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A visit to the gynecologist is where you need to start. After a gynecological examination and interview, the doctor will determine the scope of diagnostic measures for the couple. In Moscow, you can consult a gynecologist, undergo an examination, get a referral and take the necessary tests at the AltraVita reproductive medical center. It has its own laboratory and diagnostic equipment, so the results will be ready in just 1-3 days.

When collecting anamnesis, the doctor will be interested in:

• Genetic diseases that may have run in the family.
• Has the woman had viral hepatitis?
• Does the couple have sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, or other dangerous infections?
• Are there any people in your family with endocrine pathologies?
• Duration of the menstrual cycle.
• Has the woman given birth before, have there been miscarriages or abortions?
• What diseases were suffered by future parents in childhood?
• What chronic pathologies are there, do the expectant mother and/or father constantly take medications.

Detailed answers will help you get an idea of ​​the pathologies that can interfere with conception and normal pregnancy. And also prescribe mandatory tests and additional studies.

When is the best time to get diagnosed?

A period of 2–3 months before planning a pregnancy is enough time to get tested, find out about your health status, and, if necessary, undergo diagnostics and treatment. For this period medicines will be excreted from the body, and the reproductive organs will be restored and will be ready for conception. After completing all diagnostic examinations, you can proceed directly to planning.

It is better to visit a gynecologist in the first few days after menstruation, with the exception of bleeding and severe pain. The day before the visit, you need to exclude sexual contact, since seminal fluid remaining in the vagina after sexual intercourse will interfere with obtaining reliable test results. If a woman is undergoing antibacterial or antifungal therapy, then it is better to postpone a visit to the gynecologist for a week or two after finishing taking the medications.

Antibiotics change the vaginal microflora and can distort test results. There is no need to use intimate deodorizing products on the day of treatment. A gynecological examination should take place when you have had a bowel movement. bladder, intestines.

Tests in preparation for pregnancy

When preparing for conception, it is necessary to be examined, and the health of the child depends not only on the woman, but also on the spouse. Therefore, the couple must come to the consultation and check the tests before pregnancy together. At the appointment, a specialist will examine the woman, take smears, give directions for general laboratory tests, blood tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and ultrasound. Before pregnancy, internal foci of infection must be eliminated, so the woman is referred for in-depth diagnostics.

List of mandatory tests during preparation for women:

• Smears from the vagina, cervical canal to determine the degree of purity, cytology; colposcopy (if the woman has previously had cervical erosion cauterized or had cervical ruptures).
• A blood test is taken for glucose, HIV, syphilis, blood group, Rh, hepatitis, and a general blood test is also performed.
• PCR study for latent sexually transmitted infections.
• Blood test for TORCH infections (rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, toxoplasmosis).
• Ultrasound examination of the pelvis.
• Breast examination.

External examination of the external genitalia reveals rashes, varicose veins, and pigmentation of individual areas of the mucous membrane. Inspection of the area anus carried out to detect hemorrhoids and fissures, since these diseases worsen during pregnancy.

A mirror gynecological examination and colposcopy can assess the condition of the cervix, identify inflammation of the cervical canal, erosion, polypous formations, and endometriosis. Colposcopy may also indicate cervical cancer. Any of these pathologies can interfere with natural conception.

Swabs for analysis are taken from the cervical and urethral canals. Microscopic examination of the biomaterial can reveal leukocytosis, indicating an inflammatory process, fungal and/or bacterial infection. Inflammation can occur latently without manifestations, but during pregnancy there are hormonal changes and a decrease in immunity, which provokes the activation of infectious agents. Therefore, all infections must be treated before conception.

A smear is also taken from the cervical canal to be analyzed for atypical cells (oncocytology). Cytological analysis makes it possible to detect cancer, which in the early stages may be asymptomatic. But if a woman with cancer of the genital organs manages to become pregnant, then the cancer process will become more active and worsen.

Analysis for TORCH infections is a mandatory minimum, since any of these infections can be fatal to the fetus or lead to its abnormal development. If a woman does not have any infectious diseases, then during pregnancy she must take care to prevent infection. The same applies to sexually transmitted infections, then tests are taken by both partners.
If expectant mother If she had rubella as a child, she has lifelong immunity to it. In other cases, a woman may be offered a rubella vaccination, after which at least three months must pass before the expected conception.

Women who have pets should be careful when interacting with them, since animals can become infected with another dangerous infection - toxoplasmosis. According to statistics, 15% of women have had this disease; for the remaining 75%, this virus is potentially dangerous. Therefore, before planning a pregnancy, during the gestation period it is necessary to limit communication with pets, and meat should be subjected to thorough heat treatment.

