First Trimester Tests
Once you book an appointment with your family doctor to confirm your pregnancy and decided on the OB or midwife route, there are a few tests involved in the first trimester.
If you are squeamish with blood work that may change after your pregnancy. There are lots of regular blood tests (sometimes up to 8 vials of blood) that you will have to do throughout your pregnancy.
The main tests in the first trimester:
First Ultrasound
Basically a blob
Blood test (confirm pregnancy)
8 week ultrasound
12 week screening
Rh Factor test
Blood test in the beginning with your family doctor is pretty straightforward. Confirming the pregnancy even though those over the counter pregnancy tests are almost 100% accurate. Also your family doctor may also test a few other things to check your overall health or any other pre-existing concerns you have (such as low iron etc..)
8 week ultrasound checks to see the baby and hear the heartbeat. The visual picture is not much at this point - more like a blob. But the heartbeat is the important part. Hearing the heartbeat is the new ‘waiting 3 months’ to start telling your family and friends. The risk of miscarriage at this point is on average less than 2%. Like I mentioned previously, it is amazing to hear the heartbeat and makes the whole growing a human being inside you so much more real! If you can, bring your significant other with you or close family member.
Here is a funny clip about the 1st ultrasound to give you a laugh..
They will do a regular ultrasound on your belly followed by one that goes up your vagina. It is really uncomfortable and also has you thinking ‘how the hell can this massive wand fit up there??’, but the whole process is quite quick.
The next test is genetic screening around 12 weeks. Blood test and ultrasound test are done to see if you have a higher risk of having a baby with genetic conditions such as Down syndrome (wrote about ultrasound in 2nd trimester tests). It does not tell you if the baby has it or not just if there is a higher risk. It is pretty routine and definitely recommend for people with higher risk pregnancies (i.e. having baby in your 40s).
Fetal Doppler
Hear baby’s heartbeat every OB appmt
If your tests come back normal, it is a good peace of mind. If your test results come back with higher than normal risk, there are more testing options. There are CVS (first trimester) and amniocentesis (second trimester) testing which is more invasive and will look at placenta tissue or amniotic fluid respectively. They do carry a risk of miscarriage so not everyone opts for this. There is also now an advanced blood testing (you have to pay for $400 unless they consider it mandatory) that will test baby DNA in your bloodstream which will give you more detailed results on genetic conditions and some other chromosomal anomalies. Will also give you the gender of your baby early on.
Early on, you will also be tested for Rh factor (protein) in your blood. It is more common to have the Rh factor (Rh +), but you could not have it (Rh -). If you do not have it, it does not affect your health, but it could be dangerous for your baby if he/she is Rh + (got it from his daddy). But do not freak out yet! As long as your doctor is aware of this, there are just some extra special steps taken to ensure safe delivery of baby with no issues. During pregnancy, there will be 3 different screens (first trimester, 28 weeks and before delivery) just to ensure your blood has not come in contact with your baby’s blood. If it does happen, you will start to produce antibodies which could be dangerous for your baby. However there are shots to be taken before delivery etc., to suppress your body from making these antibodies and ensuring safe delivery for baby. If this issue arises again with subsequent pregnancies, it will be little more dangerous since your body has definitely made antibodies for Rh +. You and your baby will have to be monitored frequently in this case to prevent anemia of your baby. My sister was Rh - and had Rh + baby. There was some exposure in the blood so she needed to get those suppressant shots. And she had a safe delivery of her baby boy. It just had to be monitored and they preform these tests early on so medical professionals can be prepared.
3rd baby first ultrasound