Second Trimester Routine Visits

Back 1  2 3 4 5 6 Next

Wondering what to expect this trimester from your doctor's visits? Here's a look at what will be happening with you and your baby.

The second trimester is normally a quiet time when the generalities of maternal and fetal health and appropriate fetal growth are observed. There are many self-help books on pregnancy, but each visit offers you a chance to add a perspective to the things you are reading. A free exchange of questions and answers addresses those things important to you as a prospective mother, and a caregiver's particular communicative skills will determine the quality of your education as it pertains to your particular pregnancy. Since this is usually the quietest trimester, it is a good time to ask a lot of questions that apply to your particular pregnancy.

What to Expect

Wondering what to expect from your doctor's visits this trimester? You'll meet with your OB-GYN every two to four weeks, depending on your doctor. At each meeting, your healthcare provide will check the following:

• Fundal height
• Fetal heart tones
• Your blood pressure
• Your weight
• Your urine

The Prenatal Record

The prenatal record is a synopsis of your entire pregnancy. It is a record of fields on a grid sheet that can portray sequentially the progressions of fundal heights, blood pressures, weights, urine tests, and documentation of fetal heart tones (FHT). There are also areas in which to record unique notes per visit and any complaints of swelling (edema).

This grid sheet is designed to flow down the page of the prenatal record so your doctor can see with a glimpse any trends worthy of concern. It is easy with this type of notation to see a steady rise in blood pressures or a sudden jump in weight. There are other parts of the record to go into more detail, especially if the necessary documentation warrants it, but this grid is the schematic from which your doctor will "eyeball" your pregnancy each visit. Even the newer electronic medical records endeavor to give the look and the feel of this grid sheet.