Tests and Appointments

There are two ways of doing chorionic villus sampling. In the transabdominal method, a fine needle is placed through the abdomen to collect placental fragments. In the transcervical procedure, a thin tube (catheter) is inserted into the cervix. T...

By 20 weeks, your baby's organs and body systems are well developed and can be seen clearly on an ultrasound scan. The sonographer performing the scan will look closely at how your baby's major organs and body systems have formed and whether ther...

An ultrasound scan, known as the nuchal translucency screening, is done between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy and is used to help assess your baby's risk of Down syndrome. During this test, the sonographer measures the depth of fluid under the ski...

This ultrasound helps to accurately establish your baby's gestational age. This is particularly useful if you are not sure when your last menstrual period was, if you have irregular periods, or you became pregnant immediately after you stopped us...

In addition to Down syndrome, screening tests also assess the risk of another chromosomal abnormality called trisomy 18. Babies with this condition have more severe mental and physical abnormalities than babies with Down syndrome and seldom survi...

At your initial visit, you will meet your doctor who will be handling your care. She will ask you questions about your past and present health and about medical conditions in your family. You will also have a physical examination and blood and ur...

Early in pregnancy, you will need to think about who you would like to care for you during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. You will also need to consider where you want to give birth since this will have an influence on your choice o...

Several different health-care professionals will care for you during pregnancy and labor, and in the postpartum period:Ob/gyns provide the vast majority of care for women in pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. They're specially trained t...

Refer to this list of important questions when interviewing potential health-care providers for the birth of your baby. ...

Worrying About Birth Defects All pregnant women worry about bearing a child with a birth defect, but some women have more reason to worry than others. If you are over age 35, have a history of bearing a child or children with a birth defect, or...

Calculating Your Due Date The expected date of your baby's arrival is probably the biggest piece of news you'll take away from your first checkup. It's the date you'll memorize and engrave on your heart. Unfortunately, it's probably not the date...

What Is Chorionic Villus Sampling? Baby Talk Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a diagnostic test that can be given as early as the 9th week of pregnancy to identify or rule out certain birth defects. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a diagnos...

What Is Amniocentesis? Baby Talk Amniocentesis is a diagnostic test that withdraws fluid from the sac surrounding the fetus to diagnose a number of birth defects. Amniocentesis is a procedure used to withdraw a small amount of amniotic fluid (th...

Having an Ultrasound Baby Talk Ultrasound is a way of using echoes of very high-frequency sound waves to build an image of the fetus on a computer monitor. It's a good bet you have no pictures of yourself while you were still in your mother's ut...