Cytomegalovirus can be infected through airborne droplets. If, in preparation for pregnancy, during the analysis it is detected high level virus, then antiviral therapy is prescribed. If the result is negative, preventive measures must be taken.

Expert opinion

The herpes virus is dangerous during embryo development. It circulates in the body constantly and is carried by 90% of the population. Testing for herpes before planning allows you to assess the potential risk of primary infection. During life, the virus may not manifest itself in any way, but in pregnant women it can become more active and turn from opportunistic to pathogenic. Then the virus may cause the development of defects in the fetus. Women who have previously been ill have antibodies to the herpes virus. If herpes worsens during gestation, then treatment and screening of the fetus is necessary.

Expectant parents need to be tested for their blood group and Rh factor. Rh conflict that occurs in women with negative Rh, if the child inherits a positive one from the father, which leads to fetal pathologies (hemolytic jaundice, stillbirth). This risk is minimal during the first pregnancy and increases during subsequent pregnancies. There are cases of conflict not only by Rh factor, but also by blood type.

Transvaginal ultrasound examination before planning is carried out in the first phase of the menstrual cycle. It helps to exclude pathologies that interfere with natural conception or pregnancy. Ultrasound reveals uterine fibroids, inflammation, cysts, polyps, and tumors. The pathological formation must be removed to ensure a normal pregnancy.
According to indications, analysis is carried out to study hormonal levels, determination of the functioning of the blood coagulation system, genetic examination with consultation of a geneticist.

Cycle disturbances, excess body weight, endocrine chronic diseases, infertility for a year with regular unprotected sex require a hormone test.

Typically this is an analysis of:

• Luteinizing hormone, which affects ovulation.
• Follicle-stimulating – causes growth and maturation of follicles.
• Prolactin – affects ovulation.
• Testosterone - increased concentrations in the analysis in women can provoke a miscarriage.
• Estradiol – is responsible for the development of the genital organs.
• DHEA sulfate – affects ovarian function.
• Thyroid hormones.

Calculate dates suitable for taking tests

And have time to sign up for your first free appointment with a fertility specialist before 06/01/20

Select gynecological ultrasound Progesterone FSH LH Testosterone Estradiol Prolactin T4 TSH Hysterosalpingography (HSG) EchoHSG Ultrasound of the mammary glands Regular smear Smear for latent infections Cultures from the uterine cavity

Decoding the results

Gynecological examination and flora smear analysis allow diagnosing inflammatory diseases of organs reproductive system. A cytology smear is necessary to exclude malignant tumors of the cervix.

A blood test for HIV, viral hepatitis and syphilis is required. These infections are very often asymptomatic and cause irreparable harm to the child’s health. If studies reveal diseases or abnormalities, the couple will be prescribed treatment. If the test results in preparation for pregnancy planning are normal, the doctor gives permission to conceive. Spouses need to eat a balanced diet, monitor their lifestyle, take folic acid. A woman should not take any medications 2–3 months before conception without a doctor’s prescription, drink alcohol, or smoke. You should avoid visiting saunas and baths.

Bibliography

• Askhabova JI.M., Makhmudova G.A. Reproductive health and family planning issues. Makhachkala. – 2003.
• Radzinsky V.E., Pustotina O.A. Family planning in the 21st century. M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2015.
• The influence of preconception preparation on the course and outcome of pregnancy with herpetic infection / V.L. Tyutyunnik, T.A. Fedorova, Z.S. Zaidieva, S.A. Aliyeva//Problem. reproductions. 2005. No. 5.
• Radzinsky V.E. Obstetric aggression. M.: Publishing house of the magazine StatusPraesens, 2011.

It is known that when a woman becomes pregnant, she immediately has to undergo many tests at the antenatal clinic. However, many conscious couples prepare for pregnancy in advance, and in this case we are talking about the need to take tests to prepare for pregnancy.

Today we’ll talk about what tests and why women and men should undergo tests in preparation for pregnancy.

What to do in advance when preparing for pregnancy

A conscious attitude towards a planned pregnancy means thoughtful preparation for it. It’s worth thinking about many aspects of this new stage in your life in advance. Ideally, you should give up smoking, alcohol, and start getting enough sleep in advance.

However, let's start new life starting from Monday, expecting that now you will have an almost “sterile” life with regular meetings with people in white coats, is also not worth it. After all, pregnancy is still more of a joyful period of waiting, and not hard labor.

