List of tests (for women and men) when planning pregnancy

The birth of a child is one of the most significant events in life. And many couples prepare for it in advance. If future parents take care of family planning and pass a number of tests, the likelihood of a successful pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby will increase several times.

It is no secret that many children born were not planned by their parents. However, every year the number of couples who are seriously approaching the conception of a child increases. The better prepared the potential parents, the greater the chance that the expectant mother will more easily bear the pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby. In order to determine how much future parents are ready to conceive, it is necessary to pass a number of tests and pay a visit to several doctors.

What tests should be given to a woman before pregnancy

Family planning for a woman begins with a visit to the gynecologist's office. You will significantly help the doctor if, even before the appointment, remember all your illnesses and calculate the duration of the menstrual cycle. Remember to grab a medical card. The information provided will help the doctor make a complete picture of the examination.

So, the list of analyzes:

• Gynecologist - a consultation of a gynecologist is very important, this is a profile doctor who will lead the entire pregnancy.
• Dentist - timely examination of the oral cavity and treatment of diseased teeth will eliminate the risk of a dangerous infection.
• Otolaryngologist. Diseases of the ENT organs are also dangerous and even in a chronic form will be a constant source of infection.
• Cardiologist. An additional burden on the cardiovascular system of a woman during pregnancy and childbirth can be harmful if there are diseases or pathologies in this area.
• Allergist.
• swab from the vagina to the flora;
• general, biochemical blood test;
• general urine analysis;
• scraping from the cervix for PCR examination;
• scraping cytology;
• thyroid hormones;
• Ultrasound of the mammary and thyroid gland, pelvic organs to exclude the presence of pathology;
• the presence of antibodies to toxoplasmosis, herpes virus, rubella, cytomegalovirus, human papillomavirus;
• antibodies to HIV, syphilis, gonococci, mycoplasma, gardnerella;
• antibodies to E. coli, staphylococcus;
• blood coagulation test;
• analysis for hepatitis B and C;
• HIV analysis
• analysis for syphilis;
• PCR for latent infections;
• colposcopy;
• PCR examination of a scraping made from the cervix - for the presence of pathogens of herpes, cytomegalovirus, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis;
• study of the level of thyroid hormones TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone of the pituitary gland that regulates the function of the thyroid gland), T3 (thyroxine), T4 (triiodothyronine).

1. First of all, you will be examined on a chair and a colposcopy will be performed. This is a diagnostic examination using a special device - a colposcope. Using this procedure and taking a cytological smear, the condition of the cervix is ​​assessed. The main task before planning a child is to eliminate the sources of infections and the cause of inflammatory diseases. Therefore, you will be prescribed several directions for passing tests and for undergoing ultrasound diagnostics.

2. The standard list of tests before pregnancy includes a general analysis of urine and blood. The first analysis reflects the general condition of the body and allows you to identify diseases of the genitourinary tract. A blood test determines the level of hemoglobin and helps to track the inflammatory processes in the body. A blood test for sugar, a biochemical blood test, which allows you to evaluate the work of the most important organs and a coagulogram, are also required. The latest test determines blood coagulation.

3. PCR diagnosis of infections is one of the most necessary procedures. This is a blood test for many dangerous infections that pose a considerable danger to the development and life of the fetus.

The results of PCR diagnostics will clarify whether you are ill with other diseases:

• ureaplasmosis;
• gardnerellosis;
• chlamydia
• mycoplasmosis.

If you are not sure that you had rubella during your childhood, be sure to take an analysis to determine if there is a risk of infection during pregnancy. The disease can lead to fetal malformations. If you have already had rubella, you can safely plan your baby. If you have never been ill with it, it is better to be vaccinated to avoid infection during gestation. Pregnancy is allowed three months after the introduction of the vaccine.

4. Ultrasound of the pelvic organs reveals diseases and pathological processes that prevent conception and the normal course of pregnancy. The study is scheduled for 5-7 and 21-23 days of the cycle. At the first stage, an assessment is made of the general condition of the pelvic organs.

At the second stage, the transformation of the endometrium and the presence of the corpus luteum (whether ovulation has occurred) are determined. During an ultrasound, doctors often diagnose problems requiring surgical intervention: ovarian cyst, uterine fibroids, polyp of the uterine mucosa.

5. Your blood will be checked for such dangerous diseases as hepatitis B (HbSAg), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV and syphilis (RW).

6. It is necessary to find out the group and the Rh factor of blood in both a woman and her husband. A positive Rh factor in a wife and a negative one in a husband are not cause for concern. But if, according to the results of blood tests, a future Rhesus mother has a negative Rhesus, and a man has a positive Rhesus, then during the onset of pregnancy a Rhesus conflict is possible.

