Your first prenatal visit may be one of the longest you'll have during your pregnancy — and definitely the most comprehensive. Not only will there be tests and information-gathering, there will be lots of time spent on questions and answers. There will also be plenty of advice given, from what to eat (or not), what prenatal vitamins to take, and how much to exercise.
Here are the details on when to go for your first pregnancy appointment, how to prepare for it and what actually happens while you're there.
When should I schedule my first prenatal visit?
As soon as you have a positive result on a home pregnancy test, call your practitioner to schedule an appointment. Good prenatal care is one of the most important steps in having a healthy pregnancy and baby.[1]
When will my first prenatal visit take place?
The first prenatal appointment usually takes place in the second month, between week 6 and week 8 of pregnancy.
Be sure to call as soon as you suspect you're pregnant and have taken a pregnancy test. Some practitioners will be able to fit you in right away, but others may have waits of several weeks (or longer). Certain OB/GYN offices also offer an earlier "pre-OB" visit to confirm a pregnancy as soon as you think you're expecting.
Regardless of when that first appointment is scheduled, start acting pregnant once you get that positive result at home (such as by taking a prenatal vitamin, following a healthy diet, switching to mocktails and skipping certain off-limits foods like raw fish and deli meat). You may be familiar with the basics, but don't hesitate to call your practitioner's office if you need to brush up.
And if the wait is of concern because you feel your pregnancy may be high-risk (because of a chronic condition or a history of miscarriages, for example), check in with the office to see if you can come in earlier.
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How should I prepare for my first pregnancy appointment?
Once the date is on your calendar, do a little prep work to make the most of your visit. These tips are a great place to start:[2]
Make a list of key health facts. Your practitioner will want to discuss all the details of your medical history, so check your records at home or call your primary care doctor for a refresh. Come prepared with at least some basics about:
- Your personal medical history: Immunizations you've had, previous major illnesses or surgeries, known allergies including drug allergies
- Your mental health history: Any history of depression, anxiety disorder or other mental health disorders
- Your gynecological history: Age of your first period, details about your cycle, whether you have problems with PMS or PMDD, prior gynecological surgeries, history of abnormal Pap smears or STDs
- Your obstetrical history: Previous pregnancies, including pregnancy complications or losses and details about previous deliveries
- Potential disease exposure: Any contagious diseases you may have been exposed to (say, if you traveled abroad recently or work in health care)
Other things you can do to prepare include:
- Take stock of your medicine cabinet. Your OB/GYN or midwife will also want to know the names and possibly the dosages of any medications and supplements you take (herbs and vitamins included).
- Find out about health conditions that run in your and your partner’s families. Learn what illnesses your family has a history of, so you can clue in your practitioner from the get-go.
- Jot down your questions. In the excitement of that first prenatal appointment, lots of moms-to-be forget to ask the burning questions that have been keeping them up at night — so make a list of them beforehand (and don’t forget to bring it with you).
What will happen at my first prenatal visit?
Practitioners also have their own to-do lists for the first prenatal appointment. Here’s what to expect:
- You’ll get a check-up. This may include a general health exam (checking your heart, lungs, breasts and abdomen); measuring your blood pressure to serve as a baseline reading for future appointments; noting your height and weight; a look for varicose veins and swelling as a baseline for future visits; a pelvic exam; and an assessment of the size of your uterus and the size and shape of your pelvis.
- You'll get a confirmation of your pregnancy. Even if you got a positive result on a home pregnancy test, your practitioner will likely repeat a urine test and do a blood test to check your hCG levels.
- You’ll get an official countdown. If you know when you conceived and the date of your last period (LMP), make sure to mention it. Your OB/GYN or midwife will calculate your due date using your LMP (although this date can be inaccurate), a check of your cervix and uterus for signs and approximate gestational age of the pregnancy, your hCG levels, and, most likely, an ultrasound.
- You’ll chat about yourself and your baby. To give you the best possible care, your practitioner will want to know a lot about you. The first prenatal appointment is the time for your practitioner to get up to speed on your health history and fill you in on how to care for yourself and your growing baby, as well as address any concerns you have (this is when that list of questions comes in handy). It’s helpful to take notes; your doctor or midwife is sure to share plenty of info you'll want to remember (and moms-to-be are notoriously forgetful).
You’ll also likely undergo a battery of other tests. Some tests are routine for every pregnant woman, some are routine in some areas of the country and some are performed only when necessary. The most common tests at your first prenatal visit will likely include:[3]
- Urine test. Your urine may be checked for protein, glucose (sugar), white blood cells, blood and bacteria.
- Bloodwork. A sample of your blood will be used to determine blood type and Rh status and check for anemia.[4] Your blood will also be screened for antibody titers (levels) and immunity to certain diseases (like rubella and chicken pox) and possibly for vitamin D deficiency.
- Genetic carrier screening. If you weren't screened before conception, a blood draw also tests for whether you're a carrier for the more common genetic conditions, including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, Tay-Sachs disease and others.[5]
- STD tests. Your doctor may screen for sexually transmitted infections like hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV. These tests are required in some states.
- A blood sugar test. You may get this test if you had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy or if you're at higher risk for gestational diabetes (for example, if you have a family history).
Will I see my baby on an ultrasound at my first prenatal visit?
Most practitioners do a prenatal ultrasound during the first visit, which is the most accurate way of dating a pregnancy. However, some docs wait until a bit later, when there’s more to see.
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