Please help. 28 week appointment bloods. What are they testing for in a second pregnancy?

[architien]

Can anyone tell me? I'm not getting on with my midwife and although I know she is going to take blood tomorrow (not GTT) she will only reply "it's normal to take it at 28 weeks" and shrugs me off. Can any ladies tell me what it is testing for and how many viles they take? If i know what it's for and how many viles I can face it, pace myself and get through it fine. I'm pacing up and down here can anyone help?

I'm only on 1st pregnancy but have been told I'll have bloods as well at 28 weeks (well 29!) - same as the ones they initially took which I think is iron, blood sugar (?)... running out of what else they test for. Iron's the main one I think though? I think it was only 1 vial before but may have been 2 (but only one needle).

Can't you ring up and ask? It's a perfectly reasonable question and perhaps she misunderstood when you asked why, you actually meant 'what are you testing for' rather than 'why are you testing me'?

Good luck tomorrow

Hi architien
Please don't stress about this. It is normal to take bloods at 28weeks in second pregnancy. (i am a midwife honey). Depending on what area you are in..the test is for iron count so it a haemoglobin (one vile), if you rhesus negative that will be checked and possibly sugar levels but not everywhere. So nothing to worry bout. Hope it goes ok

its to check for anemia and anitbodies, and they dont take that much think its just 1 tube tbh, i have mine on wednesday too

Had one needle two vials at 28 weeks, one just to check no anaemia and one for sugar. Anaemia is checked for in every pregnancy even if normal in the past.

They do not routinely check for sugar levels at the 28 week bloods. Not recommended by NICE, and not sure what it would show you if you do not have fasting blood sugar levels as well as in a GTT.
They will check for antibodies (esp important if you are resus negative as you may have developed antibodies since your 'booking bloods' were taken) , FBC (iron, serum ferritin etc). Babybear5, I am a bit of a pedant but vile? Do you mean phial/vial? At my trust this involves to vials of blood but only one needle.

Sorry should have said also had sugar done 2 hrs post lovely glucose drink for GTT. Our trust it is routinely just one needle one vial for FBC unless other additional tests required for blood group, GTT etc.

Hello, I got my 28 bloods back today and I have been tested for:

• GTT (but only because I'd had some glucose +ve urine samples)
• Blood count (including haemoglobin, various blood cells & platelets)
• Blood type (the last 2 results of this have been lost by 2 hospitals so had to be repeated!)

When they took the blood they said they'd be testing for antibodies too. But I haven't seen the result of that (which is a shame, this stuff fascinates me!)

Can't remember how many vials were taken - 2 for GTT plus one or two more, I think.

I'm always amazed at how skilled the midwives are at taking blood. They can fill one vial whilst rummaging around with their other hand to get the next one, etc. And not wibble or jog the needle at all! It's amazing!

at 28 weeks they will be testing for iron and antibodies.

It was 2 at mine and they tested for blood type, iron levels and antibodies.

reikizen...sorry yes meant vial..not vile as in nasty. Was in a bit of a hurry . not to be to pedantic though...to? as in two?
Guess we both having one of them days

personally I think vile is completely accurate!

Ok, I'm having the second part of my pregnancy in France, so not quite the same but here I get my blood and urine tested every month - a full blood count (mainly for anaemia) and they test for toxoplasmosis every month, and also checked for sugars. Personally I think it's reassuring to have these checks, although I know that in the UK it's more rare to be so closely monitored.

Look completely in the other direction while they are taking your bloods and you shouldn't even notice if it's one or five vials being taken. If I look at the vials I feel much worse. Good luck.

Only do GTT check if you high risk, other than that, its same as ones at beginning. Cos you can lose your iron stores later on if baby is using them. So it usually full blood count :)

If you did have to have the GTT they do it at same time, which is where the mix up ^^ came from. Saves 2 lots of needles. unless you have the woman I had today and she sends you to the lab after one attempt..

Update is that the midwife who I had been having such trouble with wasn't there and the one who took the 3 vials explained the tests. It was all fine. I think on reflection it wasn't so much taking the blood which I was having trouble with it was more that I think I couldn't trust that particular midwife to do it (a long and annoying tale) and therefore I ended up asking her what it was for in order to be shrugged off. All is well and I just hope to God I never see her again.

I KNOW this is old. But I find it hilarious that you correct a woman for writing "vile" instead of "vial" and THEN you use the wrong "to"... it's "two" by the way. Just so funny...