Congratulations, now you and your partner are planning to have a baby. This means that both of your are mentally ready to share the responsibility of parenting. But wait, just being mentally ready is not enough. You also need to be physically prepared and need to follow a lot of Pre pregnancy health tips and go go for pre pregnancy check up. Why should we worry about getting a checkup before getting pregnant is the attitude of each and every couple. But no, you are wrong about it. It is a must that you go for pre pregnancy check up. When you go for a pre pregnancy check the gynecologist may ask you to take some pre pregnancy test, which are really very important. The doctor may really want to know if you or your partner are suffering from certain disease that may affect your capability to conceive or have some hormone problems. So he or she might suggest some pre pregnancy test
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Pre pregnancy test that are very important to take
When you go for a pre pregnancy check up to your gynecologist, there are a list of blood tests that the doctor will ask you to do. These tests are as follows
- Pre pregnancy blood tests
- Pre pregnancy genetic testing
- Test for sexually transmitted disease
Pre pregnancy blood tests
Your gynaecologist may order a blood test to check whether you are suffering from diabetes and order test for that. They may also order tests for thyroid and a full body check up to see if your body is ready for getting pregnant or not. Also, a full blood count test can be ordered to check the hemoglobin level in your body. When, you fall pregnant it is very important that the hemoglobin level is maintained in your blood for the proper growth of fetus. The doctor may also order hormonal test for checking the fertility level. These hormonal tests include test for Luteinizing hormone (LH), which is at higher level at the time of ovulation. Also, the test for progesterone may also let you know about your normal ovulation.
Pre pregnancy genetic testing
Pre pregnancy genetic testing is one of the most important factors of pre pregnancy tests. Depending on your genetic background, the country where you belong from and ethnicity, the gynecologist you and your partner to get some genetic tests done.
This is because some genetic disorders are more common in people with certain areas like thalassemia is more common in Asians, African and Mediterranean people. Canavan disease is more common in people of jewish decent. The canavan disease reduces a child’s ability to a greater extent.
Also, the genetic screening test will tell you whether you or your partners are the carriers of certain genetic diseases. You may not be affected by that disease. But, you or your partner may be the silent partners. If both of you are the carriers, there are high chances that your future child will have that disease. These tests though being costly give some options to the couple who are planning to get pregnant. They can either go through the method using donor sperms and eggs and then proceed through the process of IVF or they can go through IVF and then from multiple implants developed, they can choose the one that is healthy and does not have the genetic defect to increase the life expectancy of their kid.
Test for sexually transmitted disease
Also during your pre-pregnancy check the doctor will ask you to go through tests for some of the Sexually transmitted infections. Many sexually transmitted infections do not show any symptoms. But, can cause a great amount of damage. These infections are as follows
Chlamydia and gonorrhea infections can go undetected and can damage your Fallopian tubes. They can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which may lead to infertility. The sexually transmitted infections can also cause complications during your pregnancy and if the infections passes through the placental to the fetus, then the baby may be born with lot of complications like brain damage or eye infections and many other women health related problems.
HIV can also be passed over to the baby at any stage of pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. Early detection can help to prevent the transmission of STDs to the baby and both the mother and the baby can receive effective treatment.
Prenatal vaccines
Prenatal vaccination is another process that you or your doctor should not miss out. There are few vaccine shots that you have to take before you plan to get pregnant. During pregnancy your immunity is very low, which makes you prone to certain infections. This in turn can also pass over to the baby.
Pregnant woman must take flu shot. So, it is best that you take the flu shot when you are planning to get pregnant, so that it protects you from flu virus during the initial weeks of pregnancy. Vericella (chicken pox) and rubella (German measles) virus vaccines are live vaccines. Pregnant woman cannot take it. So, it is important to get tested for immunity and get these vaccines when you are planning to get pregnant. Once you take these vaccines, you will have to wait at least for a month before you try to get pregnant.
If a pregnant women gets chicken pox, the woman is at a risk of getting pneumonia and the baby might get congenital vericella syndrome, which can cause scarring of skin, undeveloped arms and legs and defect in brain development. Rubella has more serious consequences like miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.
Pre pregnancy tests and vaccine shots are very important for all woman