Prenatal Care

Cordocentesis – Fetal Blood Sampling

by DP Nguyen

in Pregnancy, Prenatal Care

Cordocentesis – also called fetal blood sampling, Percutaneous Umbilical Cord Blood Sampling (PUBS), and umbilical vein sampling – is a highly specialized diagnostic test performed in the second trimester to check for genetic defects in the developing baby.

During a cordocentesis, a doctor will remove a blood sample from the baby’s umbilical cord. (This is why this diagnostic procedure is often referred to as fetal blood testing, or fetal blood sampling).

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Amniocentesis

Pregnancy

If you’re over 35 or at risk for having a baby with a birth defect, your obstetrician or healthcare provider may recommend that you have a prenatal diagnostic test called an amniocentesis. There are risks that come with an amniocentesis that you should be aware of, so you need to do your research before deciding [...]

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Prenatal Testing

Pregnancy

All pregnant women ask the question, “Is my baby healthy?” We all agonize over whether we’re eating all the right foods, if we’re doing anything that could harm the baby, and we even suffer through many uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms just so we can greet our baby in nine months. Your baby’s health and development is [...]

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Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): Risks vs. Benefits

Pregnancy

If you have a family history of genetic problems, or you are over 35 years old, your midwife or OB/GYN will recommend that you undergo a prenatal diagnostic test to identify genetic abnormalities in your baby. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis are two common diagnostic tests that your healthcare provider may recommend. In this [...]

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What to Expect at Your First Pregnancy Ultrasound

Guest Posts

Guest post by Junou. Are you having a first pregnancy ultrasound? What an exciting milestone in your pregnancy. Here is what you should expect to happen during the first ever ultrasound in pregnancy. At your first pregnancy ultrasound, a technician will use ultrasound equipment to take internal images of your fetus. These images will help determine [...]

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Pregnancy Testing: A History Through the Ages

Pregnancy

The history of pregnancy tests through the ages. Before women peed on a stick to learn their fates, pregnant women urinated on a variety of other things that are quite humorous – including peeing on wheat and barley seeds. The history of the pregnancy test is quite interesting and it’s colored in old wives’ tale (not just fun old wives tales for gender prediction), superstition, myths, and pseudo-science.

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Obesity, Poor Prenatal Care May Cause Stillbirths [New Study]

Pregnancy

No parent wants to hear the news that their baby has died in the womb, yet this is a sad reality for many couples in the United States. Learn about how stillbirths can be prevented with good prenatal care and keeping a healthy weight.

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Cameras Banned in the Delivery Room – Which Side are You on?

In The News

Whether it’s photographs or videos of the “big day,” virtually all parents want a record of their baby’s arrival in the world. But is this a right or a privilege?

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Fetal Development – Second Trimester of Pregnancy

Pregnancy

This is the second installment in the Fetal Development – Pregnancy Week by Week – videos. (The first post in the series was First Trimester of Pregnancy: Fetal Development). In the second trimester of pregnancy, all of your pregnancy symptoms tend to get better. The elevated levels of pregnancy hormones in your body levels off, [...]

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