How To Get Pregnancy Blood Test

When Can A Doctor Confirm Pregnancy

The first prenatal appointment usually takes place in the second month, between week 6 and week 8 of pregnancy. Be sure to call as soon as you suspect you’re pregnant and have taken a pregnancy test. Some practitioners will be able to fit you in right away, but others may have waits of several weeks .

Does Health Insurance Cover Pregnancy Tests

Usually. Most health insurance plans cover pregnancy tests.

The Affordable Care Act requires all marketplace health insurance plans to cover essential health benefits, which includes pregnancy care and lab services. This includes urine tests, blood tests, and ultrasounds. You may have out-of-pocket costs for your deductible, copay, or coinsurance.

Most private or employer-sponsored health insurance plans also must cover essential health benefits.

Medicaid covers family planning services and laboratory services as mandatory benefits regardless of where you live.

What Are The Different Types Of Pregnancy Tests

There are two main types of pregnancy tests: urine and blood tests.

Urine tests are typically done at home though you can have a urine test done at your healthcare providers office while your provider performs a blood test.

At-home pregnancy test

An at-home test uses your pee to look for HCG. They contain special strips that detect HCG. Most at-home pregnancy tests are about 99% effective when used correctly. Thats about the same accuracy rate as pregnancy tests done in your healthcare providers office. These tests are available in most drug or grocery stores. Theyre easy to use and inexpensive. Its important to read the instructions on these tests before taking them.

There are three ways to take an at-home pregnancy test:

• Pee in a clean cup. Then, place one to several drops of your pee on a chemical strip.
• Place the pregnancy test strip in your urine stream while you pee.
• Pee in a clean cup and then dip the test strip in the pee while its still in the cup.

For many of these tests, HCG can be detected in your urine about 10 days after conception. However, taking it after you miss your period reduces the chance of getting a false-negative result. A missed period typically happens around 14 days after conception.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you take a home pregnancy test, including:

Blood test

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Urine And Blood Pregnancy Hcg Testing And Follow

If you think you might be pregnant or youve been trying and this whole pregnancy thing is new and scary, were here to help you. The two most common pregnancy tests are the blood and urine tests performed to look for HCG . This is the hormone that is produced after a fertilized egg implants in the uterus.

How Is An Amniocentesis Performed

An amniocentesis involves inserting a long, thin needle through your abdomen into the amniotic sac to withdraw a small sample of amniotic fluid. The amniotic fluid contains cells shed by the fetus, which contain genetic information. Although specific details of each procedure may vary, a typical amniocentesis follows this process:

• Your abdomen will be cleansed with an antiseptic.

• Your doctor may or may not give a local anesthetic to numb the skin.

• Your doctor will use ultrasound technology to help guide a hollow needle into the amniotic sac. He or she will withdraw a small sample of fluid for lab analysis.

You may feel some cramping during or after the amniocentesis. Strenuous activities should be avoided for 24 hours following the procedure.

Women who are pregnant with twins or other higher-order multiples need sampling from each amniotic sac to study each baby. Depending on the position of the baby and placenta, amount of fluid, and womans anatomy, sometimes the amniocentesis cannot be done. The fluid is then sent to a genetics lab so that the cells can grow and be analyzed. AFP is also measured to rule out an open neural tube defect. Results are usually available in about 10 days to two weeks, depending on the lab.

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Talk To Your Provider About Which Prenatal Tests Are Right For You

What are prenatal tests and why are they important?

Prenatal tests are medical tests you get during pregnancy. They help your health care provider find out how you and your baby are doing.

You get some prenatal tests several times during pregnancy at your prenatal care checkups. These tests make sure you and your baby are staying healthy. There are other tests that are done at certain times during your pregnancy. These prenatal tests check to see if your baby has any health problems, including:

• Birth defects. These are health conditions that are present at birth. They change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. Birth defects can cause problems in overall health, how the body develops or how the body works.
• Genetic and chromosomal conditions. These conditions are caused by changes in genes and chromosomes. A gene is part of your body’s cells that stores instructions for the way your body grows and works. A chromosome is the structure in cells that holds genes. Genetic conditions include cystic fibrosis , sickle cell disease and heart defects. A common chromosomal condition is Down syndrome. Sometimes these conditions are passed from parent to child, and sometimes they happen on their own.

