Youve Gotten A Positive Pregnancy Test Now What
So, youve waited patiently through your two weeks and youve gotten a positive pregnancy test. The first thing youll want to do is call your healthcare provider and book an appointment.
Your first prenatal appointment will be set for about eight weeks out from your last menstrual period so your doctor can confirm your pregnancy with a urine or blood test and do an ultrasound to confirm safe implantation within the uterus. This appointment is also a good time to bring up any questions you have about your pregnancy and it’s often a longer appointment given how much information there is to cover.
Why call your healthcare provider right away if you’re not going in until eight weeks? “Since COVID-19, many practices have adopted a change where that first appointment can be done as early as 5-8 weeks to review your medical history, current symptoms, make sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin, etc. Then this is followed by an in-person visit at 8-11 weeks. An ultrasound may be ordered asynchronously,” explains Dr. Luo. “The reason why I advocate establishing care earlier rather than later is so you have a place to go if symptoms such as bleeding, cramping, sudden abdominal pain, or life-disrupting nausea occur. When established with a practice early, they can help you through these symptoms rather than sending you to the emergency department.”
Recommended Schedule For A Healthy Pregnancy
For a healthy pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you on the following recommended schedule of prenatal visits:
- Weeks 4 to 28: 1 prenatal visit a month
- Weeks 28 to 36: 1 prenatal visit every 2 weeks
- Weeks 36 to 40: 1 prenatal visit every week
If you’re pregnant with twins, your doctor will suggest more frequent prenatal visits. You may also need extra tests between visits, such as ultrasounds to check on each babyâs growth and amount of amniotic fluid.
Be sure to stick to the schedule that your doctor suggests — even if life gets hectic. Prenatal care is important for both your health and your baby’s health. In fact, when a mother doesn’t get prenatal care, their baby is three times more likely to have a low birth weight. When your doctor checks you regularly, they can spot problems early and treat them so that you can have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Ask The Part Of You Who Is Holding Pain ‘what Do You Need Right Now To Feel Better’
Speaking of friends if you’re looking to connect with other people who are dealing with their own two-week waits, we have a dedicated channel in the Modern Community called the TWW Lounge. Create your account for free and dive right into conversations with people who know exactly what you’re going through.
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Risk Factors That May Require More Visits
The recommended schedule isn’t set in stone. Your doctor will decide how often to see you based on your individual health picture. They will want to see you more often if you had any health problems before you became pregnant or if problems develop during your pregnancy. You also may need additional tests to ensure that you and your baby stay healthy.
If you have any of these risk factors, your doctor may increase the number of your prenatal visits:
- Being age 35 and older. Fortunately, most women in their late 30s and early 40s will give birth to strong, healthy babies. But after age 35, you have an increased chance of having a baby born with a birth defect. You also have a higher risk for complications during pregnancy.
- Pre-existing health problems. If you have a history of diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor will probably want to see you more often. Your doctor will work with you to closely manage these health conditions so they don’t affect your pregnancy or your baby’s health. Other health problems such as asthma, lupus, anemia, or obesity may also require more visits.
- Risk of preterm labor. If you have a history of preterm labor or a premature birth, or if you start showing signs of preterm labor, your doctor will want to monitor you more closely.
Seeing your doctor for regular prenatal care can help put your mind at ease. You’ll know that you’re doing all you can to have a healthy baby and safe pregnancy.
Protect Your Babys Health
Even if youre feeling well and your pregnancy is free of complications, regular prenatal visits can make a difference in supporting a smooth birth and healthy baby.
If you go through pregnancy without appropriate prenatal care, your baby has a risk of low birth weight thats three times higher than babies born to mothers who received prenatal care. Without prenatal care, your baby is also five times more likely to die than a baby whose mother was routinely monitored during pregnancy.
Premature birth before the 37th week of pregnancy and fetal growth restriction, which prevents a baby from gaining adequate weight in the womb, are the two most common causes of low birth weight.
At recommended prenatal visits, we monitor your babys growth to identify the risk of low birth weight and reduce the possibility of these complications.
Prenatal visits also allow us the opportunity to observe your body for signs of conditions like gestational diabetes, anemia, or high blood pressure, all of which could damage your health and the health of your baby.
Give your baby the best possible start. Contact our Chicago or Northbrook, Illinois, office today to schedule an appointment.
