Prenatal care is essential to the health of mother and baby. Your prenatal visits will be different depending on where you are in the nine months of your pregnancy.
When Should I Schedule a Prenatal Appointment?
Schedule your first prenatal visit as soon as you think you are pregnant, even if you’ve confirmed your pregnancy with a home test. This first will probably be the longest prenatal visit, so expect to spend more time going over your medical history and talking about any risk factors for pregnancy problems. Your health care provider will also give you an estimated due date and order blood tests.
How Often Do I Need Prenatal Appointments?
In the first trimester, you’ll have a prenatal visit about every four weeks and these will include checking your blood pressure and weight gain. By the 12th week of pregnancy, you might be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
During prenatal visits in the second trimester your health care provider will listen to your baby’s heart and measure and feel your abdomen to check the developing infant’s growth and position. Several of these second trimester prenatal visits will include special tests to check for gestational diabetes and other conditions, depending on your age and family history.
Prenatal visits will become more frequent in your third trimester and you’ll be seeing your health care provider about every two weeks. An ultrasound exam is done to observe the baby and you’ll also receive a pertussis vaccine booster shot to protect your infant against whooping cough. As you reach the final month of pregnancy, your prenatal visits will be scheduled once a week until delivery.
Ask Questions During Prenatal Visits
Throughout your pregnancy, you should use these prenatal visits as an opportunity to talk about your questions and concerns. It's a good idea to write down your questions and bring them with you. Good communication with regular prenatal visits will help to monitor your health and the growth of the fetus and give your child the best chance for a great start to life.
Schedule a Prenatal Appointment in Brownstown & Southgate, MI
Northline Women’s Health Center in Southgate and Brownstown is here to help with prenatal care and all your gynecology needs. Request an appointment today.
