As a future mother, what preparations have you made? One of the preparations recommended for new mothers is a medical check-up before pregnancy. With pre-pregnancy tests, you can reduce the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. So, if you and your partner are planning a pregnancy, it's a good idea to consult with your doctor and immediately schedule a medical check-up before starting your pregnancy program.
So, what medical check-ups before pregnancy do you need to do? The following are some choices of pre-pregnancy tests that you can get at the hospital.
Blood test
Through blood tests, doctors can detect various genetic diseases. Genetic diseases have a risk of being passed on to babies during pregnancy. Not surprisingly, a blood test is one of the recommended tests for expectant mothers.
Through this test, you can prevent your baby from developing genetic disorders. If you are proven to have a genetic disease, your doctor can help find a solution and find a pregnancy program that is suitable for you and your partner.
Blood sugar test
This test is especially recommended for expectant mothers who have a history of diabetes or are included in the obesity category. Diabetes is known as a disease that you should be aware of as a pregnant woman.
Research has found that pregnant women with diabetes can harm their unborn baby. Babies can be born with low blood sugar and die before birth. For this reason, a blood sugar test is one of the most important pre-pregnancy tests.
STI ( Sexually Transmitted Infections ) test
For the sake of the baby's health, expectant mothers can also do an STI or Sexually Transmitted Infections test. As the name suggests, this check-up is intended to detect if the expectant mother has a sexually transmitted disease that can make it difficult to get pregnant and threaten the health of the baby. Some sexually transmitted diseases for babies are HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
TORCH test
TORCH stands for Toxoplasma , Rubella , Cytomegalovirus and Herpes Simplex Virus . These viruses are quite dangerous and can increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. Therefore, for the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy, this test is one of the most recommended medical check-ups .
PAP smear
Being one of the most recommended tests for adult women, the pap smear can detect the presence of the HPV virus ( Human Papilloma Virus ) that causes cervical cancer. If through this test the doctor finds the HPV virus and abnormalities in the uterus and vagina of the expectant mother, you can get the right treatment before carrying out the pregnancy program so that there is no need to endanger the health of the mother and fetus.
Thyroid function test
Thyroid disorders most often affect adult women as well as children. If pregnant women have thyroid disorders, they are more likely to have miscarriages, babies born prematurely, and impaired fetal brain development. Thyroid disease also affects the fertility of expectant mothers, making it difficult to get pregnant. For this reason, you as a future mother need to do this test, especially if you have previously had thyroid disorders.
Those are some types of tests that you can do before planning a pregnancy with your partner. To get recommendations for tests that you need to do, consult your obstetrician. Don't forget to always maintain your health by consuming balanced nutrition, avoiding stress, and exercising regularly so that your body stays healthy and avoids disease. #LiveExcellently
This article was written by dr. Ruswantriani, SpOG (Obstetric and Gynecology Specialist at EMC Sentul Hospital). For examinations and consultations on pregnancy problems with Dr. Tria, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 13.00 - 15.30.