Routine Tests During Pregnancy (DNU)

This article is being consolidated with Prenatal Visits: Monitoring Your Health and Baby’s Growth.

Below kept for reference—but do not publish.

During pregnancy, we will recommend many tests to help make sure you and your baby are healthy.

These tests are done at different times during your pregnancy and may include the following. In some cases, we may recommend other tests for either you or your baby. These depend on your general health and the results of the below tests.

First Prenatal Visit

At your first visit, we’ll:

• Check your blood type
• Check for low iron (anemia)
• Check for infections like HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis
• Check if you are protected from diseases like rubella and chickenpox
• Check for some inherited (genetic) conditions if you want
• Do genetic tests for your baby
• Take a urine test to check for infection
• If needed, do a Pap test to check the health of the cervix
• Do a vaginal test to check for infection

Tests at Six Months

At visits later in your pregnancy, testing will include:

• Diabetes test (one-hour glucola test): Checks if you have diabetes during pregnancy. You drink a sweet drink, and then we check your blood one hour later.
• Anemia test: Tests if you have low iron. Low iron can make you feel tired or weak.
• Syphilis test: Looks for an infection called syphilis. It is important to find and treat it early to keep you and your baby healthy.

Tests at Nine Months

Towards the end of your pregnancy, tests may include:

• Group B Strep (GBS) test: GBS is a germ found in your vagina. It can make your baby sick during birth if you have it.  
• HIV test: This is another blood test to check for HIV. It helps keep you and your baby healthy by finding the virus early.