Throughout your pregnancy, you’ll get routine exams and tests to make sure you and your baby are healthy. Your OB/GYN provider will check samples of your blood and urine for certain conditions.
Conditions Screened for During Pregnancy
- HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Hepatitis B
- Preeclampsia, a type of high blood pressure
Other Exams
- Pap smear
- Ultrasound
- Group B Strep screening. Your doctor will swab the skin in and around your vagina to check for the bacteria. This usually happens in the month before you give birth.
Prenatal Genetic Tests
Prenatal genetic testing is particularly important for those whose pregnancies would be considered high-risk. This may include those who:
- Have a medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, a seizure disorder, or an autoimmune disorder such as lupus
- Have experienced miscarriages or pregnancy loss
- Have had gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy
- Are over the age of 35
- Have delivered prematurely during a previous pregnancy
- Are at risk of an inherited disorder from one or both parents
Prenatal genetic screenings tell you if your baby has a higher risk of having a certain disorder or disease, but they can’t tell you for certain that they’ll be born with it.
Questions to Ask if Your Provider Recommends Prenatal Testing
- Why Do I Need These Tests?
- What Will the Results Tell Me? What Will They Not Show?
- What Happens if I Don't Get the Test?
- What Will I do With the Results?
- How Accurate Are the Tests?
- What Are the Risks?
- How Long Will it Take to Get the Results?
- What Does it Feel Like?
- How Much Do they Cost?
- Will My Insurance Cover Them?
- Will Anyone Else (like my insurance company) have Access to the Results, especially of Genetic Tests?
- What Will the Results Mean For my Family?
- Can I Decide Not to Get the Results Even if the Test has Already Been Done?
- Where Do I Get the Tests Done?
