logo
logo
Sign in

Ask These Questions About Your Pregnancy Tests and Scans

avatar
Prapti Chauhan
Ask These Questions About Your Pregnancy Tests and Scans

Your doctor will ask you to do several tests and scans during your pregnancy. The results of these investigations will help your doctor check for abnormalities, anomalies, and distress in the fetus. 


As an aware parent-to-be, you must know which test is done to ascertain what and how you should prepare for the test. To avoid any confusion at the time of the tests/scan, make a list of questions that you must ask your doctor before taking a test. Here are some questions you must ask your doctor while preparing for pregnancy tests and scans.


Why do I need this?


Although your doctor will not recommend unnecessary tests, you must still be aware of what tests are being done and why do you need to take them. Note that you can choose to refuse to do certain tests and scans. If you feel that you are not comfortable doing a test, or you do not wish to know certain things about your growing baby then you have the right to refuse a test.


What are the possible risks?


Prenatal tests provide a lot of valuable information about your fetus. However, no tests are perfect. Some prenatal tests such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can cause miscarriage or preterm labor. 


You should ask your doctor in detail regarding the possible risk factors of the tests you are being asked to take. Once you are aware you can take an informed decision.


How to prepare for the tests?


Some tests and ultrasounds need you to be prepared beforehand. You ask your doctor if you require fasting before the test, if you need to stop certain medications before giving a sample for the test, or if you need to drink water or not. For an ultrasound, your doctor may ask you to drink water and hold your urine during the scanning process. Once done, you may be asked to empty your bladder and repeat the scan.

 

How to understand the test results?


Your doctor knows how to make sense of your test reports. However, you should also know what happens if the test results are positive or negative. 


How much will the tests cost?


Ask your doctor about the charges for these tests and scans. Mostly, pregnancy tests and scans are not covered by insurance. Some of the tests are quite expensive. If budget is a constraint for you then ask your doctor if there are cheaper options available or if you can skip the expensive tests. Usually, tests are cheaper at government hospitals. So, if you are aware of the charges you can also get some of the expensive tests done at government clinics.


It is important to have faith in your doctor, but that does not mean not being aware of what is happening in your body and how your doctor is approaching your condition. Having frank conversations with your doctor can help you understand a lot about your pregnancy and how your doctor is planning your delivery process.

collect
0
avatar
Prapti Chauhan
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more