Pregnancy

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What should I note down in an ultrasound journal?

Expert

1. Water bag in the womb with a yolk sac confirming early pregnancy 2. The small fetus with the first sign of heartbeat 3. The nuchal transcluency test 4. Fetal abnormality scan 5. Fetal growth and position of baby, placenta and amniotic fluid level. Serial weight of the baby.

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What is an anomaly scan? Is it mandatory for me?

Expert

An anomaly scan (also known as 20 weeks scan), also known as a mid-pregnancy scan, takes a close look at your baby. The 20-week scan is offered to everybody. It is to look for the structural abnormality of the fetal organs as blood tests can only tell chromosome abnormalities and not fetal organ abnormalities. These abnormalities can include hole in the heart, abnormal bloodflow in the heart, cleft lip and palate, brain abnormalities amongst others. To the mother, when both chromosomes and fetal abnormality scan tests are normal, in general, they can take it that the baby is normal and growing well till that stage.

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What are the different types of scans?

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An ultrasound scan is an assessment tool commonly used by doctors during your pregnancy. It is a safe and useful way of obtaining images of your baby and his/her surrounding environment to provide useful information on his/her health. You will need to go through various scans during your pregnancy which include - Dating scan (Week 6-12) Nuchal Translucency Scan (Week 11–14) Screening Scan (Week 18–22) Growth Scan (32–36 weeks) Doppler Scan - not routinely done (only if the fetus is not growing well, in patients with medical conditions such as preeclampsia and also multiple pregnancies)

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Is it okay to not feel any baby movement in week 17?

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For the first pregnancy, fetal movements typically can be felt from 20 to 22 weeks. For second pregnancy onwards, this can be felt from 18 to 20 weeks. Some people may feel movements earlier than the above and if one cannot feel movements by those dates, it is best to consult your OBGYN.

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Which screening tests are required during this time?

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For chromosomal abnormalities, there are three main types of test available. 1. Oscar Test - done from 11 to 14 weeks of gestation. It involves a blood test and scan of the fetal nuchal translucency and nasal bone. Accuracy of the test is between 80 to 85%. 2. Triple Test - This is a blood test and together with the nuchal translucency test, the accuracy is between 80 to 85%. 3. NIPT (Non-invasive Prenatal Test) - It is a blood test at present done overseas, giving an accuracy of 98 to 99% and can also tell the sex of the baby with a similar accuracy. Screening tests include fetal abnormality scan at 20 weeks of gestation and oral glucose tolerance test at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation.

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Which health experts should I visit during the second trimester?

Expert

Antenatal classes to start after the fetal abnormality scan between 18 to 24 weeks.

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My bump is still not showing. When will my baby bump start to show?

Expert

It depends on the individual. The more obese will tend to show it later but most will not be able to hide it after 20 weeks. From 16 weeks, most people will show.

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Is it okay if my baby is kicking a lot?

Expert

Generally, the more kicks the merrier. There is no fix number of kicks, which is dependent on the baby, and may be affected by the mother's consciousness to the movements. Cord accidents (twisted till no blood flow or knot in the umbilical cord, stopping bloodflow to the baby) are possible but very rare.

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How do I deal with lower abdominal pain?

Expert

It depends on the cause of the lower abdominal pain. lf it's caused by ligamental strain, you would need physiotherapy and may need to take some painkillers in the worst case scenario. Pain could also be commonly due to infections. Two common areas are vagina (with discharge) or urinary tract infection. In the lower abdominal, there are three organ systems - the womb, urinary system and intestine system. Pain diagnosis is by exclusion and the doctor will treat accordingly.

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How is my baby growing during this week?

Expert

Your baby is about 16cm long from crown to rump. Another way to look at it is that your baby is around the size of a banana. Hair is already growing on your baby’s head and a fine, soft hair called lanugo is beginning to cover their body.

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