Michela Bardino, an obstetrician at the Santagostino Medical Center, gives some useful advice to women who are trying to get pregnant or who have just discovered they are pregnant: when to take the test, what are the recommended tests and visits and when to have the first ultrasound. WHEN TO DO THE TEST It is the first question that many ask themselves: what is the right time to take a pregnancy test? The advice is to wait at least a week after your period is over. This wait will allow any pregnancy to start, thus avoiding false test results. HOW TO COUNT THE DAYS It is useful to know that the duration of pregnancy is not measured in months, but in weeks and days that have passed since the first day of your last period. One of the most popular methods at the moment is to use applications on your cell phone or on the Internet, if you are already pregnant. This count, with the necessary approximations, allows you to count exactly how many weeks of pregnancy you are in and this will help you orient yourself with respect to the deadlines that will be given to you on when to have ultrasounds or check-ups. THE FIRST VISIT Another frequently asked question: when is it useful to have the first visit during pregnancy? The first gynecological visit is recommended starting from the sixth week. It is a very important moment in which the person taking care of the pregnancy, therefore the midwife or gynecologist, will answer all the questions about lifestyle, will verify the clinical part of the start of the pregnancy, will establish which blood tests should be done at the beginning of the pregnancy. In addition to this, there is also a consultation on the rights that a woman has when she is pregnant, and finally there will also be a part dedicated to consultation on prenatal diagnosis. THE FIRST ULTRASOUND Many people think that the first check-up to do during pregnancy is an ultrasound. The ultrasound is a very important test that will confirm the correct location of the pregnancy, the number of embryos, that the pregnancy is progressing and that everything is proceeding in the right direction. But it is important for this test to make sense, that it is performed at the right time. Therefore, the first ultrasound should be performed at least 8 weeks into pregnancy (so even more than 2 weeks after the first visit), a time when it will give a satisfactory outcome for both the professional and the couple. Very often, for convenience, the first gynecological visit is made to coincide with the first ultrasound, at 8 weeks. A MOMENT OF HEALTH It is good to remember that pregnancy is a moment of health, therefore numerous checks or tests to be performed urgently are not necessary, rather it is important to serenely take advantage of these occasions as moments of confirmation of the good progress of your pregnancy. --- Subscribe to our YouTube channel: / @salutesantagostino Subscribe to our newsletter: http://cmsantagostino.us1.list-manage... Read our content on: Website: https://www.cmsantagostino.it/ Santagostino Magazine: https://magazine.cmsantagostino.it/ Santagostino Psiche: https://psiche.cmsantagostino.it/ Follow us on our social media: Facebook: / cmsantagostino Twitter: / cmsantagostino