Research plan during pregnancy

Any future mother wants her baby to be born on time and be healthy. Previously, we had to rely only on the wisdom of nature and anxiously wait for the birth of a child.

But now almost all the changes that occur with the baby in the womb can be tracked with the help of mandatory tests and studies that are prescribed in the women's clinic.

Why is this necessary?

How right

How to eat properly for the expectant mother, what myths about pregnancy should not be believed, and how to quickly get ready for the maternityhospital , experts say.

Early rises and taking tests on an empty stomach, sitting in queues, ultrasound examinations, examinations and measurements seem to many women to be useless procedures that take too much time and effort. If you feel normal, some expectant mothers try to avoid even routine research.

But all the data that is collected during pregnancy is needed by the doctor only for one purpose – to make your pregnancy go well and you give birth to a healthy baby. Including without genetic abnormalities.

Take your trips to the women's consultation not as a severe necessity, but as a manifestation of your concern for the future baby, which begins before his birth. After all, many hidden problems with your or his health can be detected only by the results of tests.

First trimester

The first visit to the women's consultation takes place at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy. It's around this time that most expectant mothers find out they're pregnant.

The obstetrician-gynecologist will measure the weight, height, pressure and size of the pelvis. You can also consult your doctor about taking vitamin and mineral supplements. But you will leave the women's clinic for a reason, and with a whole heap of directions for tests and consultations of specialists.

In two weeks you will have to pass:

During the same two weeks, you need to visit a therapist, an endocrinologist, an ophthalmologist and an otolaryngologist and make an electrocardiogram.

The second visit to the doctor is expected in 10 weeks. You again take a urine test and prepare for the fact that before each visit to the doctor until the birth, you will come with a characteristic jar. At this meeting, the doctor will look at the results of your tests and the appointments of other specialists and make a conclusion about your state of health.

At the age of 12 weeks, you must necessarily pass the so-called first screening. It consists of a blood test that detects abnormalities in the development of the child, and an ultrasound examination (ultrasound), which, according to certain parameters, shows the degree of risk of genetic abnormalities in the baby, for example, Down syndrome.

Second trimester

From the 16th week, the doctor can already clearly hear the fetal heartbeat with the help of an obstetric stethoscope. At this time, you will be measured the height of the position of the bottom of the uterus and the volume of the abdomen to determine whether the child is developing correctly. Now these parameters will be measured at each visit.

At 18 weeks, a second screeningtakes place, which reveals the risks of chromosomal abnormalities and congenital malformations of the fetus by examining the level of certain blood proteins: alpha-fetoprotein and chorionic gonadotropin. This study is only possible for a month – from week 16 to week 20.

In other periods, the level of these proteins is not informative. In addition, at week 18, a blood sugar test is given – the work of the pancreas is once again checked.

The next visit to the doctor only in a month – at 22 weeks of pregnancy. In addition to the traditional examination, you will have a mandatory ultrasound, which will show how the baby's organs develop, the placenta, and how much amniotic fluid is contained in the uterus.

At this time, it is already possible to determine the sex of the unborn child. In addition to ultrasound, you do a Doppler study of the blood flow, uterus, placenta and umbilical cord to find out how well the baby is supplied with oxygen and nutrients.

At the 26th week, a meeting with the doctor leading the pregnancy will not take much time – you will only have an examination.

Third trimester

By the 30th week of pregnancy, the detailed blood test that you did at the very beginning of pregnancy should be repeated. Its results are necessary to fill out the exchange card – the main document of a pregnant woman, without which she can only get to a specialized maternity hospital in case of sudden childbirth.

At the same time, the position of the child in the uterus is determined, and the long-awaited maternity leave is issued.

At 33 weeks, the doctor conducts a third screening – with the help of ultrasound, he determines the features of the baby's development, identifies some malformations that are visible only in the late stages.

The next visit to the doctor is at 35 weeks. At this time, cardiotocography is performed-a study of the child's heart and its motor activity. With this method, the doctor can determine how well the baby is feeling.

From week 37, when only a routine checkup is performed, you will meet with the doctor leading your pregnancy every week.

At 38 weeks, you will additionally take a blood test for syphilis again – you need it fresh in the maternity hospital. And at 39-40 weeks, you will undergo another ultrasound examination to determine the position of the baby, the umbilical cord and the condition of the placenta.

During the entire pregnancy, the doctor may prescribe additional tests or send you to consult other specialists – it all depends on the characteristics of the course of pregnancy.