Prenatal care refers to medical care provided by an OB/GYN to a pregnant woman and her unborn baby during pregnancy. It begins right after you find out you are pregnant. Prenatal care is dispensed during scheduled visits throughout your pregnancy and involves your physician keeping track of your health and symptoms as well as checking in on the development of the baby.
Here is what to expect during prenatal care.
First Prenatal Care Visit
The first prenatal visit should be arranged the moment you find out you are pregnant. This is especially true if you have a history of miscarriages or may have a high-risk pregnancy.
During the first prenatal visit, your doctor will perform a complete physical examination and record your height and weight, take your blood pressure, ask that you undergo blood and urine tests, conduct an ultrasound, and review your medical history. Your doctor may take additional tests for chromosomal problems, hepatitis B, HPV, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, depending on your medical history, and schedule immunization shots, if necessary. Most doctors will prescribe prenatal vitamins as soon as possible and check the current medications you are on to ensure you only take safe and necessary ones while pregnant. If you have any questions about what to expect during your pregnancy, this is the time to ask.
It is during the first visit that your doctor will calculate your expected due date based on your last menstrual cycle, and will monitor your pregnancy based on what’s normal for the month you are in. If your doctor determines that you have a high-risk pregnancy, you can expect more frequent prenatal visits. However, for normal pregnancies, you can expect to attend prenatal appointments once every month until the 28th week, once every other week until the 36th week, and finally, once every week from until the due date.
The Following Prenatal Visits
Every prenatal visit after the first one will include the following:
● Checking your weight
● Measuring your belly
● Checking your blood pressure
● Performing a blood test
● Performing a urine test
● Checking for swelling
● Listening to the baby’s heartbeat in the 10th week via a Doppler
Second and third-trimester prenatal visits may include:
● An ultrasound of your baby
● Screening for group B streptococcus (GBS)
● Amniocentesis
● Triple screen testing
● One-hour glucose tolerance testing
As you near your due date, the doctor will check the position of the baby and perform manipulations to position the baby in a headfirst position. It is also at this time when the possibility of scheduling a C-section delivery will be determined.
OBGYN in Syracuse, New York
The expert physicians at University OB/GYN Associates provide comprehensive prenatal care for pregnant women. Our team consists of obstetricians, maternal and fetal medicine specialists, and midwives. We are highly-experienced in the care of women who are going through high-risk pregnancies.
From prenatal care to labor to post-partum care, we are here to support you. To schedule your prenatal visit call (315) 464-5162. We have several locations in Syracuse from which to serve you.
