At the Doctor's Office:
First Trimester
Through Week 13
Compiled by The Cradle Staff
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Schedule your first appointment between weeks 8-12. |
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Your blood pressure, weight, and urine will be checked at each visit. |
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Your doctor will discuss any possible tests you may need. |
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Estimated due date is determined. |
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gratulations - you’re pregnant! Now what? Let’s just say that during the next nine months (or so), you’re going to get to know your obstetrician really, really well. Here’s what you can expect…
You'll want to schedule your first appointment with your health practitioner between weeks 8-12 (if you can wait that long!). During the first trimester, you’ll see your doctor every three to four weeks.
If your pregnancy is determined to be higher risk (i.e., you’ve had a difficult previous pregnancy or you have abdominal pain), your doctor may want to schedule earlier and more frequent visits.
YOUR FIRST VISIT
This will be the longest office visit. You can expect to:
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Review your medical history with your doctor. Come prepared with information such as the first day of your last period, any medications you take, and any family history related to genetics or birth defects.
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Possibly be tested for diabetes if you have high blood pressure, you’re an older mother, you previously gave birth to a large baby, or if you’re considerably overweight.
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Have blood drawn for initial lab tests (unless you recently had pre-pregnancy testing) to check for diseases such as syphilis, hepatitis, exposure to the HIV virus, and for immunity to rubella (German measles).
