What does the second pregnancy test check?

Prenatal check-ups are essential for pregnant women during pregnancy. Pregnant women should go to the hospital for check-ups. The first prenatal check-up is the first pregnancy check-up, followed by the second pregnancy check-up. Usually the first and second prenatal check-ups contain almost the same items. Many first-time pregnant women don’t know what to check during the second prenatal checkup. What to check during the second prenatal checkup? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. Early detection.

Examination items: weight, blood pressure, uterine height, abdominal circumference, edema examination, fetal heart rate auscultation, blood routine, urine routine, leucorrhea, syphilis screening, etc. Among them, weight, blood pressure, uterine height, abdominal circumference, edema examination, fetal heart rate auscultation and other items are routine items of prenatal examination. Measure blood pressure to observe whether the expectant mother will develop pregnancy-induced hypertension. Some pregnant women have normal blood pressure before pregnancy, but find that their blood pressure is high in the later stages of pregnancy. Therefore, by having regular prenatal checkups and measuring your blood pressure every time, you can control your blood pressure promptly and effectively when it just starts to rise.

2. Mid-term inspection

Examination items: weight, blood pressure, uterine height, abdominal circumference, edema examination, fetal heart rate auscultation, urine routine, blood routine, Down syndrome screening, electrocardiogram, and B-ultrasound examination.

In addition to routine check-ups during this period, Down syndrome screening is also one of the examinations that expectant mothers should do.

The incidence of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal distress and neonatal asphyxia is significantly increased in pregnant women with heart disease during pregnancy. The electrocardiogram can reflect the heart function of the pregnant mother and respond promptly to the occurrence of pregnancy complicated with heart disease.

3. Late examination.

The time for late pregnancy check-up is from 29th to 36th week of pregnancy. The check-up should be once every two weeks. After 37 weeks, it should be once a week. The closer to delivery, the more frequent the check-up. At this time, pregnant mothers need to be extra careful, observe closely, and pay attention to changes in their bodies at any time. At the beginning of the 36th week, fetal movements begin to decrease, and pregnant mothers should learn from their doctors how to measure fetal heart rate and fetal movements. At this time, fetal heart rate auscultation and fetal monitoring should be performed regularly. An ultrasound examination in the late pregnancy can understand the condition of the cervix, detect whether the amount of amniotic fluid is normal, assess the size of the fetus, etc. It can also predict the mode of delivery and prepare for the smooth birth of the baby.

4. What to pay attention to during the second inspection

After the first prenatal check-up, the second check-up is usually conducted four weeks later. Before 28 weeks, checks are conducted every four weeks, after 28 weeks, checks are conducted every two weeks, and after 36 weeks, checks are conducted every week.

During each subsequent prenatal checkup, blood pressure should be measured and weight should be weighed. Around 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal heart rate should be listened to at each prenatal checkup. Blood pressure during normal pregnancy should not exceed 140/90 mmHg (18/12 kPa). Hypertension accompanied by edema and proteinuria is called "pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome" and requires active treatment. Pregnant women's weight gain has a certain pattern, starting from the 16th week of pregnancy, and the rate of weight gain accelerates after the 28th week, averaging about 2 kilograms per month. Slow weight gain during this period may also be due to poor fetal growth, and further examination should be done. Excessive weight gain may indicate that the pregnant woman has "hidden edema" and further examination is also required.