4 Types Of Lab Tests You Will Have During Pregnancy

When going through pregnancy, you will need to get quality prenatal care from your OBGYN, family practitioner, or midwife. Prenatal care is important to ensuring that your pregnancy develops in a healthy way. Your doctor will let you know when to be concerned and will ensure that your baby is well taken care of before they are even born. During pregnancy, you should expect to make regular doctor appointments and receive some routine lab tests that will help determine the health of your baby. Here are the four most common and typical types of lab tests:

1. Blood Count: Twice during your pregnancy, your doctor will likely recommend that you have blood drawn to test for anemia. Anemia is not something that you want during pregnancy because it can affect the amount of oxygen that is streaming through the baby's system. On top of that, it can make you feel weak during pregnancy and even blackout at times. To prevent these issues, your doctor will prescribe an iron supplement most likely to ensure that your anemia is under control if you have it. 
2. Cervical Testing: Your doctor will likely want to take samples from the cervix, as well and test them for possible signs of infections. Infections near the cervix are likely going to complicate things during your pregnancy and possibly make baby sick, especially during delivery. Your doctor will want to know what infections may be present and treat them right away. If it's something that cannot be treated during pregnancy, they will ensure that the baby has the right kind of shot or treatment to keep them healthy during the time of delivery. 
3. Glucose Test: During pregnancy, you are much more prone to diabetes, especially if you have had diabetes in previous pregnancies or you have a family history of it. The way this is tested is usually with a sugary drink you have to consume within a certain time period and then having your blood drawn and tested for diabetes. If you do have gestational diabetes, you will return for a second test to confirm it and then will receive nutritional advice to ensure that your gestational diabetes does not affect your baby. 
4. Ultrasound: You will have at least one ultrasound done during your pregnancy to measure the growth of your baby. This is usually a longer appointment that requires you to drink a heavy amount of water beforehand so that measurements are as accurate as possible. This is also going to help doctors find any potential problems, such as signs of down syndrome or improper growth development. 

When you know the four most common tests done during pregnancy, you can be sure that you are prepared for these things and know why they are important. For more information, contact prenatal medical experts, like those at Bhupathy Vellore R MD-Women's Medical Group.

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