An Ob/Gyn's Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Dr. Annelise Swigert answers some of the most important questions from expectant moms

By The LifeMinute Team

October 27, 2016

There's a lot of information out there for expectant moms to take in. Ob/Gyn Annelise Swigert is here to answer some of the most important questions when it comes to having a healthy pregnancy.

What information is important to know about having a healthy baby?

"Well the most important part about having a healthy baby is having a healthy mom," says Dr. Swigert, "So that includes a healthy lifestyle, eating a healthy diet and it also includes making sure you get medical care as soon as you know you are pregnant. Most women should see an OB/GYN provider within the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy."

What is noninvasive prenatal testing and do you recommend it to newly pregnant women?

"Noninvasive prenatal testing are tests that are available to have more information about your baby but pose no risk to the pregnancy. One of these test is also known as Cell-Free DNA testing or the MaterniT21 test. This is a test where we draw maternal blood and we are able to detect portions of the fetal DNA in the mom's bloodstream. This test gives us more information about the chromosomes of the baby such as if there are any abnormalities such as an extra chromosome in the baby. It also reveals fetal gender. This is a test that can be available to all women regardless of age," says the doctor.

Is this a test everyone should have?

"This is a test that is available to all women," she says, "We do know that women as they get older are at an increased risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality such as Down Syndrome which is an extra chromosome 21. However women of all ages can be affected by these conditions and therefore the Ob/Gyn community recommends that all women are aware of what these options are for them."

How long does it take to get the results back?

"So this is a test a woman can have drawn at her doctor's office. Once the blood is drawn and sent to the lab it only takes 5-7 days to get results," says Dr. Swigert.

Where can we go for more information?

"The most important place to get information is from your Ob/Gyn provider," say the doctor, "They can answer all questions about the testing, they can talk to you about where to get it drawn, they can send the sample off and then they will be able to communicate the results back to you. You can also go to sequenom.com for more information about the test."

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