Your doctor will order your blood tests during pregnancy. Systematic blood counts should be repeated, but specialized blood tests are also performed: HIV test, toxoplasmosis test, blood sugar test, pregnancy hormones. Find out when the individual blood tests are taken in pregnancy and how to interpret their results
Pregnant morphologyis performed monthly. Thisblood testserves, inter alia, Let your doctor know your red blood cell count. Their deficiency means anemia, a condition that is dangerous for you and the developing baby. With a small amount of red blood cells, the fetus is at risk of hypoxia, which may result in its abnormal development. If you are found to be anemic, your doctor may advise you to take extra folic acid, other vitamins, and iron.
Correct morphology results
- HCT (hematocrit): 37-47 percent
- HGB (hemoglobin): 12-14g / 100ml
- RBC (red cells): 4-5 million in mm3
- WBC (white blood cells): 4-9 thousand in mm3
- PTL (platelets): 140-440 thousand in mm3
How to prepare for a blood test? [TOWIDEO]
Specialized blood tests in pregnancy
- Test for the level of pregnancy-related hormones (estriol, hCG and AFP): the doctor orders this test primarily when he finds any abnormalities in the pregnancy development; abnormal levels of these hormones may mean that your baby is at greater risk of developing problems such as Down's syndrome. The result, however, does not ultimately determine that such a defect will appear.
- Glucose Tolerance Test: As women who are expecting a baby may develop a glucose tolerance test. gestational diabetes, blood sugar testing is a routine check and is done each trimester of pregnancy. If you have elevated blood sugar levels (normal is no more than 125 mg% on an empty stomach), have had high blood sugar in a previous pregnancy, or your baby is starting to grow rapidly and gain more weight than the duration of pregnancy indicates - doctor may ask you to take a glucose tolerance test. The blood is then tested after drinking an appropriate doseglucose.
- HIV test: this is not a mandatory test; you can ask your doctor for them if you suspect you may have come into contact with this virus. Detecting it in the blood does not mean that your baby will also be infected - however, doctors will be properly prepared for the delivery.
- Test for toxoplasmosis: mandatory test. Antibiotics may be required if antibodies to IgG and IgM toxoplasmosis are present in the blood.
- Cytomegalovirus Antibody Test: testing is optional but recommended. They are usually performed early in pregnancy and every three months thereafter. Cytomegaly can lead to severe, even fatal damage to the fetus.