A typical pregnant woman can expect to see her prenatal care provider 10-15 times during pregnancy. The usual course of visits includes one visit every 4 weeks for the first two trimesters, than one visit every two weeks until the 36th week of pregnancy, and finally one visit a week until the birth of your baby. Of course this course of treatment will be different depending on the special circumstances of your pregnancy, especially if your pregnancy is considered high risk.

Leading up to each prenatal visit you should be sure to keep track of the questions you have for the doctor, symptoms you have been experiencing, and anything else you want to talk to your doctor about. Keeping a list of your questions and symptoms will help ensure you don’t forget to address something while you are at the visit. Of course if you have concerns between appointments that you want addressed right away you should call your doctor’s office.

Each prenatal visit will include a discussion of how you are feeling, a time to address your questions and concerns, your weight will be measured, your blood pressure taken, and a urine sample obtained for screening. Some visits will be longer than others depending on what needs to be done at that particular stage of your pregnancy, like blood tests or ultrasounds. Your doctor should be able to tell you at each visit what you can expect at the next visit and if there is anything special you need to do to prepare for that visit.

As with anything else each pregnancy is different, each provider is different, and thus each prenatal visit is different. Some doctors and midwives will take more time to talk with you about your pregnancy, others will be in and out within minutes. Since you will see your prenatal care provider so many times before the end of your pregnancy, and will have a very close relationship with this person you should be sure to pick a doctor or midwife that meets your needs and that you get along well with. For more tips on how to pick a prenatal care provider see my article, Choosing the Right Prenatal Caregiver.

Be sure if you have questions about your prenatal care, issues you are having with your pregnancy, or concerns be sure to talk with your doctor or midwife.