Complete Hemogram Test during Pregnancy

A lot of obstetricians do a complete evaluation of the blood at the same moment they do the glucose tests to see if you have developed significant anemia or other less common problems. Anemia is common during pregnancy and some women need to take iron supplements.

Sound Waves – Sonogram
The ultrasound exam is a very useful tool that will allow you and your doctor see the baby inside the uterus. An apparatus emits sound waves and the sound waves bounce over the ba by and turn into an image that can be seen on a monitor. You can see almost all the structures of the fetus’s body, and you can see the fetus making movements such as kicking, moving his or her arms etc. the best moment to observe the anatomy of the baby is around week eighteen to week twenty-two.

The sonogram does not hurt or affect the baby or the mother. The doctor will spread some gel over your abdomen and then slide the transductor on the gel. You do not have to have a full bladder because the amniotic liquid that surrounds the baby provides the necessary amount of liquid to transmit the sound waves and create a detailed image. The quality of the image depends, amongst other factors, on the position of the fetus and maternal fat.

A sonogram checks the fetus. The doctor can obtain information about the following things by doing this test:

• Number of babies in the womb

• Gestational age

• Growth rhythm of the fetus

• Position, movements and breathing exercises the fetus does

• Cardiac rhythm of the fetus

• Amount of amniotic liquid

• Position of the placenta

• Fetal anatomy and identify some birth defects

• Sex of the baby, although it cannot always be seen

During the sonogram exam the doctor will measure the fetus first and then study his or her anatomy. The amount of detail varies between women and doctors. One detailed sonogram can analyze the following structures:

• Fetus’s arms and legs

• Fetus’s bladder

• Fetus’s brain and skull

• Fetus’s face

• Fetus’s genitals

• Fetus’s heart, pectoral cavity and diaphragm

• Fetus’s kidneys

• Fetus’s spinal cord

• Fetus’s stomach, abdominal cavity and abdominal wall

The decision of whether you need a sonogram and how frequently you need it depends on your particular risk factors, the preferences of the doctor and the coverage your health insurance offers. Some doctors recommend all women do a sonogram around week twenty; while others believe it is not necessary if there are no risks of problems. It is possible you will need multiple sonograms though if you have one of the following:

• If you are pregnant with two or more babies

• If the doctor suspects the baby is too small or too big for his or her age

• If the doctor suspects you have too much or too little amniotic liquid

• If you are under risk of premature birth or incompetent cervix

• If you have diabetes, hypertension or other base medical conditions

• If you are bleeding

• If the doctor wants to do a biophysical profile, an evaluation of fetal well being that looks at the movement, breathing exercises, amount of amniotic liquid, and fetal tone.

Recently doctors have also used sonograms to measure with precision the cervix in women that have risk or premature labor and incompetent cervix. They place the transductor in the vagina, measure the length of the cervix and observe the inferior part of the uterus.