Dad's Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies
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A pregnant woman has more prenatal doctor’s appointments than you’d ever expect, but the checkups are necessary to monitor her health and the growth and health of the baby. To screen for complications, the obstetrician (OB) performs different tests on the mother and baby at various stages of the pregnancy, and the following chart lists what to expect when:

Weeks Possible Tests
6 to 8 Blood type, rubella titer, blood counts, HIV antibody, syphilis, hepatitis screen, ultrasound
10 to 12 Doppler detection of fetal heart; chorionic villus sampling, if planned
11 to 14 First trimester screen/Nuchal translucency
15 to 18 Second trimester serum screen (quad screen), amniocentesis if absolutely necessary
18 to 22 Ultrasound (and the best time to determine baby’s sex if you and your partner are interested in doing so)
24 to 28 Gestational diabetes screen
28 to 36 Biweekly visits to check blood pressure, weight, urine, and fetal growth
36 to 40 Weekly visits, same as weeks 28 to 36, with a check for fetal positioning
40+ Twice-weekly visits to test fetal stress

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Matthew M. F. Miller is a father and uncle. He is the author of Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story.

Sharon Perkins is a mother and grandmother, as well as a seasoned author and registered nurse with 25+ years’ experience providing prenatal and labor and delivery care.

Matthew M. F. Miller is a father and uncle. He is the author of Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story.

Sharon Perkins is a mother and grandmother, as well as a seasoned author and registered nurse with 25+ years’ experience providing prenatal and labor and delivery care.

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