You are in the final stretch of your pregnancy and there is very little time left to have your baby with you! It is possible that the last weeks are being made especially uphill, because to the uncontrollable desire to meet your little one the discomforts and worries typical of this last section are joined.
Today we review what are the medical tests and controls that will be done before delivery which, in general, tend to intensify with respect to the first two quarters. Remember, also, the importance of asking your doctor or midwife any questions you may have, as well as the recommendation to prepare a personalized birth plan.
Visit with the midwife or gynecologist
The start of the third quarter begins with a visit to the midwife or gynecologist, who will assess your general condition, will perform a physical examination and will request the complementary tests that you should have: analytical, ultrasound and vaginal-rectal exudate.
Likewise, they will inform you about the care you should carry out in this last phase of pregnancy and will clarify any doubts or questions you have.
As it has been happening so far, it is likely that in all your visits you will be checked for weight and blood pressure, and as the delivery date approaches, the gynecologist performs a vaginal examination (or vaginal touch) to check the condition of the cervix and if it has erasure or has begun dilation.
Blood and urine analytics
As in the other two quarters, in the third one you also perform a blood and urine test to rule out any problem, or put immediate solution if any.
He Urinalysis will reveal if there is infection in the urinary tract (something quite common during pregnancy), since an untreated infection could trigger delivery early. Likewise, urine can also reveal the presence of proteins, thus indicating a possible preeclampsia.
As for the blood test, you will have a basic blood count with which the hemoglobin status - in order to detect a possible anemia - or any coagulation problem that contraindicates the use of epidural anesthesia.
Third trimester ultrasound
The ultrasound of the third trimester takes place between weeks 32 and 36, and is very useful for assessing the condition of the baby, the placenta and amniotic fluid, as well as to rule out possible anomalies.
With this ultrasound test, the position of the baby will also be seen and its approximate weight will be calculated with the measurements of the cephalic diameter, the abdominal diameter and the length of the femur. This will verify that the development is correct and there is no delayed intrauterine growth (CIR).
If on this ultrasound your doctor tells you that your baby is not well placed, do not be alarmed. There are still a few weeks ahead to get it to turn and be placed correctly to be born.
Vaginal-rectal exudate or strep test B
Between week 35 and 37, the doctor will make you a tests to rule out a group B strep infection. Although these bacteria are naturally present in the human body without causing any problems, in the case of women they lodge in the vagina and rectum and sometimes can cause serious infections in the newborn.
The strep test it is performed similarly to a vaginal cytology, analyzing samples of the vagina and rectum through a smear. It is a painless procedure, and in two or three days you will have the results. If positive, the woman will receive intravenous antibiotics during childbirth to prevent infection of the newborn.
Fetal monitoring
Fetal monitoring before delivery is a painless prenatal test that It is done to control the baby's well-being at the end of pregnancy. It is usually done from week 37 or 38, and measures both the baby's heartbeat and the uterine activity of the pregnant woman.
In most cases, the monitor test usually has a weekly periodicity, and although there are mothers who go through it several times before the birth of their baby, others do not get it done because they go into labor sooner.
Consult with the anesthetist
In week 36, approximately, the consultation with the anesthetist will take place, where assess the use or not of anesthesia during childbirth, possible contraindications, and the type of anesthesia to be used.
Even when you want to give birth without an epidural, this consultation is usually done equally, since you never know if there can be a change of opinion or any complication that makes its use essential.
These medical tests can vary from one woman to another, as it will depend on many factors, among which, of course, the type of pregnancy, as well as the presentation of any problem or anomaly that forces to intensify the controls.Photos | iStock