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Gestational Diabetes And Anemia: Between 26 To 28 Weeks
Diet and exercise can reduce your risk of gestational diabetes. However, some women still develop gestational diabetes for reasons that doctors do not fully understand. If you develop gestational diabetes, your doctor may recommend treatments ranging from diet adjustments to insulin injections. See this helpful Mayo Clinic guide for more information.
Anemia, or a lack of healthy red blood cells, often develops during pregnancy as your blood volume increases. This deficiency can usually be remedied with iron supplements or vitamins. See this American Pregnancy Association guide for more information.
Antenatal And Maternity Care Appointments
Your appointments may be changed by your GP or maternity unit or hospital depending on your situation.
Youll have more appointments if youre diagnosed with a pregnancy-related condition like high blood pressure or gestational diabetes or if you are pregnant with twins or multiple babies. These appointments will be with your GP, hospital or both. Additional appointments for pregnancy-related conditions are covered by the Maternity and Infant Care scheme.
The scheme does not cover appointments for illnesses that are not related to your pregnancy.
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Lab Tests And Ultrasounds
A few weeks before your due date, your provider will perform the test that checks for group B strep infection on the perineum. There are no other routine lab tests or ultrasounds for every pregnant woman in the third trimester. Certain lab tests and tests to monitor the baby may be done for women who:
- Have a high-risk pregnancy, such as when the baby is not growing
- Have a health problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- Have had problems in a prior pregnancy
- Are overdue
A Beautiful Pregnancy And Beautiful Skin
Throughout these nine months, your prenatal visits are special moments of checking on your sweet little baby. Its exciting to see your belly grow with each visit! But that also means possible stretch marks.
The good news is that Mustela offers a line of prenatal products, including our Stretch Marks Cream and Bust Firming Serum, to soothe and hydrate your skin while you manage the busyness of your prenatal visit schedule.
Let Mustela help you start your beautiful pregnancy with beautiful skin!
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Prenatal Visit Schedule: First Trimester
This is such an exciting time in your life! When you saw the positive pregnancy test, you were probably four to six weeks pregnant, so go ahead and call your doctor to schedule your first appointment.
During the first trimester, you will have your initial prenatal visit, and then your doctor will schedule your visits every four weeks or once a month.
Check with the doctor or staff for a printout of your prenatal visit schedule.
How Often Will I Have Prenatal Care Visits
How often youll get prenatal care depends on how far along your pregnancy is and how high your risk is for complications. The typical prenatal care schedule for someone whos 18-35 years old and healthy is:
-
Every 4 or 6 weeks for the first 32 weeks
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Every 2 or 3 weeks for the 32nd-37th weeks
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Every week from the 37th week until delivery
Your doctor might ask you to come in for check-ups more often if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
For free, personalized reminders for prenatal appointments and information about pregnancy and parenting, check out Text 4 Baby.
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Who Will I Work With At My First Prenatal Appointment
Patients can choose which type of provider they would like to start working with for this first appointment a Certified Nurse Midwife, OB/GYN, or a family medicine physicianspecialized in obstetrics.
Midwives are registered nurses with an advanced degree in midwifery. Our midwives offer continuous, holistic support during pregnancy and birth. They specialize in medication-free labor support for low-risk pregnancies. However, they are also able to offer pain medication and collaborate closely with OB/GYNs to address any complications that arise.
OB/GYNs provide prenatal care for both low- and high-risk pregnancies, including caesarean sections. Family practice physicians care for patients of all ages, and some are also trained to provide prenatal and delivery care. Some also do cesarean births and manage high-risk pregnancies. We also offer a shared care model, where patients work with their family medicine physician for prenatal care and then an OB/GYN or midwife delivers the baby.
Patients who would like to work with a Certified Nurse Midwife for prenatal care as well may meet with the midwife as early as eight weeks after the first day of their last period and may not have an initial phone visit with a nurse this varies by location.
Understand What To Expect
After your first appointment, your prenatal visits include a physical exam and tests specific to your medical condition and stage of pregnancy. As you progress through your pregnancy, your visits may change to monitor specific medical conditions or physical changes affecting you or your baby.
A typical prenatal visit includes:
- Measurement of your weight and blood pressure
- Urine test for signs of complications including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and urinary tract infections
- Measurement of your abdomen to chart your babys growth
- Doppler ultrasound to monitor your babys heart rate
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Group Beta Strep: Between 35 To 37 Weeks
According to the American Pregnancy Association, 25% of all healthy, adult women test positive for the Group B streptococcus bacteria. Although this is not usually a threat to their health, it can be passed to the baby during delivery and put the baby at risk. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to protect your baby.
