Prenatal Tests: Which Do You Do and Which Don't You

[Polly]

I know doctor's offer a variety of prenatal testing. Were there/are there any you feel are unnecessary for you? Which ones did you have done?

Polly

[Desirae]

I had anything that my doctor offered with Aidan. I simply didn't know that you could say no! I refused the triple screen with Colin though.
Oh, I did refuse amnios with both of them though- they both had corroid plexus (sp?) cysts.

[Mary]

The first two times I had the 20-week ultrasound and the glucose test and bloodwork.

The last time I only had an ultrasound and bloodwork.

[Jo]

I have turned down HIV, triple screen, and amnio. I have always given in on the glucose test. One nurse told me that I had to do it. I told her that the only think I HAD to do was have a baby eventually. But then my favorite midwife sweet talked me into it.

[Mary]

Oh yeah, re: bloodwork, I did pass on the HIV test. ;)

[Amber]

I didn't do the triple screen with any of my kids. Otherwise, I think I did it all (except maybe HIV...I don't recall that one, but it may have been lumped in with other bloodwork).

[Jeri]

I only did the triple screen with Liam. I didn't do it for the younger ones. I did the glucose test with all three, but I really didn't want to. I probably won't do it if there is a next time. I had the 20 week US with Liam, and I had several more with the younger two (the early one to date the pregnancies with both, and then a few early on with Aidan when I was having a lot of bleeding, and then one again at about 34 weeks because they were having trouble telling if he was breach). I didn't have an amnio with any of them. I had the HIV test with Liam and with Aidan, but not with Rhiannon. I had one with Liam because I had never had one before and thought it would be good to know for sure, and with Aidan because the intake nurse accidentally marked yes and I didn't want to make her do a new form (and I didn't really care one way or another - my status was not in doubt as far as I was concerned).

[Jo]

I forgot, I did the triple screen with Rai and it was with Mira that I decided that it wasn't worth it. Rai's came back fine....because she didn't have the birth defects it screened for. I still did the u/s with the other two to see if there were any obvious problems even though what happened with Rai isn't detectable that way either. I figured the u/s would yield far better information in general than the blood test.

[Christine]

I passed on the triple screen with the later ones - I think the last three. I had all the other tests that were offered though. Gestational Diabetes runs rampant in my family, so the glucose was a must. If they had offered anything that required needles in the belly region, that would have been turned down as well.

[Kristi]

I turned down the triple screen for Izzy. I didn't know much about any of them when I was pregnant with the boys or that you could turn them down. The Navy usually isn't too happy when you do either.

I wanted to bypass the glucose test just because I don't like doing it but I thought it was important. My mom didn't have gestational diabetes her first three times but it had it during her other pregnancies.

[Lisa]

I pass the HIV testing each time but generally do all the others. Personally I think everyone should do the glucose testing whether there is a history of diabetes or not. High blood sugars can be very dangerous to you and the baby.

[Desirae]

I forgot about the HIV tests. I turned that down as well. ;)

[YourMom]

I did the initial bloodwork (no HIV, though), glucose, and two ultrasounds with Adia. (Along with the pee-in-a-cup each appt.)

As far as the "normal" tests I did initial bloodwork and one ultrasound (anatomy + check placenta placement and scar) and pee-in-a-cup each appt with Francesca. The glucose was just a fingerprick with a diabetes monitor and I had a fingerprick twice for iron.

If we have another, I'll likely follow the second model.

[freebiemom]

The first time, we did all the tests just because we thought we should. With the other three, we just did the routine bloodwork, ultrasounds and glucose.

BTW, why did you guys opt to not do the glucose?

[Sam]

I had my scans and A the HEP tests. We do not test for GD here unless there are symptoms or family history.

[yummymommy]

I did the regular bloodwork, ultrasounds, and GD test. I turned down the triple screen though as I didn't think it was necessary.

[YourMom]

I don't think the GD test is an accurate measure of whether or not a woman really has it. My mw just picked a random day and used the glucose meter to check. It was fine and I didn't have any other symptoms.

I also try to eat a pretty healthy diet when I'm pregnant, which would be the "treatment" anyway.

[Erika]

I did the initial bloodwork including the HIV test. I also had the initial quick u/s, a detailed dating u/s and one last one as there were concerns that Sasha was too small. Due to my PCOS, I also did the glucose test (in fact, many times as my fasting levels always came back too low although my second test would be fine).

Re the glucose test - sometimes it isn't that accurate. Yes it is important to check for possible GD as this can be very detrimental for mother and baby. But personal example: I have PCOS, took the initial 4 bloods glucose test and failed it. I then had to go on the diet (which I was sort of on anyway though not strictly) and go back for the 2 bloods GT. Failed the fasting levels test but passed the second bloods with flying colours. Even so, I was transferred to the diabetes OB group eventhough I wasn't diagnosed with GD. It took 3 more tests, going every two weeks to the hospital for bloods, before the clinic conceded that it was my PCOS that was causing wierd bloods and not GD. I was transferred back to my OB and all was well. Except that I had had many of my precious free days up in Dublin spent in the bloody hospital dealing with all this.

[Beka]

With my eldest I had everything- I was 17, pg in a medical era that none of my family had previously been and to be honest never thought to question why drs would want me to have the tests, my mother actively encouraged me to as you always think they're for the best. So with Chase I had the triple screen, the STD testing, HIV test and both 12 & 20 week ultra sounds. I also had the routine antenatal blood work for iron levels etc done at regular intervals and my water tested each appt, It's not routine to check cervix until in labour here though so no internals during pg.

