Pregnancy is a blessing that every woman goes through at least once during her lifetime. However, there are many myths associated with it that make our new mothers-to-be confused and anxious in terms of their own as well as their baby’s health. Here, I shall discuss a few routine measures pregnant women can take to ensure a healthy and uneventful pregnancy journey.
Take milk/ yoghurt/ paneer/ tofu/ sprouts/ salads/ soups/ makhanas.
Take your choice of home-cooked non-veg food twice a week (If applicable).
ROUTINE INVESTIGATIONS DURING PREGNANCY
During pregnancy, routinely, patients are advised to do a few blood investigations to ensure optimum maternal health and a few detailed ultrasound scans to ensure a healthy baby. We generally advise patients to do the following blood tests:
Blood group
Complete blood count to rule out any anemia or infections
Thyroid profile
Blood sugar profile
Urine Routine examination to rule out urine infection
Hemoglobin electrophoresis to rule out certain specific types of anemia known as Thalassemia
Checking immunity of certain infections – Rubella and varicella
Checking blood (of both Husband and wife) for certain infections like HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis to ensure that these are not being transmitted to the baby through the blood during pregnancy
The following scans are generally advised to pregnant women to pick up any genetic problems like Down’s Syndrome:
A genetic scan called the NT/ NB scan and a genetic blood test called the Dual screen at 11-14 weeks of pregnancy.
Another genetic blood test is Quadruple Screen between 15-20 weeks of pregnancy.
A detailed scan from head to toe of the baby called the Anomaly or Level 2 scan at about 18-20 weeks to see every baby organ in detail to pick up any malformations.
A detailed scan of the baby’s heart called Fetal Echo at 22-24 weeks.
Regular growth scans from 28 weeks to ensure a healthy growing baby.
Performing these tests on pregnant women enables us to pick up any problems early on in pregnancy and provide the necessary treatment at the earliest, thus avoiding adverse consequences for both the mother and the baby.
