Pregnancy: Conception – Maternity – Trimester
Blood pressure monitoring and preeclampsia detection

Blood pressure monitoring and preeclampsia detection

Why blood pressure monitoring matters in pregnancy Blood pressure reflects the force of blood against artery walls, recorded as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. In pregnancy, clinicians watch these values closely because hypertensive disorders can develop even in people who have never had high blood pressure before. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific condition most often arising […]

Group B strep test and when testing is done

Group B strep test and when testing is done

What group B strep is Group B Streptococcus is a bacterium that commonly colonizes the lower gastrointestinal tract and may also be present in the vagina or rectum. Colonization means the bacteria are present without necessarily causing infection. Many people have no symptoms and would not know they carry GBS without testing. In pregnancy, the […]

Routine blood tests in pregnancy

Routine blood tests in pregnancy

Why routine blood tests are part of prenatal care Pregnancy places extra demands on the cardiovascular, hematologic, endocrine, renal, and immune systems. Routine blood testing gives clinicians a baseline early in pregnancy and helps detect conditions that may be silent at first. For example, anemia may develop gradually, hepatitis B infection may be asymptomatic, and […]

Non-stress test (NST) and biophysical profile (BPP)

Non-stress test (NST) and biophysical profile (BPP)

What is a non-stress test? A non-stress test, or NST, is a fetal monitoring test that records the fetal heart rate over time, usually along with uterine activity. It is called “non-stress” because it does not intentionally stress the fetus or trigger contractions. Instead, it observes the fetal heart rate pattern under usual conditions. The […]

Blood type Rh factor and Rh incompatibility

Blood type Rh factor and Rh incompatibility

What is the Rh factor? The Rh factor, often referring specifically to the D antigen in the Rh blood group system, is a protein on red blood cells. A person whose red blood cells carry this protein is Rh-positive. A person whose red blood cells do not carry it is Rh-negative. Rh status is inherited […]

Glucose screening test and OGTT explained

Glucose screening test and OGTT explained

Why glucose testing is done in pregnancy During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones that help support fetal growth but can also make the pregnant person’s cells more resistant to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that helps move glucose from the bloodstream into cells. As pregnancy progresses, especially in the second and third trimesters, insulin resistance […]

Anatomy scan (20-week ultrasound)

Anatomy scan (20-week ultrasound)

What is the anatomy scan? The anatomy scan is a structured ultrasound examination performed in the second trimester to evaluate fetal anatomy and growth. It is commonly called the 20-week ultrasound because it often takes place near the halfway point of a 40-week pregnancy, though the usual window is approximately 18 to 22 weeks. Unlike […]

Amniocentesis procedure risks and recovery

Amniocentesis procedure risks and recovery

What amniocentesis is and why it may be recommended Amniocentesis is a diagnostic test, not a screening test. This distinction matters. Screening tests estimate the chance of a condition, while diagnostic tests can often confirm or rule out specific chromosomal or genetic findings with much greater certainty. In amniocentesis, a clinician uses ultrasound to identify […]

NIPT accuracy timing and limitations

NIPT accuracy timing and limitations

What NIPT is actually testing NIPT analyzes cell-free DNA fragments in the pregnant person’s bloodstream. A portion of these fragments comes from the placenta and is often used as a proxy for fetal chromosomal status. This is why many clinicians prefer the term cell-free DNA screening: the sample is maternal blood, and the fetal component […]

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

What NIPT is and why it is used NIPT is a prenatal screening test performed on a blood sample from the pregnant person. The sample contains circulating cell-free DNA, often called cfDNA. During pregnancy, a portion of this cfDNA comes from placental cells, which usually reflect the fetal chromosomal complement. By analyzing patterns in this […]