With my 2nd and 3rd I had my booking bloods for iron levels, rubella immunity etc, water tested each appt, iron levels checked regularly but other than that just my 9 & 20 week scans with both of them. (hiv testing was also routine with the booking bloods which i was happy to have done as it helps ease how resistant i am to the triple test :giggle)

With my 5th pg (#4 was early term m/c) I had all my booking bloods done and then the scan taken the same day showed that baby was a missed m/c. Kind of cruelly I had the blood work results returned to me as they didn't pass on to the blood dpt that we'd lost our baby.

My 7th pg- Loki (#6 was also a early term m/c) I had my booking bloods but I had them done late, I refused to have anything done until we'd seen a heartbeat on a healthy baby. Other than that I had my regular iron checks done, 12 & 20 week scans and I had to submit to weekly kidney function checks (not fun!!!!) as they were extremely concerned that I was onto 7th pg, 4th baby with only 1 fully working kidney. (consultant was soooooo p!ssed no one had pulled me up on this with my first let alone let me get all the way to a 4th baby)

Our reasoning for refusing the triple screen, the CVS, and amnio was purely because we knew the only conditions we'd consider termination for would be wholly obvious on a 20 week scan- such as ancephaly. I have known way too many people given false positives or indicative of birth defects with triple screen only to go on to have perfectly healthy babies or babies with birth defects which are no where near as debilitating as they were led to believe they would be. My littlest SIL went through total hell after her bloods gave a very high indicator of spina bifida - her husband wouldn't speak to her about it and she spent days at my house numb not knowing what she would do or how to react- she gave birth to an entirely healthy baby girl.

I think for us knowing nothing would have changed with blood results made the choice to decline tests alot easier.

[ColleenC]

I did pretty much everything except for the triple screen with both kids. By everything, I mean all bloodwork, glucose, ultrasounds etc. I was never offered anything like an amnio so I didn't have to turn that one down ;)

[Mary]

I pass the HIV testing each time but generally do all the others. Personally I think everyone should do the glucose testing whether there is a history of diabetes or not. High blood sugars can be very dangerous to you and the baby.

There are other ways of telling whether you have it or not. ;)

The midwife I went to has delivered hundreds of babies over the years and has never had someone end up with GD that they didn't find out about. Yet she doesn't recommend the glucose test. (When I say "doesn't recommend" I don't mean she speaks out against it; I just mean it's not part of her regular prenatal care routine. She gives you various paperwork to read about it and you make up your own mind.)

You can test negative for GD but it doesn't mean you won't get it. It just means you don't have it.....that day. A week later, you might. So, know it or not, your doctor, at every appointment, is checking you for GD the old-fashioned way, the same as a midwife. (Checking sugar in urine, looking for obvious symptoms, etc.)

[Kristen]

Just initial bloodwork(no HIV, of course), two scans(one at 8-10 weeks and one at 20 weeks), and the glucose deal.

I didn't do the triple screen or amnio.

They did also do a urine check at each visit, and I saw no reason to turn that down.

[Polly]

THREE, COUNT 'EM, THREE! Blood sugar tests-thanks to PCOS. They couldn't believe my low numbers. And because I started swelling up in week 30, I got a blood test every other week for prenclampsia.

Oh, and 6 U/S. because DD was measuring 2 weeks ahead at 29 weeks.

Other than that, quad screen and strep test. (Which showed I'm a strep carrier.)

Polly

[Kate]

I don't think I was offered an HIV screen, but I vaguely remember having an antibody screen to make sure that I was immune to rubella, because it was going around at the time - but that was done with the standard iron/folate/whatever other levels they're looking for test they were doing at the very beginning.

I had the triple screen, and the GD test. And I had two ultrasounds and a pelvimetry scan.

The first ultrasound was the standard 20 week one, the second ultrasound was at 30 weeks when Maia was still absolutely transverse, and the pelvimetry was at 31 weeks, when the ultrasound confirmed that she was transverse. Miss Drama Queen though? Flipped herself head down the night before the scan...so I had that scan for nothing.

[Jo]

Kate-Here the HIV screen is usually just part of all the tests ordered on the initial blood test. I was never offered, nor did I realize, the option of turning it down until Laura. I figured by that point I had been tested so many times it was crazy and I was going to rely on the crazy concept that I trust my husband.

I agree with Mary and anyone else who concurred concerning the GD test. It really isn't necessary for all pregnant women. It is yet another situation where we have more managed care so doctors can cover their bases based on statistics and what people expect to avoid lawsuits.

[Beka]

In England we're only GD tested if it becomes suspected- it's a test I've never had done in any of my pregnancies despite the fact my pcos was known from pg#2 onwards.

[Erika]

Same here Beka. GD testing is only offered to those suspected or at risk for it. On an Irish site I post at, I started a thread about the glucose test when I was going through it (and Polly, I beat you hands down on the amount of blood sugar tests I had - I have forgotten but it was at least 6!). Anyway, there were a lot of women replying all in a flap wondering what the test was and why they weren't being offered it. Told them they were better off and that they would never look at lucozade the same way again (the orange glucose drink. very popular drink over here and we had to buy and bring our own bottle!).