes head over heels. Tell your provider if:
Your provider may ask you to do kick counts to see when and how often your baby moves. Here are 2 ways to do kick counts:
You can do kick counts even into your third trimester. If your provider is concerned about your baby’s movements, they may do other tests to check on your baby’s health. More information
Last reviewed: September, 2020 What tests are done during 9 months of pregnancy?You can expect to get your urine tested and your weight and blood pressure checked at every (or almost every) visit until you deliver. These tests can identify conditions such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure).
What blood tests are done in third trimester?Blood and urine tests: Your doctor will continue to check your urine for protein and sugar and any signs of infection, keeping a close eye for signs of preeclampsia, a complication that is most common in the last weeks of pregnancy. You may have blood tests again for anemia.
What blood tests are done before delivery?The following screening methods are available during pregnancy:. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test or multiple marker test.. Amniocentesis.. Chorionic villus sampling.. Cell-free fetal DNA testing.. Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (withdrawing a small sample of the fetal blood from the umbilical cord). Ultrasound scan.. What blood tests are done at 9 weeks pregnant?Cell-free fetal DNA testing (also called noninvasive prenatal screening or testing). This screening test checks your blood for your baby's DNA. The DNA is examined for certain genetic conditions, like Down syndrome. This test is done after 9 weeks of pregnancy.
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