Pregnancy blood test: blood group, rhesus and Hb

During pregnancy a lot changes in your body, and your blood tells part of that story. A prenatal blood test can offer insight into values connected to this phase, such as your iron stores, your vitamin status and how your thyroid is working.

This panel measures a number of markers that are often looked at around a pregnancy. It does not give you a diagnosis, but it does give information you can calmly discuss with your midwife or GP.

This test can be useful if you are pregnant or hoping to conceive and want to know more about your blood values. Think of women in the first trimester, women preparing for a pregnancy, or those who simply want to know where certain values stand.

Are you already being seen by a midwife or gynaecologist? Then this test can be an addition to that care, never a replacement for it.

This panel looks at nine blood values that are often relevant around a pregnancy:

• b-hCG: the pregnancy hormone, whose level can confirm a pregnancy and say something about the early phase.
• Ferritin: reflects your iron stores, which are often watched more closely during pregnancy.
• Folate (Folic Acid): a B vitamin that gets a lot of attention around conception and in early pregnancy.
• HbA1c: gives a picture of your average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
• Iron (Serum): the iron circulating in your blood at that moment.
• TSH: the hormone that signals your thyroid.
• Vitamin B12: involved in the formation of red blood cells and your energy metabolism.
• Vitamin D (25-OH): plays a role in your bones and your immune system.
• Free T4 (Thyroxine): the free, available form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine that, together with TSH, shows how your thyroid is working.

The results can give you an impression of how these values are doing. A low ferritin or a low iron level may, for instance, fit with a reduced iron reserve, something that is more common during pregnancy.

Your thyroid values, TSH and free T4, can show whether your thyroid seems in balance. The b-hCG level can confirm a pregnancy and, together with other information, say something about the early phase. On its own, no single value makes a diagnosis; they mainly offer insight you can discuss with a healthcare provider.

This test requires a small blood draw at a certified lab. In the Netherlands you can choose from 700+ blood draw locations, so there is usually one near you.

After ordering, you pick a location and schedule a moment that suits you. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes, and you do not need a referral from your GP.

A pregnancy blood test can be valuable at different moments, for example:

• when you have just found out you are pregnant and want a picture of some baseline values
• when you are trying to conceive and preparing for a pregnancy
• when you dealt with anemia or thyroid issues in an earlier pregnancy
• when you are simply curious about your blood values during this period

What the right moment is for you depends on your own situation and on what your midwife or GP advises.

Your result shows your value for each marker, together with a reference range and a short explanation. What counts as usual can differ during pregnancy compared with outside of it, because your body adapts.

A value below or above the range can mean different things and does not say much on its own. The doctor helps you place your blood values in the right context, in line with your pregnancy.

Your result is usually available online within a few working days. Each value is shown clearly with a reference range and an explanation, so you understand what you see.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.