5 Common Tests You Should Consider for a Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful and long journey. While one prepares for life ahead, taking baby classes and reading books on child-rearing, one must always be on top of maternal and natal health.

Any mistake can lead to a complication during or after pregnancy. To help you on a healthy journey to motherhood, here are five tests that you must undergo during the various stages of your gestation.

1. Vitamin level: According to medicalexpress.com, Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant females can have adverse effects on both the baby and mother. Vitamin D is crucial to ensure sufficient calcium to build the child’s bone mass and maintain that of the mother.

2. Glucose level: Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (diabetes) that starts or is found during pregnancy. Around 16% of women in India have shown to develop the disease and it can have adverse effects on the child’s and mother’s well-being.

3. CBC: A CBC counts the number of different types of cells that make up your blood. Low Red blood cell levels can indicate anaemia. White blood cells can show how many disease-fighting cells are in your blood. The number of platelets can reveal whether you have a problem with blood clotting. Platelets can also dip during pregnancy, which can be a sign of Vitamin B12 or Folic Acid deficiency.

4. Genetic screening:

Chances of a genetic disorder in a baby can increase if:

• You are above 37 years of age

• Either you or your partner has a pre-existing genetic condition

There two kinds of genetic testing. Screening tests assess if there is a chance of birth defects. These tests do not necessarily give an evaluation of the foetus itself. Diagnostic tests assess if the foetus has a genetic disorder. The parents can be prepared in advance if they know how to manage the disease in advance. Most of these tests are performed within the first trimester.

5. Foetal monitoring: This is a simple procedure to measure the foetus’s heart rate. Around late pregnancy, foetal monitoring can help determine if the baby is in distress or a C-section might be necessary. The test can be either external which is a specialised tool called fetoscope or internally with wires and electrodes.