It is worth remembering that examination by specialists will avoid many problems. Both future parents must take it.
A woman should start by visiting a gynecologist, and a man should go to a urologist. Then, based on the direction of these specialists, you will have to undergo a certain set of tests. They will allow you to determine how healthy you are, as well as assess certain risks that may arise during pregnancy.

The list of priority laboratory tests includes:

• A clinical blood test reveals the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells, allowing you to prevent anemia, which inhibits the baby’s intrauterine development; platelets, which are responsible for blood clotting; white blood cells, which can indicate the presence of infection in the body; ESR is the main indicator of the inflammatory process. A biochemical blood test makes it possible to understand protein, fat, carbohydrate and mineral metabolism in the body, to identify pathologies of various internal organs and systems. All this can affect the success of conceiving and bearing a child.
• A general urine test reveals the presence of inflammation, the risk of stone formation, kidney problems, and diabetes.
• Analysis for sexually transmitted infections. Is extremely important. If we are talking about women, then it is worth keeping in mind that it is often infections that fatally affect the course of pregnancy. Sexual infections can also provoke inflammatory processes and diseases that affect both the likelihood of conception and the course of pregnancy. In some cases they can lead to miscarriage or premature birth. The most informative and popular method for detecting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method. As a rule, it is necessary to obtain information about several bacteria and viruses, that is, to do several tests. Among them are tests for: 1. Bacteria- chlamydia, trichomonas, gonococci, mycoplasma, ureaplasma and gardnerella. 2. Viruses- herpes virus, human papillomavirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus.

For this analysis, a scraping or smear is taken from the cervix or urethra. You need to prepare for this test. In particular, it cannot be performed if you are taking antibiotics, and it is also not recommended to urinate 3 hours before the test.

Sexual activity must be stopped at least 1.5 days before taking the material.

In addition, if this is the first pregnancy, in advance determine blood type and the Rh factor of the parents, which will exclude or suspect the possibility of developing hemolytic disease of the newborn, which occurs due to incompatibility of the blood of the mother and fetus. This disease is accompanied by the breakdown of erythrocytes (red blood cells) of the fetus and newborn.

As doctors explain, this is not a fatal situation, but, being informed, you can, together with your doctor, choose the right diagnostic and treatment tactics that will allow you to monitor the situation and, in the process, avoid pronounced consequences.

Also, future parents may be sent to a geneticist. This is especially true in cases where there are people in the family with certain genetic hereditary diseases. These include, for example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Alzheimer's disease. Also, consultation with a geneticist is necessary if there have been cases of stillbirth in the family or if the future parents are over 40 years old.

This is what the minimum program looks like at the stage of preparation for pregnancy. But it is worth keeping in mind that it can be expanded if experts come to the conclusion that some additional tests are necessary.

What tests should be done first for a woman who plans to become pregnant in the near future?

• Blood test for infections - testing for TORCH infections, hepatitis C and B, syphilis, HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases.

The abbreviation TORCH is made up of the initial letters English words, indicating infections: T - toxoplasmosis, O - other infections (others), R - rubella (rubella), C - cytomegaly (cytomegalovirus), H - herpes (herpes simplex virus). Any of them in a pregnant woman is a direct indication for termination of pregnancy. “Others” include infections such as hepatitis B and C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonococcal infection, and listeriosis. In the last 10-15 years, the list has included HIV infection, chickenpox, and enterovirus infection.

• A blood sugar test will more accurately confirm or refute the data from previous tests about the presence of diabetes mellitus- this means that the woman will have to constantly be under the supervision of doctors. If your sugar level is seriously different from the norm. Such a diagnosis is not a death sentence - to successfully carry a pregnancy, you need to undergo a course of treatment and maintain sugar at a normal level. To test for sugar, blood is taken from a finger in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Colposcopy is an assessment by a gynecologist of the condition of a woman’s cervix and vagina;
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.
• In some cases, doctors advise doing a hemostasiogram (an extensive study of the functions of the blood coagulation system). It allows you to identify the main disorders of hemostasis - decreased or increased blood clotting, as well as a tendency to block blood vessels with blood clots. All this can turn into serious problems already early stages pregnancy. However, forewarned means forearmed. Doctors have already learned to cope with these disorders using fairly simple methods.

