Prenatal Care Timeline: What to Expect

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Discovering you're pregnant is exciting! Within days of getting a positive result from an at-home pregnancy test, you'll need to call your physician and set up an appointment to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test. The next nine months will be filled with lots of planning and doctor's visits. Here's a look at what you can expect.

First Trimester: Conception to 12 Weeks

Initial prenatal visit:

• You'll have a thorough physical exam and review your medical history.
• Documentation of your pregnancy begins and you'll receive an estimation of your due date (fetal gestational age).
• Your doctor will arrange for initial blood work and standard cultures for gonorrhea and Chlamydia.
• You'll also have a pap smear, unless you've had one recently.
• Your physician will listen for fetal heart tones if your initial visit is over 12 to 13 weeks gestation. At this time, your doctor may also arrange an ultrasound.
• You and your doctor will discuss setting up a consultation with a specialist, if certain risk factors are present. For example, if you are over 35, have a uterine fibroid, or have a chronic illness.
• Your doctor may make a request for your old medical records (if pertinent).

Subsequent first-trimester visits every three to four weeks:

• Your physician will begin documenting and tracking your blood pressure and weight, and test your urine for protein and glucose.
• You'll be able to ask questions and get answers to your specific pregnancy concerns.
• Your doctor will attempt to reconcile an ultrasound to the gestational age of your baby.