You’re on the most exciting journey of a lifetime and you don’t even have to go anywhere. It’s happening inside of you. You’ve discovered that you are pregnant. For the next nine months, you may feel like your body is not your own as you help a little person to grow. It will be your job to take care of yourself and your baby to ensure that your little one has a healthy delivery and start to this world. You’ll need to get exercise, rest, the proper nutrition, and keep yourself hydrated. You’ll also need to see your OBGYN at least once a month in the beginning. Toward the end of your pregnancy, your appointments will become weekly as your baby’s progress is closely monitored. You may have visits more often earlier on depending on your pregnancy, especially if you are high risk or you have a special situation, such as having twins. If you’ve been given the news that twins are on the way, it means double the excitement. Now you need to find out if you are having identical or fraternal twins. The roller coaster ride of pregnancy just became even more intense. Hold on tight!

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The anatomy scan is an ultrasound that is done approximately 20 weeks into your pregnancy. This scan is designed to tell doctors many different things about the developing baby. It is a level two ultrasound that many mommies-to-be get excited about because it will reveal the gender of the baby. However, this ultrasound provides other vital information about the development of the baby. The technician will be able to examine the heart, face, spine, brain, and other organs to help evaluate for any birth defects.

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Because your immune system becomes suppressed when you are pregnant, there is a good chance that you will feel a bit under the weather at some point during those nine months. But how can you be sure if it is safe to take medication? While some over-the-counter medications are safe for pregnant women to take, others are either unsafe, or their effects on a developing fetus are unknown.

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What is an amniocentesis?

Amniocentesis (amnio) is a diagnostic prenatal test used to detect chromosome disorders in a pregnancy, such as Down syndrome. It can also be used to test for other specific genetic disorders and open neural tube defects. Pregnant mothers aged 35 and over are offered amnio, due to their increased risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality. An obstetrician or midwife may also suggest having the test if you have a family member with an identified genetic disease or if your screening tests or ultrasound results indicate that your pregnancy is at an increased risk for a chromosomal or other genetic disorder. Some pregnant women who don’t meet the general criteria choose to have an amnio.

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Introduction

Though there are no genetic disorders that exclusively afflict one ethnic or racial group, some diseases are more prevalent in certain groups. For example, there are some disorders that are more common in individuals who are Ashkenazi Jewish (with roots in Eastern and Central Europe).

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