Welcome a Healthy Baby: Routine Laboratory Tests You’ll Take During Your Pregnancy

Pregnant women want to safely carry and give birth to a healthy baby. In Medieval times, there was at least a 1/3 chance of a mother or child (or both) dying during childbirth. Today, however, pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths are less likely thanks to modern medicine, proper hygiene practices, and state-of-the-art equipment.

The lower chance of pregnancy and childbirth complications does not mean, however, that you or your doctor won’t want to take precautions. It’s normal for baby doctors to request that you undergo several laboratory tests throughout the course of your pregnancy. This serves to address prenatal care purposes and ensure that childbirth goes smoothly, and that your baby is healthy and developing on time. It’s also a good way to detect childbirth complications before they get worse.

These are a few of the tests you can expect to take in the next nine months.

Ultrasound

Because home pregnancy tests aren’t totally accurate, the best way your obstetrician can confirm your pregnancy in its early stages is through an ultrasound. You may be asked to take ultrasounds in different phases of your pregnancy to ensure your baby is developing normally. Ultrasound machines are often found in radiology laboratories, but do not use radiation that can be harmful to your baby. The costs of this vary, so the cost of ultrasound radiology in Provo may vary with other cities in Utah, for example.

After the ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy, you may be asked to take ultrasounds in the three different stages, or around every three months. During your first trimester, your ultrasound can estimate your baby’s due date and if you might be having multiple births like twins. Your second trimester’s ultrasound determines if the baby’s major organs, spine, and limbs, are growing normally. This is also the stage where you can find out the baby’s gender. The third trimester is to check if the baby is growing normally and if the placenta isn’t blocking the cervix.

CBC and Blood Typing

A complete blood count (CBC) test evaluates the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. You may be asked to take multiple CBC tests throughout your pregnancy, especially if you are anemic or have a health condition.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which is responsible for bringing oxygen to the rest of your body. Your red blood cells will need to transport oxygen to you and your baby, so anemic women with below-average amounts of red blood cells will find themselves feeling more fatigued, while their fetus may not receive enough oxygen for proper development. The blood loss during childbirth may also be harmful to women with anemia.

White blood cells, meanwhile, attack foreign bodies that could cause disease, so it’s responsible for a person’s immune functions. A high amount of white blood cells can determine if a woman has an infection, so this can be treated to prevent the infection from spreading to the fetus.

Platelets are responsible for clotting to stop bleeding. Women with below-average platelet counts are at risk of heavy bleeding during childbirth.

Finding out your blood type is usually done on your very first test. This is important, because not all blood types are compatible, and a mother’s blood type may not be compatible with her fetus (i.e. if it inherits its father’s blood type). So, if a mother has a blood type A- and the baby inherits its father’s B+, if the antibodies of the mother’s blood cross the placenta, it can attack the baby’s antigens in its red blood cells. This can cause a serious condition for the newborn. To prevent this, mothers can be injected with Rh immune globulin to prevent their incompatible blood types from conflicting.

Urinalysis

Your obstetrician may ask for urine samples in every trimester. This is to test for glucose and protein. High glucose levels may be a sign of pre-existing diabetes or gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes developed during pregnancy. High levels of protein, on the other hand, can be a sign of preeclampsia, which can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

Rubella

Rubella (also known as German Measles) is a virus that can cause coughing and sneezing. It’s a mild illness for the mother (an infected person may not even realize they have it). However, the danger of having Rubella during pregnancy is that it can cause birth defects, especially if a woman is less than five months pregnant. The virus hinders the development of a fetus’s major organs, especially the brain, heart, and eyes.

A blood test can determine whether a mother has or had Rubella. Vaccines are available for this disease, so if you’ve had your shots, the chance of contracting rubella is low. If not, you should avoid anyone who has had or currently has rubella, as it is very contagious. Never opt for a rubella vaccine while you’re pregnant – take it after pregnancy, even while you’re still breastfeeding.

HIV

Women with HIV could pass the virus to their babies. Not all cases of HIV develop into AIDS, but as much as possible, you wouldn’t want to risk passing it on. Also, not all mothers with HIV end up passing the virus to their children. However, HIV is a serious virus with no cure, so mothers with HIV will definitely want to take steps to control the virus and lower the chance of passing it on to her babies. In the United States, it’s routine for obstetricians to request HIV tests, with some states requiring pregnant women and their newborns to get tested.

While these laboratory tests will mean more expenses during your pregnancy, it’s a small price to pay to ensure your baby is born normal and healthy. These tests are tried, tested, and safe for both yourself and your children, so it’s highly recommended that you agree to take these tests, especially if you have an existing condition that can cause complications.