During the second trimester you will typically see your healthcare provider every four weeks, unless your pregnancy is high risk or complications are identified resulting in more frequent visits.

This is an exciting time in your pregnancy.  You are likely over all the annoying first trimester symptoms like morning sickness and are now just enjoying the calm of the second trimester.  Sometime during the second trimester you will feel your baby move for the first time, it doesn’t get more exciting than that!! Your prenatal visits, provided your pregnancy is low risk will be fairly routine, and not that much different than your visits during the first trimester.

So just what can you expect to happen at those prenatal visits during the second trimester?

• Your doctor or midwife will likely start each visit by reviewing your chart and following up on any issues that were brought up at previous visits.

• A big part of every prenatal visit is determining what changes you have noticed and if any new issues have come up. It is important to tell you healthcare provider about anything you are concerned about or any issues that have come up so they can be addressed.

• At each prenatal visit you will be weighed. Your healthcare provider will want to make sure you are gaining enough weight yet not gaining too much, and that your weigh gain pattern is normal. If you weight gain is off in either direction your doctor will address this with you and give you suggestions on how to keep your weight gain within the normal range.

• Your urine will be screened for indication of a urinary tract infection, protein (which is an indication of preeclampsia), and traces of sugar. The purpose of these screens is to identify potential issues and complications early so they can be addressed.

• At each visit your blood pressure will be taken. Your doctor will compare your blood pressure at each visit to your baseline blood pressure (your blood pressure at your visit prenatal visit) and to the results from your last visit to ensure your blood pressure is normal and that you are not showing signs of pregnancy induced high blood pressure.

• Probably one of most exciting parts of the prenatal visit (for mom and dad anyway) will be listening to the baby’s heartbeat. This will be part of every visit once the heartbeat is heard for the first time around week 10-12.

• Your healthcare provider will also examine your belly. The doctor will feel around to get an idea of the size and position of your uterus. Starting about half way through the pregnancy a tape measure will be used to measure your fundal height (the distance between your pubic bone and the top of your uterus). This is done to ensure that your uterus is growing within the normal range for how far along you are.

• The visit will typically end with an opportunity for you to ask questions, bring up concerns, and discuss what to expect at your next visit.

Of course each doctor and midwife is different so no two visits will be exactly the same. Be sure to ask your doctor any questions you may have, some women find it helpful to write down questions that come up between visits and take those with them. If you have any concerns that cannot wait until your next visit don’t be afraid to call your doctor’s office.