What to Expect of Your Prenatal Visits

What to Expect of Your Prenatal Visits

Whether you are a first time parent or expecting your fourth baby, an important part of your pregnancy journey involves countless trips to your provider’s office for prenatal checkups. We hope that within this blog post you are able to learn some things about what to expect with any and all of your prenatal visits.

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Parents who have just found out that they are expecting call us frequently and want to know what to expect when it comes to being pregnant and giving birth. We listen and share with them how to navigate their concerns of partners not able to attend prenatal visits, precautions that they should take beyond not eating sushi, not able to have their doulas or family support with them by their side in the hospital, and who should they let come visit and when once they take baby home. As doulas we know what an emotional journey parents make into parenthood and we know that knowing what to expect and understanding how they can prepare themselves to heighten their experience.

For both of you (especially if it is your first), you want to share the experience of that first visit and that first ultrasound. Dads and partners want to be there to share in the joys, so we recommend that couples utilize this option so that you aren’t trying to remember everything that your provider says and that your partner can ask questions and get to know those who are on your birth team.

For those less essential visits or for high-risks pregnancies, providers may try to lessen your exposure by offering you telehealth visits. You don’t need to pee in a cup or do blood work on all your visits, but connecting with your medical provider regularly is important. You may have some normal pregnancy concerns or questions that you can easily discuss via a video call.  At these, your partner can attend alongside you if desired.

What to Expect With Each Visit:

First Trimester:

Six to ten weeks: This is typically your first prenatal appointment and you'll most likely be here for the longest time. It is sometimes best to invite your partner along for this visit. In addition to performing a physical examination and standard prenatal lab testing, your provider may inquire about your medical history, including your menstrual cycle, use of contraception, previous pregnancies, medical history, family history, and medications. Using the information from your most recent menstrual cycle, your due date will be determined and they may conduct an ultrasound. Although very few women give birth on their due date, it offers a suitable schedule for medical examinations and other prenatal appointments down the road. Your due date is fixed during the first trimester and stays that way, enabling your doctor to correctly track the development of your pregnancy.

Seven – 12 weeks: You will most likely be seen every four weeks for the remainder of your first trimester. Providers may check your blood pressure and weight at each visit. After about 10 to 12 weeks, your provider will probably listen to the baby’s heartbeat with a small device called a Doppler at each visit. Between 11 and 13 weeks, usually an ultrasound appointment will be made with a different provider trained in maternal and fetal medicine. This ultrasound, called a nuchal translucency screening, measures the thickness of the space at the back of the neck of the fetus and is considered as a screening for any chromosomal abnormalities. A first-trimester genetic screening may be performed at this time as well (you can discuss genetic screening options with your provider). Your provider may refer you to a genetic counselor.

Second Trimester:

Each visit usually occurs every four weeks. At each visit, you normally have your blood pressure and weight checked, and your baby’s heartbeat will be measured by Doppler. 

13 – 16 weeks: During this visit, typically a blood test may be performed to screen for any abnormalities. 

18 – 20 weeks: This is when your provider will most likely determine the gender of your baby (only if you want to know)! 

24 – 28 weeks: During this visit, typically, it is recommended that you take a glucose test to screen for gestational diabetes within this time. Please allow one additional hour for this blood test.

Third trimester

Now your visits are going to be every two weeks until 36 weeks (you are in the home stretch!). From 36 weeks and on, you will probably have an appointment every week until you deliver. At each visit, your blood pressure, weight, and baby’s heartbeat may be measured, and the position of your baby may be checked. You may also receive an ultrasound to determine growth of the baby in this trimester. 

29 – 34 weeks: You may begin to discuss aspects of childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum care with your provider (and doula!). Providers may also offer a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine around this time. 

35 – 37 weeks: Your provider may offer to do a pelvic exam and you may also be tested to ensure that you do not have any bacteria that can be passed onto the baby during labor.

After 37 weeks: Weekly visits with your provider will typically begin to occur. Your provider may check your cervix as you approach your due date for dilation and to be sure your baby is in the head-down position. 

After 40 weeks: Your provider may recommend testing between 40 and 41 weeks to check your baby’s general well-being. This test includes a quick ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid around the baby and 20 minutes of monitoring the baby’s heart rate with the external fetal heart rate monitoring machine. At this time, your provider may also discuss options for induction of labor, if you are still pregnant.

We know that pregnancy can feel amazing to some and awful to others or a little bit of both. When we do experience those normal or not-so-normal side effects of pregnancy we often forget about them when they aren’t an issue. Because of this…it can be easy to forget to ask our midwife or OB at a visit that pressing question you had. We recommend having a small notebook that you stick in your purse where you can make note of all the little things that you wanted answers to.

Supporting you and your baby is our top priority at High Country Doulas and we have many wonderful resources available to care for you virtually and in person!

Allison Rollanspregnancy during Covid-19, Telehealth, prenatal visitsComment