Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Pregnancy - Prenatal Visits and Tests
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Prenatal Visits and Tests
- Testing For Birth Defects
- Health and Nutrition
- Body Changes
- Baby Development
- Emotions and Relationships
- Health Concerns
- Planning for Labor
- When to Call a Doctor
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
The first test you may have is the one you take at home to see if you're pregnant. After you know you're pregnant, you will have a series of tests throughout your pregnancy to make sure you and your baby are healthy.
At-home pregnancy test
If you think you might be pregnant, you can use a home pregnancy test as soon as the first day of your first missed menstrual period.
Pregnancy is measured in
weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period. There are several methods to
find out your due date. The most common way is to calculate your due date 
.
Checkups and tests after you know you're pregnant
As soon as you know you're pregnant, make an appointment with your doctor or certified midwife. Your first prenatal visit will provide information that can be used to check for any problems as your pregnancy progresses.
Good care during pregnancy includes regularly scheduled prenatal exams. At each prenatal visit, you'll be weighed, have your abdomen measured, and have your blood pressure and urine checked. Use this time to discuss with your doctor or midwife your list of pregnancy concerns or problems.
At different times in your pregnancy, you may have additional exams and tests performed. Although some are routine, others are only done when you ask for them, when a problem is suspected, or if you have a risk factor for a problem.
- Your first prenatal visit includes a health history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests.
- First-trimester exams and tests may include fetal ultrasound, which uses reflected sound waves to provide an image of your fetus and placenta.
- Second-trimester exams and tests may include fetal ultrasound and electronic fetal heart monitoring. Later in the second trimester, you will have an oral glucose screening test for possible gestational diabetes. If you have Rh-negative blood, you may have an antibody screening test and will receive an injection of Rh immunoglobulin. Screening tests help your doctor look for a certain disease or condition before any symptoms appear.
- Third-trimester exams and tests may include fetal ultrasound, hepatitis B screening, and group B strep screening.
All pregnant women should be screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to help prevent newborn HIV infection.1 Your doctor or midwife may not order this test unless you ask for it.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: November 10, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
from
- Facebook is now fueling organ donations
- Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound
- Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek
- Ask Jenna: I've hit a weight loss plateau. What do I do?
- He poses in a tutu to laugh in face of wife's cancer
- After chemo hair loss, 'henna crowns' help heal
The iVillage Network