Pregnancy Involves Many Tests

Throughout the course of a pregnancy, an expecting mother will have many tests. They fall into the following categories:
pregnancy test - the first test
routine, non-invasive tests - these occur during each visit to the obstetrician's office
blood pressure
urine glucose/protein
fetal heartbeat
blood sampling tests - usually done once at various times during pregnancy
blood type, Rh Factor
determine iron levels
HIV, Hepatitis B, syphilis
glucose tolerance test
triple screen test
swab tests - usually done once at various times during pregnancy
Pap smear - to check for STDs, various bacteria (varies according to the laws of each state)
Group B streptococcus screening
ultrasound - done at least one time during pregnancy
tests done under special circumstances
amniocentesis
chorionic villus sampling
fetal blood sampling or percutaneous umbilical blood sampling
fetal monitoring
Let's look at the various tests to see how they work and what they can tell us about the developing baby.