If you are pregnant or considering getting pregnant, prenatal care should be at the top of your to-do list, right along with baby names and picking out a crib. With the right prenatal care, we can prioritize your and your baby’s health through all nine months of your pregnancy – and beyond.
Q: What are prenatal tests?
A: Prenatal covers the period of your baby’s life before delivery. Doctors perform medical prenatal tests at specific times throughout your pregnancy to learn valuable information about your and your baby’s health. They help detect problems that could affect either of you. Many conditions, such as infections, are easy to diagnose and treat. Other tests can help prepare for delivery and care for your baby after birth. Prenatal tests are essential to prenatal care, ensuring both mother and baby are healthy and receiving proper care.
St. Elizabeth offers comprehensive prenatal testing, including bloodwork, lab work, ultrasounds, fetal monitoring, diabetic testing, education, and genetic testing and counseling. Many of these tests are also conveniently available in our physician offices.
Q: What are prenatal tests?
A: Prenatal covers the period of your baby’s life before delivery. Doctors perform medical prenatal tests at specific times throughout your pregnancy to learn valuable information about your and your baby’s health. They help detect problems that could affect either of you. Many conditions, such as infections, are easy to diagnose and treat. Other tests can help prepare for delivery and care for your baby after birth. Prenatal tests are essential to prenatal care, ensuring both mother and baby are healthy and receiving proper care.
St. Elizabeth offers comprehensive prenatal testing, including bloodwork, lab work, ultrasounds, fetal monitoring, diabetic testing, education, and genetic testing and counseling. Many of these tests are also conveniently available in our physician offices.
Q: What are the most common prenatal tests?
A: Common tests include ultrasound, group B streptococcus (GBS) testing, maternal glucose (blood sugar) testing, standard lab work (including checks for STDs), urine drug screen, electronic fetal monitoring (EFM), amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), cell-free fetal DNA test (NIPT), genetic carrier screening and kick counts. These tests help monitor the health and development of the baby and the well-being of the mother.
Q: What is an ultrasound, and when is it typically performed during pregnancy?
A: An ultrasound is a diagnostic test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your baby and their internal organs. Providers can perform this test at multiple points during your pregnancy to track the baby’s growth and development. We most commonly perform this test in the first trimester to confirm a healthy fetus is growing inside the uterus and then again between 20 to 22 weeks gestation to look at your baby’s growing internal organs and anatomy.
Q: What is group B streptococcus (GBS) testing, and when should a mother have it?
A: GBS testing checks for group B streptococcus bacteria in the mother, the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborns. It involves a cervical swab performed between 36 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. If positive, doctors administer antibiotics during labor to prevent transmission to the baby.
Q: How does maternal glucose testing work?
A: This blood draw measures the mother’s blood glucose (sugar) levels to screen for gestational diabetes. The maternal glucose test measures glucose levels in the mother’s blood over the course of an hour. If results from the one-hour test are abnormal, the mother will undergo another glucose tolerance test that will take place over a three-hour time period. Doctors perform glucose testing between 24 and 28 weeks.
Q: What does standard lab work during pregnancy involve?
A: Throughout your pregnancy, technicians will complete standard lab work, which includes blood draws and vaginal swabs. These tests evaluate complete blood count (CBC) levels as well as check for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These tests ensure that mom and baby receive proper care and stay healthy.
Q: What is the purpose of urine drug screening in pregnancy?
A: Doctors conduct urine drug screens at various stages of pregnancy to detect drugs and other harmful substances that can affect the safety and well-being of your developing baby.
Q: Can you explain electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)?
A: EFM uses sound waves to create tracings of uterine contractions and the baby’s heartbeat to monitor the baby’s well-being. This test can happen any time after 24 weeks, but in a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy, you may only need this test during labor. Women with higher-risk pregnancies will often do a special version of this test called a non-stress test twice a week beginning around 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Q: What is amniocentesis, and when do mothers have it?
A: Amniocentesis uses a needle to obtain a small sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding your baby. This test measures different components in the amniotic fluid, usually between 15 and 20 weeks. Doctors do not routinely perform amniocentesis testing — only to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities and other disorders, such as Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13.
Q: How does chorionic villus sampling (CVS) differ from amniocentesis?
A: CVS is performed by amniocentesis to obtain placental tissue, typically between 10 and 13 weeks. The placenta contains the baby’s genetic material, and CVS testing can diagnose chromosomal abnormalities and other disorders.
Q: What is the cell-free fetal DNA test?
A: This noninvasive prenatal test is a maternal blood draw that occurs after 10 weeks. It tests the baby’s DNA found in the mother’s blood, helping to determine the baby’s gender and the presence of any genetic disorders.
Q: What is genetic carrier screening?
A: During your first pregnancy (or even when planning for a future pregnancy), we offer testing to see if you are a carrier of genetic diseases that can have serious health implications for your children. The most common genetic disease in our area is Cystic Fibrosis. This test looks at your DNA and only needs to be done once in your lifetime since your carrier status will not change from one pregnancy to the next.
Q: How are kick counts used in pregnancy?
A: Starting after 28 weeks, mothers count the baby’s movements within a specific timeframe, usually two hours. Knowing this number can help monitor the baby’s movements and indicate potential changes in the baby’s health.
Q: How can I learn more about prenatal testing and services?
A: St. Elizabeth Healthcare offers all prenatal testing at their Maternal Fetal Center. Many of these tests are available in your physician’s office, providing convenience and comprehensive care throughout your pregnancy. For more information about prenatal testing and comprehensive maternal-fetal medicine services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, call (859) 301-2445 or schedule an appointment by calling (859) 655-7400.
Explore Obstetrics and Midwifery Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Get more information about routine perinatal care and women’s health services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. To schedule an appointment, call (800) 737-7900 or log into MyChart.
