Take prenatal vitamins with folic acid, iron, and DHA starting 1 month before conception to support fetal development and maternal health. Use at-home tools like urine pregnancy tests for early detection, blood pressure monitors to identify potential preeclampsia, and glucose monitors if diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Regular prenatal care ensures proper monitoring, protection, and preparation for labor, with screening and management of complications like hypertension or diabetes.
January 14, 2025

Pregnancy: Diagnosis, Monitoring and Care

Evidence-Based Over-The-Counter Guide

William Shen

William Shen

Co-founder & CPO

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Effective self-care, monitoring, and medical oversight are essential to ensure a healthy pregnancy for both the individual and the baby.

Supplements:

  • Prenatal vitamins: Taking prenatal vitamins for 1 month before fertilization may reduce the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Continue throughout your pregnancy or as recommended by your doctor. Nature Made Prenatal with Folic Acid + DHA. 

At-Home Diagnosis: 

  • Urine Pregnancy Test: At-home urine-based pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced after implantation. These tests are highly accurate when used after a missed period. Follow instructions carefully for best results. First Response (FDA 510(k) K123436) and Clearblue (FDA 510(k) K060128) are the most home sensitive tests.

At-Home Monitoring:

  • Blood Pressure Monitor: High blood pressure above 140/90 during pregnancy can indicate conditions like preeclampsia, which can have serious implications. A home blood pressure monitor is the gold standard in tracking BP trends, outperforming sporadic in-office measurements if a validated device is used. OMRON Bronze Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (FDA Reg. 1450057).

  • Blood Sugar Testing: Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy, which greatly increases the risk of fetal complications, making blood sugar monitoring critical. A glucometer is not necessary if you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, it can be helpful. You can use MDandMe Arora to help you interpret and track results. CareSens Glucose Monitor Kit (FDA 510(k) K120759).

Importance of Medical Care:

  • Monitoring: Regular prenatal care ensures that the pregnancy is progressing as expected, with monitoring of fetal growth, maternal health, and potential complications.

  • Protection: Prenatal vitamins with folic acid, iron, and DHA support fetal development and maternal health, and vaccinations can protect against congenital infections

  • Screening and management: Conditions like gestational diabetes, hypertension, or previous pregnancy complications require specialized care, including possible medication adjustments and closer monitoring.

  • Labor and Delivery Planning: Medical care helps prepare for delivery, including creating a low-risk birth plan, understanding options for pain management, and planning for potential complications.

Citations

Cole LA. The Utility of Six Over-the-Counter (Home) Pregnancy Tests. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. 2011;49(8):1317-1322. doi:10.1515/CCLM.2011.211.

ElSayed, N. A., Aleppo, G., Bannuru, R. R., Bruemmer, D., Collins, B. S., Ekhlaspour, L., ... & American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2024). 15. Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024. Diabetes Care, 47.

Magee, L. A., & Von Dadelszen, P. (2018, November). State-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 93, No. 11, pp. 1664-1677). Elsevier.

What OTC evidence is reviewed?

  • For each condition, we performed a literature review to find a recent widely cited expert group guideline published in the leading specialty-specific peer-reviewed journal or top general medical journal.

  • Based on the recommendations in the publication, we identify recommended active ingredients and devices that are available over-the-counter per FDA regulations.

What evidence is prioritized?

Levels of evidence considered:

  • Tier 1 (Safe and Definitely Effective): Professional field consensus or multiple randomized controlled clinical trials showing the same conclusion. Wherever possible, we use Tier 1 evidence for "first-line" recommendations.

  • Tier 2 (Safe and Probably Effective): Individual clinical trials which may be discordant or large-scale observational experience. Tier 2 evidence may inform "first-line", "second-line", or "supplement" recommendations.

  • Tier 3 (Safe and Maybe Effective): Mechanistic plausibility without high-quality clinical evidence of efficacy but high-quality evidence of safety. Tier 3 evidence may inform "second-line" or "supplement" recommendations.

How does MDandMe select recommended products?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate products containing the recommended active agent with FDA-approved dosage based on price, average customer reviews, how often it is purchased, and how quickly it will ship to home. 

  • We provide public documentation of the active ingredients in our recommendations, using all 32 FDA monographs, Prescription-to-Nonprescription (Rx-to-OTC) Switches, as well as New Drug Application (NDA) approvals.

How does MDandMe select recommended devices?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate devices that are FDA-cleared or comply with other medical guidelines (if not a FDA-regulated category) by reputability, price, and average customer reviews.

  • We provide public documentation of supporting evidence for each device.  

Where do I view other OTC guides?

Browse topic list here:

You can view all of our published OTC guides here.

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