What Happens during Prenatal Visits?
During the first prenatal visit, you can expect your doctor to:
- Ask about your health history including diseases, operations, or prior pregnancies.
- Ask about your family's health history
- Do a complete physical exam, including a pelvic exam and Pap test.
- Take your blood and urine for lab work
- Check your blood pressure, height, and weight.
- Calculate your due date
- Answer your questions.
At the first visit, you should ask questions and discuss any issues related to your pregnancy. Find out all you can about how to stay healthy.
Later prenatal visits will probably be shorter. Your doctor will check on your health and make sure the baby is growing as expected. Most prenatal visits will include:
- Checking your blood pressure.
- Measuring your weight gain.
- Measuring your abdomen to check your baby's growth (once you begin to show).
- Checking the baby's heart rate.
While you're pregnant, you also will have some routine tests. Some tests are suggested for all women, such as blood work to check for anemia, your blood type, HIV, and other factors. Other tests might be offered based on your age, personal or family health history, your ethnic background, or the results of routine tests you have had.
Read more at: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/prenatal-care#:~:text=Prenatal%20care%20can%20help%20keep,when%20they%20see%20mothers%20regularly.
