NIPT Non Invasive Prenatal Tests
Non invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) are blood tests that can be taken from pregnant women to examine DNA from the baby. These can be done from towards the end of the first trimester. NIPT tests are used primarily to screen for Down’s syndrome. At Somerset Early...
Baby’s Development in the Third Trimester
Written by Bea Anderson – Sonographer Week 28: Baby’s eyes partially open Twenty-eight weeks into your pregnancy, your baby’s eyelids can partially open, and eyelashes have formed. The central nervous system can direct rhythmic breathing...
Initial investigations into your fertility
Introduction The average time for a couple to conceive is 12 months, but this fact is not helpful if you have quietly been trying for longer than this. Anxiety about what might be wrong can make matters worse. One of the hardest things to do might be explaining to...
What is an anterior placenta and how will it affect my pregnancy?
What is the placenta? The placenta is an organ attached to the lining of your womb during pregnancy and is the only transient organ in the human body. This means that it grows and stays temporarily, and is expelled when it’s fulfilled its purpose. It keeps your...
Pelvic Floor exercises and why they are important
The Pelvic Floor In our individual roles in our specialist health care settings and between family and friends it is not unusual for women to comment on how doing jumping type exercises, coughing, sneezing or laughing can cause a trickle (sometimes more) of urine to...
Tummy ache in early pregnancy
Tummy pain in early pregnancy is very common and something that causes a lot of us to worry. So what causes it and when does it mean something is wrong? Crampy discomfort low down in the middle of the tummy that comes and goes is very common. If it is very mild, there...
Stoptober – smoking cessation in pregnancy.
The majority of people are aware that smoking in pregnancy is harmful to both mum and baby, but as nicotine is addictive, stopping smoking is far easier said than done! Each cigarette contains over 4000 chemicals, and it is these that can harm your unborn baby....
Baby Loss Awareness Week ( BLAW) 9th-15th October 2022
Baby Loss Awareness Week ( BLAW) raises awareness how pregnancy and baby loss affects thousands every year. This is it’s 20th year. It is a time for bereaved parents and their families and friends to commemorate their babies lives. Many Charities work to raise...