A home pregnancy test is one of the first signs that you’re going to be a mom (yay!). Depending on what your practitioner recommends, you may also get those exciting results confirmed with a pregnancy blood test at your provider's office.
Like the pregnancy tests you take at home, a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) blood test checks for the hormone made by your body during pregnancy. But these blood tests may be able to offer your provider some additional info about your pregnancy.[1]
A blood test to confirm pregnancy is just part of the process. Here’s what else you can expect from the bloodwork at your first prenatal appointment.
What is a pregnancy blood test?
A pregnancy blood test is a medical test that confirms the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG, the hormone produced by the fetus, in your system. It's may be given at your first prenatal doctor’s visit to confirm the results of your at-home pregnancy test (which, when used correctly, is still highly accurate).
HCG pregnancy blood tests pick up the hormone at a lower level than the kind of urine test you’d take at home, boasting a 99 percent accuracy rate, and are able to measure changes in hCG levels over time.[2]
But that’s not all your provider will be looking for during that first pregnancy checkup and subsequent prenatal appointments. You can expect to receive routine bloodwork during your pregnancy that checks for:
- Your hCG levels. A blood test for hCG can detect pregnancy with more than 99 percent accuracy as early as one week after conception. A qualitative pregnancy blood test simply looks for any hCG in your bloodstream to confirm pregnancy.[3] A quantitative blood test measures the exact amount of hCG in your system.[4]
- Sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV.
- Immunity to certain diseases, including rubella titers (a sign that you're immune to German measles) and varicella (chickenpox).
- Vitamin D deficiency, possibly.
- Your blood type, in the (very unlikely) event that you need a transfusion at some point.
- Your Rh factor. Rh incompatibility with your baby can be dangerous if it's not detected, but it's completely preventable if you happen to be among the small minority of women at risk.[5]
Depending on your individual risk factors, your provider might opt to include some additional tests in that first round of bloodwork. These can screen for things like:[6]
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- Possible genetic disorders including cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, hemoglobinopathy and possibly other genetic diseases at your doctor's discretion if you weren't screened before conception.
- Your blood sugar if you're obese, had gestational diabetes and/or a very large baby in a previous pregnancy, have a family history of diabetes or have any other risk factors for gestational diabetes.
Is a pregnancy blood test better than a urine pregnancy test?
A pregnancy blood tests for hCG can pick up the hormone at a lower level than a urine pregnancy test. So even if your at-home pee test read positive, your practitioner might opt to run an hCG blood test to confirm the happy news.
Blood tests can also pick up hCG earlier than urine tests — as soon as six to eight days after ovulation. That may be helpful for women undergoing fertility treatments, since it can indicate whether the treatment helped you conceive.
And if your provider opts to give you a quantitative hCG test, which measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood, it can give you additional information that a simple urine test can’t.
Who blood testing during pregnancy is for
Routine bloodwork during pregnancy is par for the course, meaning that virtually every mom-to-be will have blood tests at the start of her pregnancy and beyond.[7]
Depending on your health and risk factors, your provider might recommend some additional blood tests to screen for possible complications or fetal abnormalities. Together, you can decide on the right amount of testing for you.
How blood testing during pregnancy is done
A pregnancy blood test is performed just like any other blood test. You probably don’t need to do anything special to prepare, but it never hurts to confirm with your doctor just to be sure.
During the test, the technician will insert the needle into your vein and collect your blood into vials. The process only takes a few minutes.
You might feel a little pinch when the needle goes in. Some people feel dizzy or lightheaded after the blood is collected — that’s normal. Just stay seated until the feeling passes, and if you’re feeling really woozy, ask for some water or juice.[8]
If you’re wondering about the cost, good news: Prenatal care including routine blood tests are typically covered by most insurance plans, though it’s worth checking with your insurance provider if you’re not sure.
If you need to pay out-of-pocket, a basic pregnancy blood test usually runs between $35 and $90. But you’ll want to find out the exact fee beforehand to avoid any surprises.
Pregnancy blood test results
Did your test come back positive for hCG in your blood? Then congratulations are in order — you’re definitely pregnant!
A test that comes back negative for hCG usually means a woman isn’t pregnant.
If you were given a quantitative hCG test, the results will tell you exactly how much hCG is in your bloodstream. Try not to read into these numbers too closely or compare them with other moms-to-be. There’s a very wide range for what counts as normal — and no two pregnant women’s levels are exactly alike.
And if yours do look a little different? Take a deep breath: Everything is likely still A-okay. Most likely your due date is a little off, and in some cases, higher levels could mean you’re having twins.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that your pregnancy is progressing normally and that your hCG levels continue going up until weeks 7 to 12 of pregnancy (after that, they’ll start to drop off).
But if you have any questions or concerns, bring them up with your practitioner. Chances are he or she will be perfectly happy with your numbers — and you should be too.
As for results from the rest of your bloodwork? Should any issues come up, you and your practitioner can work together to ensure the healthiest possible pregnancy. Many sexually transmitted infections, for instance, are easy to manage or treat. And if you find that your blood is Rh negative, you may get RhoGAM shots during pregnancy and delivery to protect your baby from a possible Rh incompatibility.
If a test determines that you’re at risk for gestational diabetes, you and your provider will come up with a plan to monitor your blood sugar and meet with a dietician to make blood-sugar-friendly food choices.
If the results of your bloodwork suggest a possible genetic disorder or abnormality, you’ll likely have to undergo further testing to find out more. Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of different diagnostic test options, like chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
Risks of a pregnancy blood test
Pregnancy blood tests are safe and unlikely to cause any major side effects. But the needle might pinch a little bit, and you might have some mild, temporary bruising at the site of the injection.
It’s not unusual to feel nauseous, dizzy, clammy or even faint during a blood draw — or even beforehand, if having blood taken makes you anxious. Eating or drinking something sugary or salty (like a sports drink or potato chips) before your test can help — just make sure to check with your provider first.
Taking slow, deep breaths or chatting with the technician during the procedure can help you relax too. Or try daydreaming about your future as a new mom. Chances are, your first pregnancy blood test will re-confirm the happy news you already got when you took that pregnancy test at home.
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