Congratulations on your pregnancy. Of all the three stages of pregnancy, now, you are at one of the most crucial stages – the third trimester. The last three months of pregnancy are known as the third trimester. The third trimester constitutes the seventh, eighth and ninth months where the baby develops and grows inside the mother’s womb. Therefore, this is one of the most crucial times of pregnancy when you need to remain extra careful.
By the third trimester, the development of the baby is almost done. so, now, you have to take care of both the mother and the baby. Now, your baby is gaining weight learning to close and open their eyes and also developing the toes, nails and fingers. During the third trimester, you are sure to feel a little exhausted. Sometimes you might find it difficult to breathe. You will also experience the movement of the baby much more than you used to. All of these symptoms are completely normal.
Everybody wants to experience a healthy and effortless pregnancy. If you want to stay away from any issues during your pregnancy, you can consult with the highly experienced private gynaecologist at Medical Express Clinic. We recommend you go now and consult with the gynaecologist of the Medical Express Clinic for obvious reasons. They are experienced enough to handle all kinds of pregnancies, and you can easily reach out to them both online and offline.
During the third trimester of pregnancy, it is important to go through some check-ups and tests to ensure the good health of both the mother and the baby. In this blog, we have come up with the tests that you need during the third trimester. So, without further delay, let’s get started with the details of the blog.
Pregnancy check-ups
When you go for appointments with your doctor, he will first check your weight and blood pressure. Often, the doctor might ask you to provide a urine sample to check if you are suffering from any infection. When the doctor feels the presence of protein in the urine, he will treat you against pre-eclampsia.
Further, the doctor will also take measurements of your belly to ensure that the baby is growing. For dilation purposes, the doctor may check the cervix area. To keep you away from anaemia the doctor will ask you to undergo a blood test to see the condition of the red blood cells.
List of health tests during the third trimester
Sometimes things don’t work according to your plan. Even if you want a healthy pregnancy, it can create some risk factors. To check if you and your baby are at a risk, the doctor asks you to undergo a couple of tests. We have given below a list of foetal tests that can determine the condition of the foetus inside your womb.
- Amniocentesis
When the doctor feels that the baby has been infected by a bacterial infection known as chorioamnionitis, he might ask you to undergo an amniocentesis test. Another reason for conducting this test is to check foetal anaemia. Normally the doctor prescribes this test in the second trimester to check if there are chromosomal issues in the baby. Another condition for which the doctor asks you to undergo this amniocentesis test is to find out if the baby has a foetal lung infection.
To conduct the process of amniocentesis the doctor will first put inside your abdomen a thin and long needle through the uterus. The purpose of this needle is to get some amniotic fluid as a sample. Next, the doctor will take you for an ultrasound to check the exact position of the baby so that the needle does not hurt them. During amniocentesis, if the doctor is not careful it can lead to premature delivery or a miscarriage.
- The nonstress test
The purpose of the non-stress test is to check the heart rate of the baby, especially while their moving in the amniotic fluid. The doctor asks you to undergo a non-stress test when they feel that the baby is not moving. Another condition to conduct a non-stress test is when you have gone past your due delivery date. Besides the non-stress test measures the healthiness of the placenta.
To conduct this test, the doctor uses a fetal monitor placed on your baby bump and checks the heart rate of the baby for 20 to 30 minutes. If you have a disc in your pregnancy your doctor will ask you to conduct the non-stress test at least once a week or at the beginning of your 30th week. When the baby inside your home is sleeping the heart rate is automatically slow. In that case, the doctor will try to wake the baby inside you to monitor the correct heart rate.
- Contraction stress test or oxytocin challenge
The purpose of the contraction stress test is to measure the foetal heart rate with some more stress. Indeed, there is not much difference between the non-stress test and the contraction stress test. While the former does not use any stress, the latter uses a little bit of stress to check the heartbeat of the baby.
To stimulate the baby inside and induce mild contractions, the doctor may sometimes use oxytocin. It is because the goal of this contractions stress test is to find out the response of the baby’s heartbeat to the contractions. When everything is normal the doctor will find a stable heart rate even if there is a restriction of blood flow into the placenta. In case of an unstable heart rate, the doctor will give you an idea as to the reaction of the baby after its delivery. As a result, both you and the doctor discuss the time and the method of delivery.
Conclusion
So, if you are worried about the health of your baby, you should undergo all the tests that the doctor advises you to do, especially in your third trimester. In any case, if the doctor notices any complications, he will guide you in the best possible way. Or, if you find anything abnormal, do not as hesitate to share it with your doctor and take the necessary help.