Pregnant? What to Expect from Your Ob/Gyn

Conception begins a long series of visits to your obstetrician. In a normal pregnancy, you can expect your obstetrician to see you every three or four weeks at first, then increase the frequency of visits as your pregnancy advances, until you begin weekly visits in the last month.

The first 12 weeks of your pregnancy, is known as the first trimester. The next 12 weeks are known as your second trimester and the last 12 weeks are your third trimester. Each trimester, you will face many changes.

On your initial visit, a careful history will be obtained or updated. The initial physical exam will be used to assess your general maternal health, and you should expect initial laboratory tests, vaginal cultures, and a check of the size of your uterus. Initial laboratory tests will check for anemia, immunity to rubella, blood type, and diseases such as syphilis, hepatitis, and exposure to the HIV virus. Routine cultures will be for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and perhaps group B strep, although the strep culture is usually done around 28 weeks. Expect a Pap smear, because no prenatal care is adequate without one.

During the first trimester (conception through week 12), each visit will record the blood pressure, weight, and urine values for sugar (glucose) and protein. Weight becomes important when following a patient with morning sickness.

The second trimester (weeks 12 to 24) is when most pregnant patients feel their best. The miscarriage scare, cramping, and nausea recede. Fundal height and fetal heart tones are recorded each visit, with visit intervals ranging between every two to four weeks, depending on your doctor. Blood pressure, weight, and urine surveillance also continue. You will also, more than likely, receive your ultrasound. This normally takes place at about 20 weeks. This is the time where you can decide if you want to know your baby's sex.

In normal pregnancy, the third trimester is a little longer because there's a variation in lengths of pregnancies, with "term" considered anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks. A due date is just the middle of the bell curve, and your baby will have his or her own clock, so think of if as your due month. The interval between your visits now gets shorter, depending on any special considerations being addressed. Every two to three weeks is the norm for weeks 24 to 36 weeks, then weekly after that.

As you near your due date, a physician or nurse will check your cervix for change-a predictor for how imminent labor is. Some practitioners check as soon as 37 weeks, some not until after the due date. The third trimester is the time most likely to see pregnancy-related complications of pregnancy-induced hypertension, so signs of this are of the utmost importance. Gestational diabetes is screened for at or around 26 weeks. Group B strep cultures are obtained at around 28 weeks.

It may sound like a lot of stuff to go through, and some of it may sound scary. However, it can also be an exciting time for you. When the time arrives, one of the exciting moments is finally hearing your baby's heartbeat. Another favorite, is going in for your ultrasound. Writing your experiences down in a journal is a good way to remember what all you have gone through. It will also be valuable for you down the road when your child is older, and you can pull out your journal, and go through it together.