pregnancy
During the second trimester, prenatal care will include routine exams, fetal growth measurements, and other tests, learn about them in this article. Antenatal care aims to ensure the health of you and your baby throughout your pregnancy, and care should begin as soon as you know you''re pregnant. Your health care provider will ask you to schedule antenatal care visits about every four weeks in the second trimester.
Here''s what to expect at prenatal visits during the second trimester.
Review the basics
Your health care provider will check your blood pressure and weight at each visit, and you should raise any concerns you have.
After that, the fetus occupies the circle of attention. The health care provider will
Track fetal growth. By measuring the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, a health care provider can measure fetal growth. This measurement in centimeters is often equivalent to the number of weeks of pregnancy to date.
Listening to the fetal heartbeat. During second-trimester visits, the healthcare provider may listen to the fetal heartbeat using a Doppler device. The Doppler device detects motion and transmits it as sound, allowing the mother to hear the fetal heartbeat.
Assess fetal movement. Tell your healthcare provider when you start to notice throbbing or kicking. This usually happens around the 20th week, or maybe sooner if you''ve been pregnant before.
Prenatal tests
In the second trimester, you can perform various pre-pregnancy examinations or tests
Genetic testing. Your doctor may suggest blood tests to check for genetic or chromosomal conditions, such as spina bifida or Down syndrome.
Fetal ultrasound A fetal ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to take pictures of the fetus in the womb. A detailed ultrasound can help the health care provider evaluate the anatomy of the fetus, and this test may also give the mother an opportunity to find out the sex of the fetus.
Blood tests. You''ll be suggested to have blood tests to check your blood count and iron levels, check for the type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), and check for certain infections. If you''re Rh-positive — an inherited trait that refers to a specific protein found on the surface of red blood cells — you may need to have a blood test to check for Rh antibodies.
Where these antibodies can be formed if the Rh factor of the fetal blood is positive and the Rh factor of your blood is negative and there is a mixture between them. If this condition is not treated, the antibodies may pass through the placenta and attack the red blood cells of the fetus, especially if this is not the first pregnancy of a fetus whose blood is Rh-positive.
Urine tests. A sample of your urine may be tested for protein or signs of infection.
Diagnostic tests. If blood test results or ultrasound are cause for concern or your medical history suggests you''re at high risk, your health care provider may recommend an invasive diagnostic test — such as amniocentesis. During an amniocentesis test, a sample of amniotic fluid, the fluid that surrounds and protects a fetus during pregnancy, is taken from the uterus for testing.
Always consult a doctor
The second trimester often brings a renewed sense of well-being, as morning sickness usually starts to go away, you start to feel the baby move, your belly gets bigger, and a lot of changes happen.
Tell your healthcare provider what''s on your mind, even if it seems silly or trivial. Nothing is trivial when it comes to your or your baby''s health.
