Prenatal Testing in the First Half of Pregnancy
Pregnancy Podcast
Vanessa Merten
4.5 • 970 Ratings
🗓️ 26 April 2026
⏱️ 65 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Prenatal testing starts the moment you find out you are pregnant and continues throughout your entire pregnancy. Some tests screen for conditions you may have. Others look at your baby's development and genetics. These tests are valuable tools, however they can also be a source of real anxiety and confusion. There are a lot of different tests, a lot of different names, and a lot of information to navigate.
As a result, this episode is a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to every test offered in the first half of pregnancy. We walk through every test you may be offered through your anatomy ultrasound, what each one can tell you, how accurate it is, and how to make informed decisions. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of your options. In addition, you will feel confident having these conversations with your doctor or midwife. A companion episode covers prenatal testing in the second half of pregnancy.
Full article and resources for this episode: https://pregnancypodcast.com/prenataltesting/
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Follow your pregnancy week-by-week with the 40 Weeks podcast. Learn how your baby grows, what's happening in your body, what to expect at prenatal appointments, and get tips for dads and partners: https://pregnancypodcast.com/week
Find more evidence-based information on the Pregnancy Podcast website: https://pregnancypodcast.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Martin. |
| 0:10.7 | Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. In today's episode, we're talking |
| 0:17.6 | about prenatal testing in the first half of your pregnancy. |
| 0:22.5 | Preneedle testing starts the moment that you find out you're pregnant. And then it continues |
| 0:27.8 | throughout your entire pregnancy. Seems like there is a never-ending string of tests. |
| 0:34.8 | Some tests screen for conditions that you may have. Others look at your baby's development |
| 0:40.0 | and their genetics. These tests are valuable tools, but they can also be a source of real |
| 0:46.5 | anxiety and confusion. There's a lot of different tests that go by a lot of different names and |
| 0:53.1 | a ton of information to navigate. This episode is an |
| 0:58.0 | evidence-based guide to every test that's offered in the first half of your pregnancy. We'll walk |
| 1:04.3 | through each one that you may be offered all the way through your anatomy ultrasound. We'll talk |
| 1:10.1 | about what each test can tell you, |
| 1:12.7 | how accurate it is, and how to make informed decisions. By the end of this episode, you will have a |
| 1:20.0 | clear understanding of all of your options, and you will full confident having these conversations |
| 1:26.0 | with your doctor or midwife. |
| 1:28.4 | Then there will be a companion episode that will cover prenatal testing in the second half of your pregnancy. |
| 1:35.3 | You can see the full article and all of the resources for this episode at Pregnancypodcast.com slash prenatal testing. If you feel overwhelmed by your |
| 1:50.5 | prenatal testing options, you're in the right place. And today's episode is a comprehensive |
| 1:55.9 | guide to every test offered in the first half of pregnancy. The work that goes into an episode like this is significant. |
| 2:04.9 | And pregnancy podcast premium is one way that listeners can support this work directly. |
| 2:11.6 | And premium members get the entire library of episodes ad-free on every topic that you will run into from the minute |
| 2:20.1 | you find out you're pregnant through life with a new baby. Check out pregnancy podcast premium |
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