This is especially true for women who have ever undergone a blood transfusion, pregnancy, abortion or other surgical operation, because the probability of the formation of specific antibodies in their blood increases. Between a Rh-positive baby and a Rh-negative mother, a Rh-conflict can occur, leading to immune complications, for example, hemolytic disease of the newborn.

In case of a negative Rh woman, a positive Rh man and in the absence of a Rh antibody titer, Rh immunization is carried out before pregnancy. Blood type conflict is less common, but doctors should also consider this fact.

7. The next important criterion for assessing a woman's reproductive ability is to determine the concentration of hormones in her blood. Hormone tests are optional. The examination can be prescribed for menstrual irregularities, overweight, unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child for more than a year and previous pregnancies with an unsuccessful outcome.

A specific list of hormones for which you will need to be tested will be determined by the doctor based on your circumstances and state of health. Most hormones are tested on days 5-7 and on days 21-23 of the cycle. This list may include:

• prolactin, which affects ovulation;
• testosterone, a high rate which can cause a miscarriage;
• DHEA-sulfate, on which the work of the ovaries depends;
• progesterone, responsible for maintaining pregnancy;
• estradiol, which determines the development of the uterus, fallopian tubes and endometrium;
• prolactin, responsible for the ovulation process;
• thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism;
• luteinizing hormone (LH), which affects ovulation.

8. Preparation for the conception of a child will be incomplete without a study of a potential future mother on factors of miscarriage. To do this, she takes tests that determine the content of antibodies to cardiolipin, chorionic gonadotropin, phospholipids and detect lupus anticoagulant.

9. A comprehensive examination ends with a visit to an ENT doctor, dentist and therapist. The ENT doctor will determine if you suffer from chronic diseases of the throat, nose and ear. It is impossible to admit that ARI and acute respiratory viral infections, which were severely transferred by the mother, do not disturb the development of the fetal nervous system.

During pregnancy, it is difficult to carry out complete dental treatment, and at the same time, infections in the oral cavity provoke inflammatory processes. Therefore, it is ideally necessary to solve dental problems before a woman is in a position.

General urine and blood tests should be shown to the therapist. Based on the studies and examinations, a specialist will make a conclusion about your health status. You may be given additional diagnostics and appropriate treatment.

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What tests should be passed to a man

A woman has to bear a future child. Nevertheless, half of the genetic material received by the baby belongs to the man. Not all husbands love to visit doctors, so a wife can reassure her husband that a man’s test is much faster and easier.

What you need to pass to the future father:

1. A general analysis of blood and urine, which determine the state of health, the presence of infectious and inflammatory diseases in the body.
2. Determination of blood type and Rh factor to identify the possibility of a Rhesus conflict between mother and fetus.
3. A blood test for sexually transmitted diseases. If a man is infected with an infection, he needs to be cured before conception.
4. Additional studies prescribed by the doctor. Among them can be a hormonal blood test, a spermogram (sperm test) and an analysis of the secretion of the prostate gland. If all the tests are normal, and pregnancy does not occur, the man will have to pass an analysis on the compatibility of the spouses.

In what cases may need a visit to a geneticist

Genetic tests should be submitted to married couples:

• having hereditary diseases in the family (mental illness, hemophilia, Duchenne myopathy, diabetes mellitus and others);
• where the man and woman are in adulthood, because aging chromosome cells increase the risk of pathology during the formation of the embryo;
• whose relatives suffer from a delay in mental and physical development for no apparent external reason;
• who have already had two or more regressive pregnancies;
• in which the child has a hereditary disease.

If there is a good reason for a genetic study, you should not neglect a visit to a geneticist. Remember that hereditary diseases can occur over several generations in your child.

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If the results of the tests were normal, you can safely begin preparing for conception. All prospective parents are advised not to smoke, drink alcohol, drink drugs, go to the bathhouse, and take care of their health for several months. Eat a healthy diet and take vitamins. Pregnancy planning means taking care of your unborn baby!

Video: Preparing for Pregnancy

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The obstetrician talks in detail about the preparation of women for pregnancy. The list of tests that must be done before pregnancy is given: STDs, Torch infections, hormones, vaginal candidiasis. It is also necessary to visit a dentist, gynecologist, therapist, etc. Follow the rules of personal hygiene and lead a healthy lifestyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fBAOO4cBq8

Where do you plan to begin pregnancy planning for future parents to reduce the risk of having an unhealthy baby. You need to start with yourself, with your lifestyle. It is optimal to undergo a medical examination 2-3 months before the planned conception. The volume of examination at the stage of pregnancy planning is selected individually, based on the age of the parents, the presence of chronic diseases, heredity, etc. Therefore, the examination plan when planning pregnancy is selected individually.