Your First Prenatal Doctor's Visit

What's Next?

After this initial visit, you will see your doctor once a month until the 32nd week of pregnancy, after which you'll go every two weeks, and finally once a week from week 37 until you deliver.

Your monthly checkups will include:

• Urine check
• Weight check
• Blood pressure
• Check hands, feet, and face for excessive swelling
• Hemoglobin check (to make sure you are not anemic)
• Measurement of your abdomen to assess fetal growth (fundal height)
• Check baby's position (determined by your doctor feeling your belly)
• Fetal heart rate check (listening for your baby's heart beat; this can be done between week nine and week 12

Other tests you'll receive in the coming months include:

• Blood glucose screening (glucose tolerance test) to check for pregnancy-related diabetes. This is done between 24 weeks and 28 weeks.
• Ultrasound at around 20 weeks. However, this can be done sooner if your doctor feels it is necessary.
• Group B streptococcus culture, done between 32 weeks and 36 weeks (if you are positive you will be treated with antibiotics in labor to prevent spread to your baby)
• Exam of your breasts and discussion of preparing to breastfeed
• AFP or MSAFP (maternal serum alpha fetal protein) test to screen for Down syndrome and neural tube defects—this test, recommended by the (ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) will only tell you if you are at risk, it is not a positive confirmation. If the test is positive your doctor will recommend further testing and screening.

Making the Most of Your Appointments

Be sure to ask your doctor or midwife to explain any diagnostic tests that are suggested to you.

Each of your visits provides an opportunity for you to discuss how you are feeling and for your doctor to answer your questions or concerns. If your provider is part of a group, you'll have appointments with a different practitioner each time so you visit. (Your primary doctor may not be the one to be on call when you deliver, so meeting other doctors can help make you more comfortable.)

While all this testing may seem overwhelming, it is done to make sure you and your baby have a safe, healthy pregnancy and delivery.