How do you know if your pregnancy is healthy? · Healthy weight gain · Normal blood pressure · Healthy fetal movement · Clear skin and hair changes. The information is not a substitute for advice from an independent professional and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, consult a healthcare professional. This test can be performed starting at 10 weeks of gestation. A blood sample is drawn from the mother and new technology can identify the baby's chromosomes in the maternal blood and test them for abnormalities, including Down syndrome.
The test is very accurate; however, it should still be considered a screening test and not a diagnostic test. This test can also be used to determine the sex of the unborn baby. This is an exam based on an ultrasound that is usually done between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. It measures the thickness of the fluid-filled tissue in the back of the baby's neck and the results are combined with a blood test that measures placental hormones.
The combination of these two measurements gives us the chance that your baby has a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. During prenatal visits, the distance from the top of the uterus to the pubic bone is often measured. A higher-than-expected fundus height may be a sign of fetal macrosomia. The fluid that surrounds and protects the fetus during pregnancy is called amniotic fluid.
Having more of this fluid than normal may be a sign that the fetus is larger than average. In part, this is because fetal urine contributes to amniotic fluid. And a larger fetus produces more urine. Some health conditions that cause a fetus to grow can also increase the amount of urine the fetus produces. The medical term for excess amniotic fluid is polyhydramnio.
The baby begins to move five months after conception; the term for fetal movement is called acceleration. A 6-month-old fetus responds to sound through movement. After seven months, the fetus responds to stimuli such as sound, pain, and light. By the end of eight months, the baby begins to kick more often.
But at the end of the nine months, movement decreases because there is less space. During pregnancy, your pregnancy healthcare provider will order several tests to check your health and the health of the developing fetus. You'll also have an ultrasound during the second trimester. This ultrasound is probably best known for telling first-time parents the sex of their baby (if you haven't already discovered it through a cell-free DNA blood test), but it's primarily for providers to analyze fetal anatomy.
This ultrasound examines the limbs, brain, heart, and other organs and structures of the fetus. If you maintain a healthy weight, your baby is more likely to have a healthy weight, too. Being overweight makes you more likely to suffer from conditions such as preeclampsia and high blood pressure.
