Prenatal Tests Explained

During your prenatal appointments, you will be offered various prenatal tests. Some are recommended by law, some are at your discretion.

All can be refused.

Prenatal health care is important and has been proven as such.

There are numerous tests which can - and will be - offered. Some, like regular urine testing, are very useful. Others can be useful but they may be unsafe to your baby.

So how do you decide?

Well, by doing what you are doing right now...becoming educated and getting the facts. You want to know what each test is for, what - if any - risks are involved, and the safety of the test to you but most of all to your unborn baby.

Prenatal Tests

Chorionic Villus Sampling is a prenatal test performed during the first trimester.

Another - newer - test called Nuchal Translucency Testing is performed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

During the second trimester, you can be offered other genetic prenatal tests:

Amniocentesis

Alpha-feto-protein - AFP also called MSAFP

Cordocentesis

Integrated Screen

Genetic Ultrasound

Towards the end of the second trimester and into the third, you will be asked to participate in a prenatal screening which test for gestational diabetes:

1 hour glucose tolerance test

3 hour glucose tolerance test

2 hour postprandial test

Some states are now also recommending that you participate in a Group B Step test.

And last but not least you will be submitted to at least one fetal ultrasound.

Prenatal Health Care

Urine Tests

Prenatal Test of the first trimester:

Chorionic Villus Sampling

Nuchal Translucency Testing

Genetic Prenatal Screening During the Second Trimester

Fetal Ultrasounds

The Latest Research on Ultrasounds.

Urine Tests

Urine offers many clues as to how well your body is functioning. Urine is formed by your kidneys. One liter of urine is the result of 1,000 liters of blood filtration. This means that a urine analysis can tell us a lot about:

Your kidney's function

Your endocrine - hormonal - system

And your metabolic system

During pregnancy, you will participate in two different types of urine testing:

1) The first will be a sterile urine analysis performed at your first prenatal visit. This test will mainly be done to check for signs of infection.

2) A urine dipstick test will be performed at every prenatal visit. If you have a doctor, you will asked to pee in a cup and probably will never see the dipstick. Most midwives however involve you in your prenatal health care and you will be handed the dipstick to read.

This urine prenatal test will check for:

Inadequate fluid intake

Contamination

A bladder infection - or UTI

Excessive exercise

Note: 3 to 5% of healthy adults have a condition that causes them to spill proteins in their urine if they stand for long periods of time - trace to +1. In this case, a dipstick test in the morning will produce no proteins.

Note: False negatives may be seen with high ascorbic acid - a form of vitamin C - intake.

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