Obstetric and gynecological examination

An obstetric and gynecological examination is a series of blood tests that are done to check a woman's health before and at the beginning of pregnancy. The test results indicate the presence of certain pathologies during pregnancy and are the basis for prescribing a course of treatment for the pregnant woman or the child immediately after birth.

These include blood typing, serology testing, and a complete blood count. The doctor will also check your Rh factor. If you are Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive, this is called Rh incompatibility. Although your baby's blood type cannot be determined with certainty, steps should still be taken to avoid this incompatibility. Other blood tests are aimed at detecting infections such as syphilis or hepatitis B, immunity to measles and rubella, and HIV.

Obstetric and gynecological examination should be carried out as early as possible, both before pregnancy and during its entire term. Early examination will help to avoid unwanted complications and timely identify possible problems in the health of the expectant mother. Ideally, obstetric and gynecological examination should be done long before conception, all over the world this is called planning. Parents who monitor their health, as a rule, give birth to absolutely healthy babies, this is not a banality, but a statistically confirmed fact. When to undergo obstetric and gynecological examination? Standardly, the first check-up with a gynecologist should take place in the first three months of pregnancy.

However, almost all doctors are convinced that examination is necessary from the first day, that is, from the moment a woman discovers that she will soon become a mother. It is even better if a woman takes care of herself before the moment of conception of a child, only then can she truly say about herself with full right - a happy mother. Then all examinations are carried out according to the plan outlined by the doctor. There may be few of them, or they may be complex, everything depends on the state of health and the absence or presence of alarming clinical manifestations.

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Obstetric and gynecological examination, what is included in the procedure?

At the earliest stage, an ultrasound examination will be prescribed. The need for it does not require additional argumentation: confirmation of the fact of pregnancy or its absence, specification of its timing, determination of the baby's heart rhythm. Throughout the entire period of bearing a baby, a woman undergoes such an examination two or three times. In the future, ultrasound helps to clarify the age and position of the baby, its gender and compliance with developmental norms. It is also very important to study the condition of the placenta and pelvic organs of the pregnant woman.

In addition to ultrasound, obstetric and gynecological examination according to approved standards includes comprehensive diagnostics using laboratory blood tests. Among them are the following:

• An analysis that determines the Rh factor, as well as the blood type, is usually done immediately during the first visit to the doctor;
• Hematological analysis to clarify the composition of the blood, especially to assess the level of hemoglobin, to determine possible illnesses that may pose a threat not only to the mother, but also to the fetus - is carried out at least four times during the entire period;
• Determination of the glucose (sugar) level in the blood – once, but if the indicator does not fit within the norm, then repetition is possible;
• An analysis showing PTI – prothrombin index, to assess the blood coagulation system – once, but if deviations are detected, a repeat is possible;
• An analysis that detects antibodies to HIV is taken at the beginning and in the period from the thirtieth to the thirty-sixth week;
• Blood for RW - syphilis, is carried out when registering a pregnant woman and after the thirtieth week of pregnancy;
• Analysis for HBs antigen or hepatitis B, as well as for AHCV antigen or hepatitis C – once;
• A biochemical blood test to assess the condition of internal organs and rule out pathology in them, as well as to determine the lack of important microelements such as calcium, iron, sodium. It is carried out at the beginning and after the thirtieth week of pregnancy.

Obstetric and gynecological examination also includes testing for TORCH infections, but these tests are not mandatory today. There are no such requirements in the standard scheme of obstetric observation, however, in the presence of clinical manifestations of TORCH infection, a woman cannot do without additional studies. In these cases, obstetric and gynecological examination includes a full range of analytical information and methods, because almost 99% of all IUI (intrauterine fetal infections) are associated with missed TORCH "enemies" in the mother's body. Often, a woman, without suspecting it, carries an enemy agent in herself for years, which is hidden and does not manifest itself clinically. Only testing for TORCH infections (rubella, herpes, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus and others) can promptly identify a threat and allow the doctor to prevent serious consequences.

A general urine test to check the functioning of the renal system, a smear for STDs (diseases that are transmitted only sexually), constant weight monitoring, as well as blood pressure - all these activities are also included in the complex of monitoring a pregnant woman. Additional procedures are also possible that will help the expectant mother to endure this difficult period easier and without unnecessary worries. In short, an obstetric and gynecological examination is not just a trip from one office to another, these are truly important actions for the prevention of maintaining the health of the mother and the future baby.