From Pre-Conception to Delivery

A range of tests is available if you are pregnant. These tests can confirm your pregnancy and also monitor your baby’s development in the womb. No medical test is ever 100 per cent accurate, but most pregnancy tests are very reliable.
Regular check-ups with your doctor or midwife are an important part of pregnancy care, including information and advice about what tests you and your baby will need.

Testing to Confirm Pregnancy

If you think you could be pregnant, you can see your GP for a pregnancy test. The doctor may test to see if you are pregnant by ordering a blood test or organising a urine sample test. Alternatively you could purchase a home pregnancy test from a supermarket or chemist. A pregnancy test will usually check a women's blood or urine for the presence of a substance called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This a hormone made by the placenta. When hCG is present, it usually indicates that the women is pregnant.

Tests During Pregnancy

Maternal health screening blood test
A screening blood test is regularly requested at the beginning of a pregnancy to test for common immunity to diseases that could affect an unborn child and also to get a picture of the mother's overall well being. This test may also look at your blood type and Rh factor and your iron levels.

Nuchal translucency test
The NT test is a simple, straightforward and non-invasive test undertaken at 11-13 weeks in pregnancy. It combines maternal age with high-resolution ultrasound assessment of fetal nuchal translucency (NT) and the levels of two proteins (free-BhCG and PAPP-A) in a pregnant woman’s blood. Normal fetuses accumulate fluid under the skin behind the head and neck between 9 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. If there is excess fluid it has been associated with chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome. A simple ultrasound performed between 11 and 13 weeks can measure this fluid (Nuchal Translucency). The gestational age of the fetus can be established by measuring from head to bottom – crown rump length ( CRL ). The NT tends to be larger in a fetus affected by a chromosome abnormality and it can be compared with what is expected for a fetus of the same size.

Non-invasive prenatal gene testing
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is also known as 'cell-free DNA screening'. It looks at the baby’s cell-free DNA circulating in the mother’s blood to screen for genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome and trisomy 13. This test can be done at any time from 10 weeks gestation. It is more accurate than combined first trimester screening, or second trimester MSS screening, but it is also more expensive.

Morphology Scan
The morphology ultrasound performed between weeks 18 and 20 is used to check the development of fetal structures such as the spine, limbs, brain and internal organs. The size and location of the placenta is also checked. The baby’s sex can be established, if the parents wish to know.

Glucose test for gestational diabetes and full blood count
The GTT test is required to investigate gestational diabetes and is performed in week 34.  Some women develop temporary diabetes during pregnancy. Patients will be given an oral glucose drink, they will wait for 1 hour and then a blood test will be taken. This is a fasting test.  Results are usually available at your next appointment.
 
Vaginal swab, screening for GBS (group B Strep)
Vaginal swabs may be collected from pregnant women to determine if the GBS bacteria are present. If the bacteria are found in a pregnant woman, intravenous antibiotics are given during the labour. Women are able to collect this swab in the privacy of their own home.

Ultrasound 
Ultrasounds are performed throughout your pregnancy to check that your baby is developing well. An ultrasound during the third trimester of pregnancy is usually to assess: the position of the baby, the size of the baby, the amount of fluid surrounding the baby, if there is placental resistance to blood flow and the baby’s current state of health. Ultrasounds do not give a complete picture, however they do provide good information and are painless and safe.