While you are pregnant, your doctor will ask you to undertake certain types of special pregnancy tests that will allow you to make sure that both you and your baby are healthy. Most of these tests are actually painless and non-invasive and you should not worry about your safety or your baby’s safety, especially since you are working with an experienced doctor.
Here are some of the pregnancy tests that you may be asked to take part in and what each of them means.
List of Pregnancy Tests:
Different Types of Ultrasounds:
There is an ultrasound that will be carried out just to determine the amount of fluid or the thickening at the back of the neck area of the foetus. This is known as foetal nuchal translucency in medical terms and is something that will be usually monitored during the first trimester of your pregnancy. There is another ultrasound that will be carried out to see if the nasal bone of the foetus has developed properly. For example, some babies, if they are suspected of having any chromosome related abnormalities will not show signs of the nasal bone being developed correctly. Usually this ultrasound will be done between 11 and 13 weeks of you being pregnant.
Also Read: 7 Prenatal Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women
Different Types of Blood Tests:
There are also different types of blood tests that can be carried out based on the requirements of the mother and the child. Usually the serum blood testing that is carried out will measure two different substances that are present in the blood of all expecting mothers. One of these substances is Plasma protein A that is associated with pregnancy. It is found in the blood during the early stages of gestation and if it shows an increase there could be a chromosome issue with the baby. The other substance that is tested for is HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin component which is essentially a hormone that is found in the placenta during the early stages of pregnancy.
An increased level of this too will indicate some chromosome issue. The nips test is also another prenatal test that is used to check for chromosome issues such as Downs Syndrome in the foetus. It is non-invasive and will only need a small amount of blood from the mother. It does not have any kind of risk or impact on the foetus. It is also considered to be a screening test which basically says that it cannot provide a very definitive answer on whether or not the foetus will have an issue with certainty. However, what it can do, is tell you if there is an increased or decreased risk of such a problem. It can also detect a genetic issue within the mother.
Also Read: Effective Workout For Busy Moms: 4 Quick Exercises To Keep Busy Moms Strong
AFP Testing or Screening:
This is a special type of blood test that will help doctors determine the levels of AFP in the blood of the mother. This is a protein that is generally produced in the liver of the foetus. it is seen in the fluid that is around the amniotic fluid. It moves into the mother’s blood through the placenta. The levels of this protein can show a miscalculated delivery date, any issues in the abdominal wall of the baby, down syndrome and other such chromosomal issues, neural disorders, if you may be having twins to name a few.
Image Courtesy: Different Types of Ultrasounds
