Blood tests for iron
Thalassaemia testing
The most common blood test taken during pregnancy is a full blood count or FBC (also referred to as a complete blood count or CBC in other countries). A full blood count is usually done as part of your
first pregnancy visit and is usually repeated at 28 to 30 weeks of pregnancy and possibly again at around 36 weeks (if the levels were low at 28 weeks).
A full blood count looks at many components of the blood. However, the main aspects considered the most important during pregnancy are:
- Haemoglobin or Hb, related to iron levels and being anaemic. This is discussed in depth in blood tests for iron.
- Platelets or thrombocytes. These small blood cells play a vital role in helping the blood to clot and control bleeding. The levels are normally between 140,000 to 450,000 per uL. Abnormally low platelet levels can be caused by many blood disorders, liver conditions or very high blood pressure during pregnancy, called pre-eclampsia.
Other blood cell levels are also measured with a FBC, but are not usually focused on by your caregiver unless you have a health condition or are unwell. If you are reading your blood test results, be aware that normal pregnancy levels can be different from non-pregnant levels. For example, the White Cell Count or WCC is usually between 4,000 - 10,000 per uL, but may be 11,000 to 12,000 per uL during pregnancy. A raised WCC may indicate an infection, but it is normal for it to be slightly higher during pregnancy even though no infection exists.
Blood tests for iron
Blood tests for iron at 28 and 36 weeks
There are a few blood tests that caregiver's use to test for iron deficiency and
anaemia during pregnancy. However, only one or two tests tend to be used routinely because pregnancy changes affect some of the results of others. Also different tests tend to be more useful than others at different times.