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Before you go public with your news, take some time to process it all. After notifying your partner, it's time to speak with another key member of your team: your prenatal doctor or certified nurse. Start your first trimester correctly by scheduling your first prenatal appointment.
When Should I Schedule My First Prenatal Appointment?
The time of your first prenatal appointment varies per clinic. There is no right or wrong moment. Typically, your first checkup will take place between 6 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. Yes, this feels like a very long time to wait, particularly because you have so many questions.How To Prepare For Your First Prenatal Visit?
Review your medical history
The doctor will inquire about your medical history, your partner's medical history, and your family history. This is to ensure that you have the optimal prenatal care plan for yourself and your baby. It's also advisable to include a list of your current medications. Include any supplements and over-the-counter medications you are currently taking.Your healthcare practitioner could enquire about:
- Your menstrual cycle, gynaecological history, and any previous pregnancies
- Your personal and family medical history.
- Exposure to anything that may be poisonous
- Medications you use, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins or supplements
- Your lifestyle, including the use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drugs.
Write down your questions
It's difficult to recall everything. So, jot down your questions and bring them to your first meeting.Questions to ask at the first prenatal visit:
This is the moment to ask all of your questions and feel confident in your goals for a safe pregnancy. If you have any questions before or after your session, write them down. Some of the questions you may have concerning your first prenatal checkup include:
- What are common pregnancy symptoms? What is uncommon?
- Is there a nurse line that I may contact if I have any questions?
- What amount of weight increase is good for me?
- Which meals and beverages should I avoid?
- Can I exercise? Can we have sex?
- What should I do in an emergency?
- What are your ideas on natural delivery, Caesarean sections, and labour induction?
- What medications should I avoid?
Take prenatal vitamins
There are several high-quality over-the-counter available. Look for one with at least 400 mcg of folic acid and that has DHA, a vitamin that may aid with brain and eye development. DHA is also present in fish, so eating low-mercury seafood is good for you and your baby.Take care of yourself
Keep yourself hydrated, fed, and rested.What was the date of your last period?
This helps your doctor calculate the due date. Your due date does not indicate when you will have your baby. It is just the day when you will be 40 weeks pregnant. Few individuals give birth on their due date. Still, determining your due date — or projected delivery date — is critical. It enables your healthcare practitioner to track your baby's development and the progression of your pregnancy. Your due date also helps you schedule examinations and treatments so that they are completed on time.Your healthcare practitioner will estimate your due date by adding seven days to the day your previous period began and counting back three months. The due date will be around 40 weeks after the first day of your last menstruation. To confirm the date, your doctor might do a foetal ultrasound. If the due date determined using your last period and the due date calculated using an early ultrasound vary by more than seven days, the ultrasound is used to determine the due date.
What to wear to your first prenatal checkup?
Wearing two-piece clothing is appropriate for your first prenatal checkup. This allows you to raise your shirt to reveal your belly for the exam and ultrasound while staying fully dressed below the waist. You may also just undress from the waist down. But What Happens If I Experience Pain Or Bleeding?
If you have pelvic discomfort or vaginal bleeding at any point throughout your pregnancy, contact your clinic immediately. It doesn't necessarily signify an issue with your pregnancy, but it's critical. If the clinic is closed, go to the closest emergency hospital instead. It's difficult not to worry in these circumstances, but try to be as stress-free as possible for your and your baby's general health.What Normally Happens At The First Prenatal Visit?
Your first prenatal consultation may include a full physical examination, including breast and pelvic exams, as well as routine blood and urine tests. You will spend time discussing what to anticipate throughout your first trimester and the remainder of your pregnancy. You will learn about the many sorts of you will undergo until your baby is delivered. There will be plenty of time to go over your list of questions.During your initial appointment, you may be able to hear your baby's heartbeat, which can usually be heard around 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Physical exam
To determine how much weight you should gain for a safe pregnancy, your doctor will assess your weight and height and calculate your body mass index.Your doctor may perform a physical examination, which may include a breast and pelvic exam. You may need a Pap test, depending on how long it has been since your previous one. Depending on your condition, you may require heart, lung, and thyroid checks.
Lab testing
Blood tests may be performed at your first prenatal appointment to:- Check your blood type: This includes your Rh status. Rh factor is an inherited characteristic of a protein present on the surface of red blood cells. If you are Rh negative and your baby's father is Rh positive, your pregnancy may need additional care.
- Check your haemoglobin levels: Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein present in red blood cells that permits them to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of your body. Haemoglobin also transports carbon dioxide from other regions of the body to the lungs, where it is expelled. Anaemia is characterised by a low haemoglobin or red blood cell count. Anaemia may cause extreme fatigue and may interfere with your pregnancy.
- Check your immunity against particular viruses: This often includes rubella and chickenpox (varicella), unless your medical history shows evidence of vaccination or natural protection.
- Detect exposure to other infections: Your healthcare practitioner will recommend blood tests to identify illnesses such as hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. A urine sample may also be examined for evidence of a bladder or urinary tract infection.
Testing for foetal concerns
Prenatal testing may provide important details about your baby's health. Your doctor will usually provide a number of prenatal genetic screening tests. They may involve ultrasounds or blood testing to detect foetal genetic disorders like Down syndrome.- Lifestyle concerns: Your healthcare professional may address the significance of diet and prenatal supplements. Enquire about fitness, sex, dental care, immunisations, and travel during pregnancy, among other lifestyle concerns. You could also discuss your work situation and the usage of medications while pregnant. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about how you can stop.
- Pregnancy-Related Discomforts: You may notice changes in your body throughout the early stages of pregnancy. Your breasts could feel sensitive and puffy. Nausea with or without vomiting (morning sickness) is also prevalent. If you are experiencing severe morning sickness, see your doctor.
Do I Have An Ultrasound On My First Prenatal Appointment?
An ultrasound, which allows you to see your baby, is generally arranged later in your first trimester. However, each clinic does it differently. So, when you plan your first appointment, feel free to enquire about precise ultrasound scheduling and information.When it comes to choosing a prenatal care provider, you have numerous options. Depending on your health and preferences, you may visit an OB-GYN throughout your pregnancy, a licensed nurse-midwife, or your primary care doctor.
Other First Trimester Visits
Your subsequent prenatal checkups, which are typically scheduled every four weeks throughout the first trimester, may be shorter than the first. Near the end of the first trimester, about 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy, you may be able to hear your baby's heartbeat using a tiny gadget called a Doppler, which bounces sound waves off your baby's heart. Your doctor may also conduct a first trimester ultrasound.Your prenatal sessions are the best opportunity to ask any questions you may have. During your initial visit, find out how to contact your healthcare team between visits in case you have any concerns. Knowing that support is accessible might provide peace of mind.
FAQs on How to Prepare for Your First Prenatal Appointment?
- Which week is best for the first prenatal visit?
Initial Prenatal Appointment: 5- 12 weeks is the best time for your first prenatal appointment. - Should you shave before the first prenatal appointment?
No, you do not have to shave or wax. However, if there is a problem with your skin, shaving or waxing will make it simpler for your doctor to assess the situation.
