Your doctor has just confirmed that you are pregnant and that you need to take special care of yourself and the growing baby. This probably is the best experience in your life. But being pregnant means now you have to go for regular medical check-ups and get those routine tests done.

The prenatal tests are an important part of your prenatal care. Your doctor will advise you regarding all the medical examinations that you need to go through to monitor your and the baby’s health.

The first and foremost test that is carried out is the blood test. Your blood will be tested to check for the following:

  • Whether you are anemic or not
  • Your blood type, whether A, B, AB or O, will be identified.
  • Your blood will be tested to check the presence of the Rh factor and see whether it is positive or negative.
  • The blood test also helps in checking whether you have the antibodies that show whether you are immune to diseases like chicken pox, etc.
  • Other conditions those are harmful for you and for the baby as well, like checking whether your blood contains the HIV virus.

Urine tests are also part of the tests conducted during the initial stages of your pregnancy. The analysis of your urine is done for the following reasons:

  • To check if you urine contains any bacteria. Their presence may indicate infection which may require immediate attention.
  • Urine is checked to see if there are traces of sugar. The presence of sugar will indicate diabetes.
  • Urine is also checked to see if there are traces of protein in it. Presence of protein will indicate infection in the urinary tract. Additional tests may be then required.

Apart from checking your blood and urine, your physician will also keep a close watch on your blood pressure. Other tests that are usually carried out during the prenatal visits include cystic fibrosis tests. The doctor will also monitor the heart beat of the growing fetus.

Ultrasound is also an important test that is carried out. This is used to see how the baby is keeping inside the womb. The baby’s size, position, movement pattern and other details are observed through an ultrasound. Apart from these, women who are prone to some risks are put through some special prenatal tests, like amniocentesis, for that extra caution.

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