Booking a pregnancy care appointment helps you build a solid relationship with your prenatal provider and allows you to ask any questions. Your provider will check your baby’s development and well-being while offering guidance on supplements and dietary needs. Here are some things to expect from your prenatal visits:
Ultrasounds
You might have an abdominal ultrasound at your initial appointment, as well as at later stages of the prenatal journey. The images from the ultrasound measure your baby’s head, limbs, and torso to assess growth rates. This procedure also allows the provider to check organ development, including the heart, brain, spine, and lungs, to ensure everything progresses smoothly. Toward the end, a specialist will monitor amniotic fluid levels and fetal positioning. Several types of ultrasounds could be required based on your specific case and potential risk factors. Some providers may perform a sonogram that allows you to see your growing baby. Ultrasounds can also reveal twins.
Blood Tests
During your appointment, your provider can obtain a blood sample. Blood work looks for anemia, gestational diabetes, and abnormalities like spina bifida. Blood testing also checks your immunity to diseases and assesses liver function and platelet counts. Genetic screening options look at risk factors for certain inherited conditions. Your provider reviews what each test evaluates and the timeline for results. Testing also helps diagnose hormonal imbalances that may affect the unborn child and the mother.
Chronic Condition Management
Pre-existing conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure require monitoring and management since pregnancy can exacerbate them. Your provider checks that the medications you take remain safe for your baby. They can give you tips on proper nutrition, sleep, staying hydrated, and avoiding any unnecessary risk factors. Your exercise may also require some modification. If symptoms appear, such as pain, swelling, rashes, or fainting, an evaluation can address these and determine a cause.
Measuring Baby’s Growth
Your provider measures your uterus to monitor the growth of your baby. They can note the top of your uterus with one end of a measuring tape and the other end from the top of your pubic bone. The size increases along with your sonogram to match the state of the fetus. Several weeks into your prenatal period, the provider can listen for the baby’s heartbeat using a Doppler machine located on your stomach. The technician first finds the uterus and then the heartbeat so that the doctor can confirm that your fetus has a steady heartbeat.
Schedule Your Pregnancy Care Appointment Today
Your provider gives guidance on healthy nutrition and activity during pregnancy, regular monitoring for potential issues, and assistance with managing any existing health conditions. This could involve reviewing your family medical history over the last few generations to identify any possible underlying risk factors for you and your baby. You may want to discuss prenatal vitamins that include iron and folic acid, which could be beneficial for the development of your baby. Schedule your prenatal appointment today to best prepare yourself for delivery.