When the gynecologist confirms that you are expecting a baby, they will give you a pregnancy card. The card is an important document for a pregnant woman, informing about the course of pregnancy and your he alth condition. You should carry your pregnancy card with you at all times.

Creating a pregnancy card is a very important moment for the future mother. This document certifies that you are pregnant. No wonder you feel 100% pregnant.Pregnancy cardis small in size yet contains a lot of valuable information about you and your baby. A glance is enough to immediately followpregnancy . Thanks to this, each doctor you visit will quickly find out about your he alth situation: the course of pregnancy, test results or medications you are taking. You can easily put the card in your purse. All medical examinations and consultations (including e.g. an ophthalmologist) that you had during pregnancy should be recorded in it. Don't forget to take it with you when you go on vacation!

Pregnancy card: about your he alth

The first page always contains the pregnant woman's name and surname, date of birth, address, as well as the date of the last menstruation marked with the abbreviation OM and the expected delivery date (TP). The doctorgynecologistbased on the original written test result (and not only verbal information obtained from the pregnant woman) should also enter the mother's blood type, and sometimes also the child's father. The data on the blood group are marked with one of the letters: A, B or the digit 0. The Rh factor (it is the factor that most often determines the so-called serological conflict) is entered by the doctor in words, not only with the symbol "+" or "-", to avoid mistakes. If the pregnancy card ended up in the hands of a not-so-wise prankster who would convert minus into plus, it could have serious consequences.

Pregnancy card: birth information

In special columns, the gynecologist enters information about past deliveries and pregnancies. There should also be data on miscarriages and abortions. The doctor uses numbers to identify this information. If you have not been pregnant so far and have not given birth, your gynecologist will write a crossed circle in the appropriate places.

Pregnancy card: information about the fetus

There is also a place in the card to enter information about the child, e.g. in which week did you feel the first movements, what was obtained during ultrasound examinations. Medical abbreviations from ultrasound resemble hieroglyphs for the uninitiated.But deciphering them is not as difficult as it sounds (see box).

Problem

Ultrasound abbreviations:

GS- pregnancy bubble sizeFHR (+)- audible fetal heart rateBPD- head sizeCRL- the length of the child from the top of the head to the butt, i.e. the parietal-seat lengthFL- the length of the femurHC - head circumferenceAC- belly circumference

The most important medical abbreviations:

OM- date of the last menstruationTP- due dateRR- blood pressureWR test- syphilis testHBs antigen- hepatitis B carrier testOGTT test- stress test with 75 g of glucoseb.z . - no changenb.- absentTNW- next visit date.

Blood morphology:

E or RBC- the number of red blood cells, i.e. red blood cellsHt, HCT- hematocritHb- concentration of hemoglobin, red blood cell pigmentL or WBC- white blood cell countPLT- platelet count

Urine test:

DHW- specific gravitywhite- presence of proteinglucose.- presence of sugarE- presence of red blood cellsL- presence of white blood cells.

Pregnancy card: regular entries

The pregnant gynecologist's office is visited once a month on average, and even more often at the end of pregnancy. During subsequent visits, the doctor records the date of the appointment in the pregnancy card and the data obtained at that time, creating a medical history of pregnancy. Each entry must be signed and stamped by a doctor.

  • Week of pregnancy. It is abbreviated as "Hbd", e.g. 31 Hbd is the 31st week of pregnancy.
  • Height of the bottom of the uterus. The gynecologist records the height of the bottom of the uterus in centimeters or using letters, for example: "P" stands for at the level of the navel.
  • Results of blood and urine tests. They make it possible to detect abnormalities that may affect the course of pregnancy, e.g. diabetes, anemia, urinary tract infections (for abbreviations see the box).
  • Body weight. Regular body measurements are important not only to judge if you are getting too round. Rapid weight gain can be a sign of disturbing swelling. Your doctor or midwife will also check your blood pressure at each visit.
  • Early-pregnancy fasting blood glucose result and an oral glucose load test for diabetes mellitus (between 24 and 28 weeks gestation).
  • Antibody test results (most often IgM, IgG) for rubella, toxoplasmosis orcytomegalovirus.

"M jak mama" monthly