I am living in Italy and my husband and I are thinking pregnancy in about a year. Obviously before getting pregnant, I want to have all necessary tests done, but I don’t know what they all are exactly! Here the level of care is very individual…and based a lot on what you ask your doctor for. I know that I will be much more at ease f I go there with a list of all the appointments (eye…and what else??) and blood tests that I want done knowing that they would be the same as in the U.S. and other developed countries! Thanks so much for any advice you can give!
Hey Kirsten,
Before I got pregnant (I am at 20 weeks right now), my endo ordered the following tests, in addition to the usual dialated eye exam:
Lipid profile
TSH and other related thyroid tests (because I have T1)
Microalbumin and creatinine
A1c and fructosamine
She probably went a little overboard with ordering all those tests, but it is really nice to have a baseline for comparison purposes. When I saw my perinatalogist for the first time, they were glad I had all those labs that they could review. At my first visit, they ordered a 24-hour urine collection so they could get a baseline measurement of protein and creatinine. Since I’ve had T1 for several years, they are also watching my blood pressure really closely because of the risk of preeclampsia, so I check my bp once a day. At 24 weeks, I’ll start checking it twice a day and checking my urine every morning for protein (and ketones, which I already check), and weighing myself every morning.
Sorry if that’s way more info than you needed! All the tests are worth it when you see the little heartbeat.
Katie
Wow, thank you so much and congratulations! This is exactly what I was looking for - and I think more tests/exams is better than not enough. Hope all is going well for you!
I had pre-eclampsia with my 1st child. I was on bedrest for 10 weeks, 4 in the hospital. My OB read a study just after Lily (1998) was born about the use of 81 mg aspirin during pregnancy to prevent pre-eclampsia. When I became pregnant with Caroline (2001), I went on the baby aspirin at 6 weeks. I had a fantastic pregnancy with her, no pre-eclampsia. I stayed on the aspiring through the birth of my 3rd child, Samuel, (2004), and no pre-eclampsia the last time either. So ask your OB about the aspirin.