What are screening tests and diagnostic tests?

Screening tests check to see if your baby is more likely to have a health condition, but they dont tell you for sure if you baby has a condition. There are no risks to you or your baby when you have a screening test.

What If The Result Is Positive

A positive result generally means that you are pregnant. You should make an appointment to see your GP to confirm the pregnancy and to sign up for antenatal care.

If you are not sure you want to be pregnant it is good idea to make an appointment with your GP to discuss your options.

Your GP will listen and will not judge you.

Free advice may also be available from a family planning clinic.

Sometimes counselling can help you to work through your feelings about the pregnancy. It may help you make a decision on what is the right choice for you.

www.myoptions.ie has details of the support services available to you.

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How Early Can A Blood Test Detect Pregnancy Hormones

“Pregnancy blood tests are reliably able to detect pregnancy at much lower ranges of circulating pregnancy hormone in the blood and thus can catch a pregnancy in its very early stages,” says Dr. Cindy M. Duke, a physician with the Nevada Fertility Institute in Las Vegas. “Circulating levels of pregnancy hormone would have to be much higher in order for it to be detected in the urine .”

Do you think you might be pregnant, but you are not sure about the reliability of the home test you’ve taken? Or perhaps you want to know now if you’re pregnant but it’s too early to take a urine test, so you are considering a blood test.

When can you trust the home test and when do you need to take a blood test instead?

There is much to consider when deciding whether or not to get the blood test. How accurate are they? How much trouble and cost are they? How soon can you take one and when will you get the results?

Let’s explore.

Pregnancy And Your Missed Period

When conception occurs, your body produces hormones that prevent further ovulation from happening. The shedding of the uterine lining stops as well, which indicates that your periods have stopped.

You won’t have another period until your baby is born, which is why a missed period is a good indicator that you may be pregnant. You may also experience a range of other symptoms, such as frequently peeing, fatigue, morning sickness, etc.

You should get a pregnancy test done if you have missed your period. If you have also experienced spotting, then you should immediately visit a gynaecologist to understand the next important steps.

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Blood Tests During Pregnancy Tips And Precautions

Now, we know it can be quite daunting for some to get blood tests done. But, there isnt an alternative when it comes to you and your babys health. These tips and precautionary steps can help you ease into the routine blood tests and manage your anxiety.

The blood tests and other pregnancy-related tests are recommended to check the wellbeing of both the baby and the mother. Many of these tests are mandatory, and all pregnant women must take them. These blood tests are harmless and can give a clear picture of your babys growth and can allow medical intervention if any defects are discovered.

Tests Done Early In Pregnancyexpand All

• What tests are done early in pregnancy?

  Several routine lab tests are done early in pregnancy, including

• complete blood count

• blood type and Rh factor

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Why Do You Need To Do Plenty Of Blood Tests During Pregnancy

It can be overwhelming to take so many tests during pregnancy, especially if you are going through morning sickness or are very tired, but they are important. Getting them done is a part of the routine checkup. There are many reasons why you will be asked to take blood tests during your pregnancy. The important ones are:

• A blood test is done to confirm your blood group. It is also done to identify any infections or diseases you may have. The test also indicates if the foetus is at the risk of any abnormalities.
• It throws light on your overall health and if there is a possibility of any issues later during your pregnancy.
• Doctors check if you are Rh-positive or negative through a blood test.

Why Are Pregnancy Tests Wrong

Pregnancy tests detect the presence of a hormone called hCG and thus need a sufficient level of hCG. If a woman has hCG levels above 25 mIU/mL only then she is pregnant medically.

Some women might take longer to reach this concentration of hCG. If the pregnancy test is not timed accurately, then you will get false pregnancy blood test results.