There is an opinion that pregnancy and preparation for it are exclusively a woman’s activity. However, for last years the attitude towards timely medical preparation of a man for conceiving a healthy, strong and full-fledged child has become much more serious. Men are increasingly showing a willingness to check their health and reconsider their lifestyle at the stage of planning pregnancy. This is done for the sake of the health of the unborn child.

There is a certain set of tests when planning a pregnancy for men that will promptly identify abnormalities in his health and diagnose whether the candidate is ready to become a father at this stage, in other words, whether he is capable of conceiving a child.

Urology

So, the first specialist that the future father will have to visit will be a urologist. A competent specialist will definitely conduct a thorough interview with the patient; the information obtained will allow the doctor to navigate and assume the presence of any pathologies in the man or a predisposition to their occurrence.

The examination by a urologist includes:

• examination of the structure of the external genitalia (scrotum, penis, inguinal lymph nodes), size, shape and condition of the testicles;
• rectal examination of the prostate gland;
• various urine tests (general and renal function tests);
• analysis of prostate secretion.

The urologist will tell you in detail what tests a man needs to undergo when a couple is planning a pregnancy, and how to properly prepare for each of them.

Tests for STDs for men planning pregnancy

Sexual infections in a man’s body can lead to inflammatory processes and diseases that most directly affect the likelihood of conception. Therefore, when planning pregnancy for men, tests for sexually transmitted infections are one of the main ones. The most accurate and popular detection method infectious diseases that are sexually transmitted - the PCR method (the full name of the analysis is polymerase chain reaction).

A scraping is made from the urethral mucosa to detect the DNA of the pathogen - chlamydia, trichomonas, gonococci, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, toxoplasma, gardnerella, herpes virus, papilloma, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus.

If, as a result of tests, one of these pathogens is detected in a man, both future parents will need to undergo treatment. Doctors will suggest doing this even if the woman's results are negative.

On the eve of the PCR test, a provocation is carried out: measures are taken that contribute to the exacerbation of the disease, so the results will be more indicative. On the eve of the examination, the man is asked to eat some spicy or salty food or drink a small amount of alcohol. The accuracy of the data obtained is 97%.

Spermogram

A spermogram will allow you to assess a man’s ability to conceive a child. The material for this analysis is sperm extracted through masturbation. The material for analysis is informative for three hours.

After examining the sperm under a microscope, the specialist will form an idea:

• about the state of sperm on the eve of conception: about their concentration, quantity, mobility, structure;
• about the functioning of the prostate gland, testicles, small gonads.

If, as a result of this analysis, the doctor discovers problems, then the man will undergo a course of treatment.

3-4 days before the procedure, the future dad should not drink alcohol, energy drinks, or any medications, including sleeping pills and painkillers. It is not recommended to eat hot, pickled, spicy foods. You should be attentive to yourself: do not overcool or overheat, if possible, avoid stress and strong physical activity. Sexual abstinence is also necessary.

Prostate secretion

Examination of a man can reveal problems associated with the normal functioning of the prostate gland. In such situations, the specialist prescribes a study of prostate secretion. It is released from the urethra when a specialist performs a rectal massage of the gland, the material for research is collected in a test tube and delivered to the laboratory. Next, microscopy is performed (detects the presence or absence of an inflammatory process, the full functioning of the gland) and culture (detects bacteria).

If the urologist's suspicions are confirmed, he recommends undergoing appropriate treatment. After the urologist, you will need to visit a therapist who will prescribe a number of his tests.

What tests does a therapist prescribe for a man when planning a pregnancy?

• A blood test for hormones will show the activity of the endocrine glands, in particular testosterone, the lack of which can cause infertility; other hormones in the male body (insulin, gonadotropins) can also affect conception;
• During pregnancy planning, the doctor will recommend an ECG (electrocardiogram) for men over 40 years of age. In addition, those with elevated arterial pressure, constant headaches, cardiovascular diseases, excess weight, predisposition to alcoholism. An ECG is necessary to assess the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Ultrasound also allows you to exclude many diseases before conceiving a child. We are talking about examining the abdominal organs and area chest. Allows you to identify both the presence of diseases and their prerequisites and pathologies.

A couple must know what tests a man needs to undergo when planning a pregnancy.

From physical condition and the success of conception and the health of the child after his birth will largely depend on the man’s health.

conclusions

We sincerely believe that planning a pregnancy should be approached extremely seriously and thoughtfully. Indeed, in this situation, you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for the future of your child. We should not forget that pregnancy is an extremely bright and happy period in a woman’s life, and it is better to foresee everything possible in advance so that it is not overshadowed by anything.