Now you've reached a somewhat freer, more relaxed time in your pregnancy. That's the second trimester . This is the time when the discomforts of the first three months have subsided, you can eat and drink a little better, and you feel stronger. During this time, your doctor will do several tests to check on the well-being of you and your little one in your womb. Don't be afraid of these tests. These are done to make sure that both of you are healthy. Let's see what they are?
Tests routinely performed at every clinic
There are a few things you do almost every time you go to the clinic for your period. Most of these are things you've probably become quite accustomed to by now.
- Urinalysis: A sample of your urine is taken and checked for things like protein, sugar, or signs of an infection.
- Weight and blood pressure: Your doctor can get a good idea of your health by measuring your weight and checking your blood pressure .
But there are two things you're looking forward to more than all of this.
1. Measuring the height of your belly: The doctor will measure the height of your belly with a tape measure. This is called the 'fundal height' measurement. This is a simple way to see if your uterus, and the baby, are growing properly.
2. Fetal heart tones: A small hand-held ultrasound device allows you to hear your baby's heartbeat (fetal heart tones). The joy of hearing that little heartbeat is indescribable, isn't it?
The eagerly awaited ultrasound scan
This scan is the most important thing to do in the second trimester. It is usually done around 20 weeks of pregnancy . Some people also call it an 'anomaly scan'. This is not just looking at the baby. It can provide a lot of important information.
This scan clearly checks whether all the major organs of the baby's body, such as the brain, heart, kidneys, and limbs, are well developed and whether there are any defects.
| Main things to look for at the 20-week scan | |
|---|---|
| Baby's development | They make sure the baby has grown properly for the specified number of weeks. |
| Location and development of organs | Things like the brain, heart, spine, kidneys, and facial features (e.g., conditions like cleft palate) are examined. |
| Placenta location | They check for a risk condition such as placenta previa, where the placenta is located low in the uterus. |
| Amount of Amniotic Fluid | Checking to see if the amount of water (amniotic fluid) around the baby is sufficient. |
| Twins | It is used to confirm whether there is more than one child in the womb. |
Sometimes, if something suspicious is found on this scan, your doctor may refer you to a specialist for further tests. Sometimes, a Doppler scan may also be done. This is done to check if blood flow is good between the placenta and the baby.
Gestational Diabetes Screening Test
This is also a very important test done in the second trimester. It is usually done between 24 and 28 weeks .
Simply put, you drink a special glucose (sugar) liquid, and then an hour later, your blood sample is taken to check your sugar level. This is to check if you have gestational diabetes mellitus, a condition that occurs only during pregnancy.
If this condition is not controlled, the baby may become too large, the delivery may be difficult, and you and the baby may have health problems in the future. Therefore, this test is a must. If the blood sugar level is shown to be high, you will be referred to a more sensitive test (Glucose Tolerance Test) to confirm it. Don't worry about it, your doctor will give you the necessary advice.
Special tests to look for genetic conditions in the baby
These tests are not mandatory for every pregnant woman . They are usually recommended for those with certain risk factors. For example:
- If the mother is over 35 years old.
- If someone in the family has a genetic disease like Down syndrome .
- If tests done in the first trimester have shown any risk.
Before having these tests, it is important to discuss the pros and cons with your doctor and make a decision.
| Name of the test | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Marker Screening (Triple/Quad Test) | This is a test that is done on your blood. It looks at the levels of certain proteins (MSAFP) and hormones that the baby produces, and calculates the risk that the baby will have Down syndrome or a neural tube defect. Although this indicates a risk, it is not a 100% guarantee. |
| Amniocentesis | This is done to confirm if the above test indicates a risk. A scan is performed, and a very thin needle is passed through the abdomen, and a small amount of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is taken for testing. This can identify genetic conditions with more than 99% accuracy. However, there is a very small risk of miscarriage (about 0.2% - 0.5%). |
| Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) | This is also a new, highly accurate test that uses the mother's blood. It can detect conditions like Down syndrome with 99% accuracy by examining the baby's DNA (cell-free fetal DNA) in the mother's blood. |
The most important thing is that if you have any doubts, fears, or questions about the results of a genetic test like this, do not hesitate to discuss them with your doctor. He or she will explain everything to you and provide you with the psychological support you need.
Take-Home Message
- The second trimester of pregnancy is an important time to carefully monitor your and your baby's health.
- The routine tests that are done at every clinic, such as weight, blood pressure, and urine tests, are for the safety of both of you.
- The 20-week anomaly scan is a very important test to check the baby's development and organ health.
- Don't skip getting tested for gestational diabetes. It can prevent many future complications.
- Special tests for genetic diseases (Amniocentesis, NIPT) are not mandatory for everyone. They are performed if there is a risk, and on medical advice.
- If you have any questions or concerns about any test, talk to your doctor openly about it.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න