Appointments With Your Gp
Confirming your pregnancy with your GP – HSE mychild.ie
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If you register for the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme, your first appointment is with your GP.
You will see your GP at least 5 times during your pregnancy.
Youll receive similar free appointments if you have private care and have signed up for the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme.
Your GP will do antenatal checks and give you information on how to have a healthy pregnancy. They might discuss folic acid, exercise, healthy eating and vaccines with you.
Your GP will offer you a flu vaccine during one of your appointments. The flu season begins in October and finishes at the end of April. You may be charged for the administration of the flu vaccine if you don’t have a medical card.
Your GP will also offer you a vaccination to protect your baby from whooping cough between 16 to 36 weeks. This is available free of charge.
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Common Topics To Discuss With Your Health Care Provider
There are a number of tests and screenings that your health care provider can do during your pregnancy. The tests help to identify any risks factors or concerns. Some are recommended for all pregnant women, while others depend on your health history or pregnancy.
The decision to have testing and take action on the results is a personal decision for each pregnant woman. Talking to your health care provider is an important part of the decision making process.
It is important to ask questions about every test being done. Before your visit, you may want to write down your questions.
Immunizations strengthen your immune system so that your body can fight off serious infectious diseases. Some immunizations are safe in pregnancy and others are not. Your health care provider will recommend which immunizations to receive during pregnancy. It may be best to receive some immunizations after the birth of your baby.
An infection is a normal part of life and is caused by bacteria or viruses that invade our body. However, infections in pregnancy may cause problems for the growth of your baby. Sometimes infections can cause preterm labour.
Regular prenatal care from your health care provider will help identify any signs and symptoms of infections. Early treatment may prevent or reduce complications from infections.
Infectious diseases can include:
Prenatal Visit Schedule: What To Expect During Each Appointment
Prenatal care is an important part of a healthy pregnancy and allows your doctor to regularly monitor you and your baby. But what should you expect when it comes to your prenatal visit schedule?
Basically, youll visit your doctor once a month at the beginning of your pregnancy and then once a week at the end of your pregnancy. That said, its important to schedule your first prenatal visit as soon as you see a positive pregnancy test!
In this article, the experts at Mustela discuss how your prenatal visit schedule will most likely look and what to expect during each appointment.
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Questions To Ask During Prenatal Appointments
In addition to asking about all the changes your body is going through, what to expect each month and during labor and delivery, you should also feel free to share any concerns you have with your doctor or midwife. If something hurts, itches, nags or worries you in any way, bring it up at your next appointment .
And if youre having your baby in a hospital, dont wait until the very end of your pregnancy to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the institution where your doctor practices. For example, some hospitals are not well-equipped to handle very premature infants, so if youre at risk for this outcome, this type of medical facility may not be ideal.
Honesty is also critical when youre asking and answering questions during your prenatal appointments. Dont be reluctant to bring up any stress, depression or anxiety youre feeling, or to admit to drug or alcohol use, as this information is vital for the doctor to know and for the healthiest outcomes for you and your child.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
- What to Expect When Youre Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
What To Expect During Your 20
Sometime around your 20-week appointment, your doctor will schedule an ultrasound to determine the gender of your baby! During this sonogram, your sonographer will take a look at:
- Babys size and all their major organs
- Amniotic fluid
- Location of placenta
Your sonographer passes this information to your doctor to give them a clear picture of the overall health of your baby and your pregnancy.
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Who Can You Go To For Prenatal Care
You can get prenatal care from different kinds of providers:
- An obstetrician/gynecologist is a doctor who has education and training to take care of pregnant women and deliver babies. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists can help you find an OB in your area.
- A family practice doctor is a doctor who can take care of every member of your family. This doctor can take care of you before, during and after pregnancy. The American Board of Family Medicine can help you find a family practice doctor in your area.
- A maternal-fetal medicine specialist is an OB with education and training to take care of women who have high-risk pregnancies. If you have health conditions that may cause problems during pregnancy, your provider may want you to see a MFM specialist. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine can help you find a specialist in your area.
- A certified nurse-midwife is a nurse with education and training to take care of women of all ages, including pregnant women. The American College of Nurse-Midwives can help you find a CNM in your area.
- A family nurse practitioner or a womens health nurse practitioner . A FNP is a nurse with education and training to take care of every member of your family. A WHNP is a nurse with education and training to take care of women of all ages, including pregnant women. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners can help you find these kinds of nurse practitioners in your area.
