The Importance of Prenatal Care Part 2 – What to Expect at Your Prenatal Visits

In our last blog – Part 1 of the Importance of Prenatal Care – Why Should You See a Doctor? – we looked at 10 reasons you should make sure to get early and regular prenatal care. If you didn’t read that post, be sure to check it out! For the tl;dr crowd, here’s the takeaway: Early and regular prenatal care improves the chance you will have a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways you can promote a healthy birth!
So we agree – prenatal care is important! Now, let’s talk about when to see your doctor and what to expect during your visits.

Many women turn to home pregnancy tests when they suspect they’re pregnant. Home tests are about 99% accurate when used correctly, and many of them can detect pregnancy as early as your first missed period.

If you use a home pregnancy test to confirm your suspicion that you may be pregnant, call your doctor to schedule your first prenatal appointment as soon as you see that + test sign. You should schedule your first doctor’s appointment no later than 8 weeks after your first missed period.

Then - how often will you see a doctor? Generally, visits are set up as follows:

• Once a month for weeks 4-28
• Twice a month for weeks 28-36
• Weekly weeks 36-birth
• However, your doctor may want to see you more frequently if you are older than 35 or if you have a high-risk pregnancy.

At your first visit, your doctor will likely

• Ask your age and check your blood pressure, height, and weight
• Ask your health history, including any diseases, operations, and past pregnancies
• Ask your family health history
• Perform a complete physical, including lab work
• Calculate your due date; your doctor may perform an ultrasound to help in calculating your due date.
• Answer questions
• Fun fact: You may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat on an ultrasound as early as 6 weeks!

At subsequent visits, your doctor will likely

• Check your health (blood pressure, weight gain, etc.)
• Check your baby’s health (measure your abdomen to check baby’s growth, check baby’s heart rate, etc.)
• Perform routine tests for anemia, blood type, HIV
• Perform other tests as needed based on your age, family history, ethnic background
• Potentially perform an amniocentesis in the second trimester to check for genetic or chromosomal conditions
• Perform an ultrasound during the second trimester to make sure your baby is growing as expected
• Fun Fact: Your doctor may be able to confirm your baby’s gender via ultrasound in the second semester. One Gallup poll found out most moms want to know their babies’ genders before birth. Would you want to know? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! (And be warned – ultrasounds have up to a 5% error rate when looking at a baby’s sex!)

Third trimester visits become more frequent; your doctor will likely

• Continue to check your weight, blood pressure, and urine
• Perform additional screenings for signs of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or infection
• Evaluate your baby’s health by checking his or her growth and heartrate
• Perform other tests as needed based on your age, family history, ethnic background
• Perform another ultrasound if you have a high-risk pregnancy to do an extra check on your baby’s health
• Fun Fact: You’re in the homestretch! Third trimester doctor visits are great opportunities to ask questions to prepare you for labor and delivery, learn about parenting classes, take classes on infant CPR, and get the schedule for your baby’s first check-ups!

Each visit is important to give you and your baby the best chance for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. And each visit gives you an opportunity to ask questions about your pregnancy, your baby’s development, and what to expect from labor, delivery, and the days and weeks after your baby is born. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn all you can so you’re as prepared as you can be!

As we discussed in part 1 of this series, studies show that about 25% of pregnant women never receive prenatal care or don’t seek care until they’re at least 6 months pregnant; many women say that’s because they can’t afford it. If this is a concern for you, you should know every state has a program that will help moms find free or low-cost medical care during pregnancy to help ensure babies are born healthy. Call 800.311.BABY to get connected to your local health department which can help you get the care you need. (For information in Spanish, call 800.504.7081.)

Of course One by One is here as well. We would love to match you with a trained mentor who will be by your side throughout your pregnancy and the first year of your baby’s life. Your mentor will support you, help you get resources you need, and teach you skills you need to be a good mom. To request a mentor, click here.