First-Trimester Exams and Tests
Topic Overview
Routine exams
At each prenatal visit during your first-trimester, you'll be weighed and have your urine and blood pressure checked. Your doctor will monitor your fetus's growth by measuring the height of your uterus (fundal height) above your pubic bone.
Using a Reference Doppler ultrasound Opens New Window, you should be able to hear your fetus's heartbeat as early as weeks 10 to 12. By the 20th week, the fetal heart tone is strong enough to hear with a specialized stethoscope (fetoscope).
Other testing
Pregnant women and their partners can choose whether to have Reference tests for birth defects. It can be a hard and emotional choice. You need to think about what the results of a test would mean to you and how they might affect your choices about your pregnancy. You and your doctor can choose from several tests. What you choose depends on your wishes, where you are in your pregnancy, your family health history, and what tests are available in your area. You may have no tests, one test, or several tests.
First-trimester tests for birth defects can be done at around 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the test. Many doctors use a number of tests together, based on what is available. The nuchal translucency test and the first-trimester blood tests are often done together in what is called the Reference first-trimester screening. They can also be done as part of an Reference integrated screening test Opens New Window. Reference Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) may also be done to find certain birth defects.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference July 23, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Reference Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
