Few Things To Remember About The Pregnancy Test

Few Things To Remember About The Pregnancy Test: Lets us discuss some important things to remember during the test.

How authentic is confirming pregnancy at home?

Home pregnancy test involves the process of detecting the presence of the hormone. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or HCG in the urine. This is done with the help of various home pregnancy test kits available in medical stores and pharmacies

Few Things To Remember About The Test

Do not drink too much fluid – Do not drink too much fluid before the test. This can dilute the HCG levels.

The result is as accurate as any clinical laboratory test.

If you have read the directions carefully, followed them accurately and the level of HCG in your urine is sufficiently high, then home pregnancy test can be as accurate as any clinical test for pregnancy.

Home pregnancy tests and tests done in clinical laboratories are both similar in the sense that they both depend upon the presence of HCG in your urine sample. In clinics, pregnancy test can be done on your blood sample or urine sample, while at home it is done using urine sample only.

Pregnancy can be confirmed accurately at home, but it is always advisable to do a clinical test once your pregnancy is confirmed. To rule out the possibilities of multiple and ectopic pregnancy, you must get the clinical tests done as prescribed by your doctor

Doctor’s visit First Trimester

Your first pregnancy visit to the doctor provides the occasion for a complete physical examination.

Questions you might be asked

• Last period – Be prepared to give the date of your last period to determine a due date.
• Your history – The doctor will also want to know about your reproductive history (previous pregnancies, miscarriages, or abortions) any inherited disorders which may pass on to your child and any current or past illnesses.

Procedures/Tests

• Your stats – The doctor or nurse will record your height, weight, blood pressure and pulse.
• Physical – The doctor will give you a general physical examination, paying special attention to the heart, lungs, abdomen and pelvis.
• Pelvic exam – You’ll also have a pelvic examination, which allows the doctor to estimate the size of the uterus and pelvis.
• Blood test – At your first visit, the doctor will also take blood samples to determine:

1. Your blood count, to see whether you’re anaemic.
2. Your blood group, in case you need a transfusion.
3. If you have HIV (AIDS) antibodies, which can affect your baby
4. If you have sickle-cell anaemia, thalassemia (a rare blood disorder), or Tay-sachs disease. These tests are only for those who are at risk.
5. If you’re immune to rubella (German measles), a disease that can be devastating if contracted early in pregnancy.
6. If a sexually transmitted disease or hepatitis B is present.
7. Urinalysis The doctor will measure the protein and sugar in your urine. The urinalysis will detect excess protein, which can be a warning sign of preeclampsia: or high blood pressure in pregnancy.

Scheduling future visits

You should see your doctor every month until your 28″ week. Then every two weeks. After the 36″ week you might be seeing your doctor every week until your baby is born.

The important 12 week visit

Be sure to bring your partner to your 12 week visit. This is when you’ll be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat. Your doctor will place an electronic amplifying device called a Doppler scan on your abdomen. This instrument is safe and can be used right in the doctor’s office.

The heartbeat can’t be heard with a regular stethoscope until approximately 20 weeks. What you’ll hear is an earnest little heart pumping at about 140 beats per minute.

Until today your baby might have been just an idea of a child growing inside you. But once you hear the heartbeat, you would know that your baby is very real.

Why prenatal tests and scans are important?

These tests help in monitoring the health of both the mother and the baby. They also identify the possibility of any unforeseen problem. Screening tests and genetic tests help in identifying the risks of foetal problems early during the pregnancy.

Prenatal tests identify infections – Routine screening tests are done to identify any infection or problem in the mother that may affect pregnancy. These tests are usually performed during the first trimester.

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Source: https://bangalore.apollohospitals.com/

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