Trimester Wise Care: Investigations And Basic Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is mainly divided into three trimesters, the first trimester (first 3 months), the second trimester (Months 4,5, and 6), and the third trimester (Months 7,8, and 9).

The first thing to do when you miss your period is to get your pregnancy diagnosed and in case it’s positive do consult your doctor. Also, get a scan done to check the viability of the fetus, the delivery date, and the location of the pregnancy (within the uterus or ectopic pregnancy).

When you are in your first trimester follow a healthy diet, consume lots of fruits, and vegetables, and avoid having lots of juices instead prefer fresh fruits, get your OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), viral investigation, and urine examination done, and monitor your hemoglobin levels regularly.

Additionally, around 11-14 weeks get an NT scan done to get an idea about the neurological anomaly. It’s a combination test done with a double marker (blood test) giving you an idea of brain disease.

In the second trimester, get an early TIFFA (Targeted Imaging for Fetal Anomalies) done between 16-18 weeks followed by a TIFFA scan between 20-22 weeks. Once you are in your 22-26 weeks make sure you get a fetal 2D echo to screen for anomalies in the baby’s heart and cardiac diseases along with investigating fetal cardiac development. Also, take your vaccination/Injection and vaginal examination for any kind of infections and length of the cervix.

In the third trimester, get a fetal doppler and growth scan done.

Lastly, maintain a healthy and balanced diet along with good hydration throughout pregnancy to support a healthy pregnancy and also reduce the chances of decreased liquor (amniotic fluid) around the baby and its related complications.