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Complete lab work and 1 hour Glucose Tolerance Test. Discuss Tdap vaccination.
LAB WORK & PHYSICIAN VISIT
At the 26-28 week OB visit, you will have lab work done in addition to seeing the physician.
The labs are to recheck the Complete Blood Count (check for anemia), rechecking the RPR (Syphilis test), Antibody Screen (only if you are Rh negative), Ferritin (check for anemia) and the 1 hour Glucose Tolerance Test or GTT (testing for Gestational Diabetes). If you fail the 1 hour GTT, then you must do a 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test on another day to confirm that you have Gestational Diabetes. If you are diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, then you will be scheduled a separate appointment with the Perinatal Nurse Educator to discuss your diagnosis, the recommended diet, and how to monitor your blood sugar.
If your blood type is Rh-negative, and your Antibody Screen is negative, then you will receive an injection of Rhophylac or Rhogam to help prevent the possible development of antibodies against the baby's blood type. This injection is usually given at the next visit AFTER the 26-28 week lab visit.
Some patients, if they meet certain criteria, will also do a 1 hour GTT earlier in pregnancy (usually at your first visit with your physician) but every OB patient (if not already diabetic) will do the testing at this visit.​
Our office will discuss Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria-Pertussis) vaccination to all of our obstetric patients at the 26-28 week visit. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a respiratory illness caused by a bacteria called Bordatella pertussis. It is highly contagious and spreads from person to person by coughing or sneezing. Many babies are infected by family members.
In order to protect newborns and infants from whooping cough, it is important that all pregnant women received the Tdap vaccine in the 3rd trimester of every pregnancy. Moms who receive the Tdap vaccine in pregnancy will develop protective antibodies and pass some of them to the baby before birth, providing the baby some short-term protection in early life. The Tdap vaccine is usually given at the next visit AFTER the 26-28 week visit.
It is also recommended that family members in the home with a newborn receive booster Tdap vaccinations. Family members should contact their primary care provider or go to their local health department for vaccination. Learn more about Tdap Vaccination >​
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At this visit, we will also discuss how to measure Fetal Kick Counts. Changes in your baby's movement pattern can be the first indication of potential problems in your pregnancy.
Planning for Labor & Delivery
Pain management during labor, cord blood banking, choosing a pediatrician, infant feeding, birth control after delivery