We are here to serve you
LABS PERFORMED IN-OFFICE FOR BEST IN CARE SERVICES
Prenatal Tests to Expect Throughout Your Pregnancy
North Valley Women’s Care offers an in-office lab to perform your lab work at your convenience and ease. Throughout your pregnancy you can expect your OBGYN to order lab work and other prenatal tests to efficiently and thoroughly monitor your health.
What you will find routine is a check on your blood pressure and urine tests. Ultrasounds will be scheduled accordingly throughout your pregnancy to check on the baby’s development, and blood tests will be performed to watch certain levels, or to test for other factors that could affect your health or your baby’s health.
WHAT WE TEST FOR
Blood Pressure:
Preeclampsia is a serious condition for a pregnant woman. The biggest indicator is if she has high blood pressure while pregnant. Issues with organs may also arise with this condition and cause problems for the pregnancy.
Urine Tests:
Protein found in urine can be another sign of preeclampsia as well as signs that there may be an infection in the kidneys or bladder.
Blood Tests:
Blood tests are used to determine a lot of health factors during your pregnancy. During one of your first visits we will document your blood type, test for Rh Factor, check for anemia and see if any infections are present.
- Rh Factor: this test determines if you are Rh positive or Rh negative. Most women are Rh positive with a protein that is carried in the red blood cells. If an expecting mom is Rh negative and her baby is Rh positive, this could cause harmful affects for baby. When this is caught and treated early, the condition is preventable for baby.
- Anemia: the lack of healthy red blood cells which are needed to properly deliver oxygen to your body
- Infections: you will be tested for certain infections such as syphilis, hepatitis B, and HIV
Knowing your health before you are pregnant is ideal, though at the beginning of your pregnancy we take extra precautions as well as monitor throughout your pregnancy for any changing conditions.
Screening Tests
Screening and diagnostic testing are used to check on your baby’s health and to detect as early as possible for any conditions the baby may have. If the baby is at risk for a condition, a diagnostic test will be performed to learn more to confirm if baby does or does not have the said condition. If there is a health issue is present, then this provides time to plan and learn more about baby’s condition and what to expect after birth.
Conditions that can be detected are:
- Birth defects – these affect the formation of the body and its functioning
- Genetic and chromosomal conditions – these include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, heart defects and Down Syndrome
Specific Tests for Each Trimester
In your first trimester your OBGYN may offer the following tests:
- Carrier Screening: this screening is performed on the mother-to-be carrying the baby. A blood and saliva test are offered to detect if the mom is carrying a genetic condition that may affect the baby.
- Cell-Free Fetal DNA Test: this will test your baby’s DNA to see if the baby has a genetic condition, such as Down Syndrome.
- Chorionic Villus Sampling: this is a test taken with a sample of the placenta, another method to check for genetic conditions with the baby.
In the second trimester your OBGYN may offer or recommend the following:
- Maternal Blood Screen: via a blood draw, this screen checks for the possibility of birth defects with the baby.
- Amniocentesis: this is a test off the amniotic fluid to test for birth defects
- Glucose Screening: gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that women may get during their pregnancy. If left untreated it could cause harm to the baby, such as preterm birth or still birth.
Third trimester testing:
- Group B Streptococcus: also known as Group B Strep or GBS, this is a bacterium that can cause infection in the body. Though this may be harmless for mom, it can be harmful to the baby and can be passed to the baby during childbirth. Getting tested for this bacterium will allow your OBGYN to treat accordingly to protect the baby.
Providing the Ultimate Care for You and Baby
We conveniently offer all lab work to be completed in-office at our women’s health care center. Our highly trained Glendale OBGYN will make sure to order tests that are specific to your needs and any special monitoring that you and your baby may require.
We are happy to work with all other members of your clinical team to ensure comprehensive and total care.
Call North Valley Women’s Care today to schedule an appointment. We are your preferred and highly referred obstetrics and gynecology specialists.
SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TODAY
We would love to talk to you today about your Women's Healthcare needs
What are you waiting for...
CONTACT US
We are your local providers of the highest quality obstetrics and gynecology, and we want to hear from you. If you have questions about our care and services, or to schedule an appointment, call us today!
