First Ultrasound/ Blood Tests

December 11, 2012. My second check-up and ultrasound schedule.Trans-V ultrasound is P2,130.00. You have to be early though because there's always a long queue in the ultrasound room. We "got in-line" at 11am, were scheduled at 2:00pm, but had my procedure at 3:30pm. Ultrasound results were available after a minute.

Seeing your baby for the first time, alive, moving, and active on the screen is absolutely priceless. Babies are really life's miracles. Nurturing a life inside you is amazing. Hearing her heartbeat made us speechless.

We went to my new OB's clinic to have the results interpreted. As discussed in the forums and blogs, Dra. Mae Syki-Young is really charming, kind, and accommodating. No wonder, she has lots of patients patiently waiting outside her clinic. Her consultation fee is P800.00 (inclusive of VAT) on your first consultation and P600.00 on succeeding consultations.

She prescribed for additional Folic Acid - Maxifol 5000 brand - P5.75/tablet in Mercury Drug, which is cheaper by P3.00 compared to Folart. It also made me less nauseous somehow.

She also ordered for the following blood tests:
* HBSAG - P1,350.00
* Anti-HBS (Chem)- P1,350.00
If I recall correctly, HBSAG and anti-HBS are tests for the existence of the Hepatitis B virus, and the corresponding antibody, respectively.

* Complete Blood Count (CBC) - P465.00
* VDRL (Quali) - P550.00. As per the internet, it is a blood test for venereal diseases - quite scary.
* ABO Typing (Blood Type) - P600.00
* Rubella IGG - P2,000.00. This is to evaluate the immunity to Rubella (German measles).

Some of this tests will be done only on your first pregnancy or if you were not able to provide medical records of prior tests done.

You do the math.

Maybe the more important question is, have you had all your shots? And should you really wait until you're pregnant? Cost-benefit wise, I would say, just save yourself the worry and have them all before you are pregnant.

Also, and as per Dra. Syki-Young's advice: if you're reading the results from the blood tests yourself - stop. Leave that to the experts. Some results are supposed to show a "positive". You'd be unduly stressing yourself if you self-diagnose.

Disclaimer: The interpretation/opinion presented is based only on the my understanding. It should not replace your doctor's findings.

My baby.

Quite a joy to behold. :)