Consider prenatal testing
During the second trimester, you might be offered various prenatal screenings or tests:
- Genetic tests. Blood tests might be offered to screen for genetic or chromosomal conditions, such as spina bifida or Down syndrome.
- Fetal ultrasound. Fetal ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a baby in the uterus. A detailed ultrasound can help your health care provider evaluate fetal anatomy. Fetal ultrasound also might give you an opportunity to find out the baby's sex.
- Blood tests. Blood tests will be offered to check your blood count and iron levels, screen for a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), and check for some infections. If you have Rh negative blood — an inherited trait that refers to a specific protein found on the surface of red blood cells — you might need a blood test to check for Rh antibodies. These antibodies can develop if your baby has Rh positive blood and your Rh negative blood mixes with your baby's blood. Without treatment, the antibodies could cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells — particularly in a subsequent pregnancy with an Rh positive baby.
- Urine tests. A urine sample might be tested for the presence of protein or signs of infection.
- Diagnostic tests. If the results of a blood test or ultrasound are worrisome or your history suggests high risk, your health care provider might recommend a more invasive diagnostic test — such as amniocentesis. During amniocentesis, a sample of amniotic fluid — the fluid that surrounds and protects a baby during pregnancy — is removed from the uterus for testing.
Keep your health care provider informed
The second trimester often brings a renewed sense of well-being. Morning sickness typically begins to dissipate. You begin to feel the baby move. Your belly becomes more noticeable. There's a lot happening.
Tell your health care provider what's on your mind, even if it seems silly or unimportant. Nothing is too trivial when it comes to your health — or your baby's health.
July 22, 2015
See more In-depth
- Lockwood CJ, et al. The initial prenatal assessment and routine prenatal care. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 9, 2015.
- Prenatal care and tests. Office on Women's Health. http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/prenatal-care-tests.html. Accessed July 9, 2015.
- Cunningham FG, et al. Prenatal care. In: Williams Obstetrics. 24th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2014. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Accessed July 9, 2015.
- You and Your Baby: Prenatal Care, Labor and Delivery, and Postpartum Care. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; 2014:1.
- Lockwood CJ, et al. Prenatal care (second and third trimesters). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed July 9, 2015.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins — Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 101: Ultrasonography in pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;113:451. Reaffirmed 2014.