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What Happens During A Pregnancy Test

Home pregnancy tests are quick and easy to use. You can buy a home pregnancy test kit without a prescription. The kits include test sticks or strips that react to hCG in your urine. The steps for doing a test depend on the brand, so it’s very important to follow the instructions that come with your test. For most test kits, you’ll either:

• Hold the test stick or strip in your urine stream
• Collect your urine in a cup and dip the test stick or strip into the cup

After waiting a certain number of minutes, you’ll check your results on the test stick or strip. The instructions will tell you what to look for. In general, to get the most accurate results with any home pregnancy test, you’ll need to:

• Check the expiration date before you use the test.
• Test your first morning urine. Morning urine usually has more hCG than urine later in the day.
• Use a timer. If you guess the timing, your results may not be accurate.

Blood tests are done at your provider’s office or a lab. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This process usually takes less than five minutes.

What Developments Have Been Made In Pregnancy Blood Tests

There are exciting new developments in prenatal blood tests, which expand the scope of their benefits. New research has shown that blood tests can predict premature birth and may identify the risk of gestational diabetes in the first trimester. In both cases, forewarned is forearmed: The sooner doctors can begin preparing for a potentially risky pregnancy, the better the overall outcomes. By addressing risks earlier in the pregnancy, you may be able to deal with concerns and make lifestyle changes before reaching a health-related crisis.

Recent research out of Australia also indicates that blood tests may be used to determine a mothers risk of preeclampsia, a severe and possibly life-threatening pregnancy complication related to high blood pressure that effects 3 8% of pregnant women. Although the test for preeclampsia is not currently available in the United States, its use in Australiawhere it accurately predicted preeclampsia in 95% of casesindicates that positive steps are being taken. Be sure to ask your doctor about the latest available tests.

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How To Use A Pregnancy Test

When you have missed a period, you should wait for a few days until you use a pregnancy test. This is because it takes the body within 6-12 days for it to release the hormone which can be detected by the pregnancy test.

You can purchase the pregnancy test from the chemist, follow the instructions, and place a few drops of urine on the testing pad area. You need to wait for a few minutes for the testing strip to measure whether hCG is present, after which it can showcase the results within the strip.

What’s important to note is that you can take multiple tests leading up to a future period, if you don’t think that you might be pregnant. You can continue to test yourself a few days after a missed period, especially if you haven’t been tracking your dates closely.

When Should You See A Doctor About Pregnancy Testing Or Pregnancy Test Results

If you have a positive test result at home, its important to confirm the pregnancy with a doctor visit. Your medical provider may give you a blood test which is more reliable than a home urine test to confirm the pregnancy. Further confirmation may include an ultrasound.

Confirming the pregnancy and how far along you are is important for your prenatal care. If you choose to terminate the pregnancy, knowing how far along you are is important for your reproductive healthcare decisions.

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What Is The Hcg Urine Test

Also known as the pregnancy hormone, HCG is produced by a womans placenta after a fertilized egg implants into her uterus. The urine test can typically detect pregnancy 10 days after your first missed period. During the first eight to ten weeks of pregnancy, the levels of HCG rapidly increase in your body.

The urine test can be performed or in your doctors office. If you believe youre pregnant, but not getting a positive result on your at home test, you may want to consider heading into our office for a physician-administered test that provides immediate results. The urine test does not reveal specific amounts of the hormone in your system, rather that the hormone is present in your body.

The Calcium Test Measures The Amount Of Calcium In Your Body That Is Not Stored In Your Bones

• The normal range for calcium levels is 8.8-10.4 .
• High calcium might be caused by long term bed rest after a broken bone, hyperparathyroidism, cancer, Pagets disease, and tuberculosis.
• Low calcium might occur from a low level of the blood protein albumin, hypoparathyroidism, high levels of phosphate in the blood, rickets, and malnutrition from celiac disease, pancreatitis, and alcoholism.

Calcium isnt just about having strong bones, although that IS an important part!

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