Every pregnant woman should care for a healthy way of living. No alcohol, no drugs, no medications. This is the best way to guarantee the well-being of the unborn child.
But of course, there are also many examinations during the pregnancy which can provide useful information about the state of the fetus, the size, sex or position. During the first weeks, one can witness a fast development of the human body in miniature via ultrasound check-ups.
Antibody screen
In the first trimester, it is important to check the blood type of mother and baby in order to avoid problems like HDN (Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn) in case the blood types are different. This may cause complications because of an antigen-antibody reaction. The mother may develop antibodies against the antigens in the unborn baby’s blood which can cause complications and may harm the baby.
For that reason, every woman who had a blood transfusion or is already in her second pregnancy should do an antibody screen which checks whether the mother already produced similar antibodies against the baby’s antigens or not.
Whether the baby is harmed or not can be found out through prenatal diagnosis. The technology used for that is called flow cytometry.
Eating healthily
Apart from the medical treatments, the prospective mother has to care for herself through healthy nutrition as well. Vitamins, proteins, fruits and vegetables should be eaten on a regular basis. And it is important to drink enough water and juices. Only a balanced nutrition will provide a good foundation for the growing and the development of the unborn child. The cliche that pregnant women should eat twice as much than before is wrong. One should only eat as much as one feels is enough for one.