Pregnancy Blood Test

Pregnancy blood-test measures the level of pregnancy hormone and HCG present in the bloodstream. HCG can be detected in the urine and blood within 7-12 days of conceiving.

There are two types of pregnancy blood test done.

1. Qualitative test- This indicates whether HCG is present or not present by answering in the affirmative or in the negative. This test is very similar to the homemade pregnancy test.

2. Qualitative test- This test gives the exact proportion of HCG in the bloodstream. This gives you the approximate age of the fetus. The progress of pregnancy is also determined by this test.

Pregnancy blood-testis performed by collecting blood in a syringe and then sent to the lab to find the level of HCG in it. This takes a maximum of 2 days to obtain the results.

If the test is done very early this test may fail to determine the HCG level present in the blood. This test can be done several times on your doctor's recommendation, in case he wants to determine the progress of your pregnancy.

Symptoms, of pregnancy like, delayed menstruation, pelvic pain, vomiting, and breast tenderness if occurs, one must immediately get the pregnancy test done. Recent studies reveal that blood test is more accurate than urine test. Blood test is recommended for women who are less than 4 weeks pregnant.

The reliability of blood test depends more on the technique and methodology of the lab. Although blood test is considered to be the most accurate, the test could be wrong if the woman has been using fertility drugs and if the test id performed very early.

Besides the pregnancy blood-test a number of other blood- test are conducted too; to determine the mother blood type, anemia, to detect some dangerous diseases such as chicken pox and rubella, diabetes, to detect the presence of twins and to detect down syndrome and neural defects.

Pregnancy blood test is one of the easiest ways of knowing if a woman is pregnant or not. It is very interesting thing to note that lots of women trust pregnancy blood test and whenever they miss a menstrual cycle, they go for this test to confirm if they are pregnant or not. Pregnancy is something which women have to be careful about. A pregnant woman needs to take care of her health more than ever. Thus it is important that she knows about her pregnancy as early as possible. Thus such tests are a great help and can bring results very quickly. By doing this test the woman becomes sure of the fact if she is pregnant or not. This helps her in taking the decision of going to see a doctor regarding the physical issues she will be facing in coming few weeks.

Blood Type And Pregnancy Diet - The Perfect Couple Blood Type And Pregnancy Diet!

All of us go through the journey of life building up relationships along the way. We seek out people with similar interests and ideas. A healthy relationship is one where one person is able to adjust to another's needs and desires. If we consider the state of pregnancy, the expectant mother has to ensure that her body systems are functioning in harmony always.

This is vital especially with regard to her circulatory system, which is the major link between her body and the growing fetus in her womb. It is the transporter of essential nutrients to the baby and so is the life support for her yet-to-be-born child. Hence, a concordant relationship is expected between her blood type and pregnancy diet.

What is meant by blood type? It indicates whether antigens are present or absent in the circulating blood.

Blood types can be classified into four types-type O, type AB, type A and type B.

What happens if blood type and pregnancy diet are in disharmony? The systems that get affected are the digestive system and the immune system. As a matter of fact, most pregnant women are constantly complaining about digestive issues during the different stages of pregnancy. A few of the problems that can occur are-

(a) Inability to digest any type of food, or rather indigestion.

(b) Frequent heartburn.

(c) Changes in metabolic function.

(d) Build up of acid levels.

(e) Increased levels of stress.

(f) Inflammation or swelling up of the joints.

(g) Clotting of blood.

(h) Deficiencies resulting in a weak immune system.

To go into a more scientific explanation, foodstuffs contain certain protein-like substances called Lectins. Body cells are made up of molecules. These Lectins can interact favorably or unfavorably with the molecules in these cells, depending on the antigen (blood type) present in the blood. Each antigen has a different reaction to the Lectins present in food.

Now only a doctor can provide information about how blood type and pregnancy diet should match. Physicians have come up with certain basic guidelines to link up blood type and pregnancy diet-

(a) Pregnant women with blood type A would be well advised to stick to a vegetarian diet. This means that whole grains, raw as well as steamed vegetables, lentils and berries can be consumed.

(b) A type B expectant mother can go in for oats, green vegetables, beef, seafood and lamb. She is lucky to have a varied diet!

(c) The AB group should stick to smaller meals consumed at regular intervals throughout the day. Cultured dairy products, turkey and lamb can form a part of the menu.

(d) Lastly, the universal type O goes with a diet consisting of vegetables and meat. It is advisable to consume more of collard greens or pinto beans where vegetables are concerned. As far as animal flesh goes, lean beef will do. The fat part of it (when consuming meat dishes) should not be overdone!

The mother-to-be can now get a fair idea about how crucial it is to ensure that her blood type and pregnancy diet are compatible if she wants her child to be healthy and develop properly. The circulatory system is also a carrier of immunity cells; hence, it is critical to maintain an active and fit immune system which can fight against undesirable Lectins in food. Otherwise, the expectant mother is inviting sickness for the entire duration of her pregnancy! And in case the expectant mother wishes to make any changes in her blood type and pregnancy diet plan, she should consult her primary care physician.