Jeni duke planifikuar të zgjeroni familjen tuaj dhe të sillni në jetë një fëmijë? Ky është një moment i mrekullueshëm dhe një hAre you planning to expand your family and bring a child into the world? This is a wonderful moment and a significant step in your life! Before embarking on this special journey towards parenthood, it is crucial to ensure you are fully prepared from a health perspective. Performing some essential pre-pregnancy tests is a key investment to ensure a healthy and complication-free pregnancy, both for you and your future child.
At Gliozheni Clinic, we deeply understand the importance of thorough and informed preparation. For this reason, we offer you a detailed guide on the preventive examinations you should consider. These tests provide a detailed overview of your reproductive and general health, helping to identify and manage any potential risks.
Recommended Tests Before Pregnancy
1. Routine and Specific Blood Tests: An Overview of Your Health
These tests are the foundation of your pre-conception health assessment and are essential for understanding how your body functions. They include:
- Routine Blood Tests (Complete Blood Count) and Rh Factor: A complete blood count evaluates the number and types of blood cells, revealing conditions such as anemia, which should be treated before pregnancy. Determining the Rh Factor is critical, as if you are Rh negative and your partner is Rh positive, special injections may be needed during pregnancy to prevent complications for the baby.
- Thalassemia Screening: This test is particularly important in our region. Identifying thalassemia carriers helps assess the risk of the child inheriting this genetic blood disorder.
- Lipid Profile and Liver, Kidney Tests: These analyses provide information on fat metabolism (cholesterol, triglycerides) and the function of essential organs like the liver and kidneys. Optimal function of these organs is vital for a healthy pregnancy.
- HbA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin): This test measures the average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months. It is necessary to diagnose or rule out hidden diabetes or pre-diabetes, as uncontrolled blood sugar levels can increase the risk of complications such as congenital defects or gestational diabetes.
2. Urine Tests: For Protection Against Infections and Kidney Evaluation
A simple urine analysis is a powerful diagnostic tool:
- Detection of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Many women may have asymptomatic UTIs, which, if left untreated, can lead to more serious kidney infections or premature birth during pregnancy.
- Kidney and Diabetes Evaluation: Urine tests can also detect early signs of kidney problems or the presence of glucose in the urine, which may suggest diabetes.
3. Hormonal Profile: The Key to Reproductive Health
Evaluating hormone levels is essential to understand your reproductive capacity and to identify any imbalances that may affect conception or the course of pregnancy:
- Thyroid Hormones (TSH, FT3, FT4): The thyroid plays a central role in metabolism and in the healthy brain development of the child. Thyroid imbalances must be treated before pregnancy.
- FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): Helps evaluate ovarian reserve and the ovaries’ response to hormonal stimulation.
- AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone): This is an important and reliable indicator of ovarian reserve and can help predict the response to fertility treatments, if necessary.
- LH (Luteinizing Hormone): Collaborates with FSH to regulate the menstrual cycle and is essential for the ovulation process.
4. Detection of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Protecting Mother and Baby
Performing tests for STIs such as HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B, C is an important preventive step. Many of these infections can be transmitted to the child during pregnancy or birth, causing serious health problems. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to protect the health of both mother and baby.
5. Pelvic Ultrasound: Structural Evaluation of Reproductive Organs
Pelvic ultrasound is an important imaging tool that helps detect structural abnormalities in the reproductive organs, which can affect fertility or the ability to carry a healthy pregnancy. These abnormalities include:
- Uterine fibroids: Benign growths in the uterus that can affect embryo implantation or the course of pregnancy.
- Ovarian cysts: Fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries, which in some cases may require monitoring or treatment.
- Structural problems: Anomalies in the shape of the uterus or fallopian tubes that can hinder conception or increase the risk of spontaneous abortions.
The Partner’s Role: Spermiogram – A Complete Couple’s Evaluation
For a complete fertility profile of the couple and to ensure the reproductive health of both partners, it is equally important that the partner also undergoes a spermiogram. This test evaluates the quality and quantity of sperm, including motility, morphology, and sperm count. This helps identify any potential male fertility issues that may require further treatment or counseling.
Pregnancy planning is a wise and proactive step towards a healthy and happy future for your family. By performing these essential tests before becoming pregnant, you are taking the right steps to ensure optimal maternal health and to create a healthy environment for your future child’s development.
For more information, personalized consultations, and to schedule your tests, please contact us at Gliozheni Clinic:
Tel: +355 4 222 36 32
Cel: +355 67 27 33 333
We are here to support you every step of your journey towards healthy parenthood!
