Timing of Medical Appointments in Canada - Answered

christinanoelle · August 2013

Hello everyone!

I am approximately 9 weeks pregnant for the first time and am located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
I have my first appointment on Tuesday. However, it is just blood tests.

I than have a second appointment on September 17 where they advised me I may be able to hear the heartbeat.

My question for you Canadian moms is when did you all have your appointments?

I am wondering when my first U/S will be as when I called the clinic they told me 20 weeks?! But I find this unusually far away...

Thank you!

kali55 · August 2013

I'm in Alberta and my first appointment with the midwives is at 10 weeks. I had been in to see my family doctor for a routine pap and told her I was pregnant and because of past thyroid issues, she sent me for bloodwork and an u/s right away. The midwives should be offering me an u/s at 12-13 weeks (NT) and again at around 20 weeks.

MapleLeafMama · August 2013

I'm in Ontario and I had an appointment last week to go over blood test results etc and take down my medical history. I am going in at 11 weeks to get set up for the IPS screening, which is an ultrasound and bloodwork to screen for birth defects. You'll go every 4 weeks up until week 28 when you start going every 2 weeks. Then in the last month, every week if I remember correctly.

You'll get your ultrasound at 19/20 weeks.

christinanoelle · August 2013

Thanks everyone! I thought the U/S for birth defects had to be between 11-13 weeks.
When the nurse advised me my first U/S would only be at 20 weeks I was confused.

But perhaps they don't consider the U/S between 11-13 weeks official?

I'm just confused and excited to finally sit down with someone on Tuesday! lol

Thanks for all your answers!!

MapleLeafMama · August 2013

The scan at 11-13 weeks is optional.

alijane01 · August 2013

Hi! I also live in Ontario. I had a doctor's appointment a few days ago at the 5 week mark, but all my GP did was take some urine and refer me to my OB. I'm booked for my first appointment at 12 weeks in the middle of October. It seems so far away right now, and I'm confused about when to tell my parents and in-laws. I was going to wait until my first U/S, but now it sounds like it won't be happening until after my first appointment and I don't know if I can keep the news secret for that long! I'm glad to hear others say that they are waiting for U/S too, because I was worrying that maybe it was unusual. I wish it was going to be sooner though so I could have some reassurance that everything is proceeding okay!

jgreig83 · August 2013

Hello...I am from BC and I was told by my mat doc (also my GP) that I would have to wait until 18 weeks for an ultrasound. I was seen in the office early, and made a Walk in Clinic doc perform a serial HcG two days after my BFP. I had a miscarriage in May and felt that it would ease my mind to know things were at least starting out better. I believe the majority of women who have already had scans and such are those with prior miscarriages or other issues that might affect pregnancy (I had a scan at my OB/GYN earlier this week due to the finding of a 7 cm cyst on my ovary at the time of my MC in May).

Laurelyn2012 · August 2013

I am in BC and had my first doctor appointment at about 6 weeks and I have a dating u/s scheduled for Sept 5th which if I"m correct should put me at just over 9 weeks. I then have another appointment back with my doctor on Sept 15th to go over the bloodwork and dating u/s plus he said he will do another u/s with the machine in his office. I didn't think to ask if that would be for the NT or not or if one will even be offered to me.

chrismarc1492 · August 2013

I work in a family doctors office in Ontario. They way our office works is we see you for your first visit to confirm pregnancy by urine test and get you set up for blood work. If you are unsure of your dates w set up an U/S. We then see you for your full prenatal at 12 weeks. When we refer to an OB some don't want to even book appointments for the future until you are past 8 weeks when there is a lower chance of miscarriage. Most do shared care here where I am so you see your family doc for the first 3 months or so then the OB around 16-20 weeks. I know I don't see many U/S results for our pregnant patients. I see most at the 11-13 week mark for patients choosing to do IPS but not many after that. I did talk to my doctor ( boss) and she just recently had a baby and she said you don't do many U/S during a healthy pregnancy she only had like 3. I have a SCH and am now at 9w 1 d and have had 3 already and a 4th next week. It will be odd not going as often for U/S as I have been.

christinanoelle · August 2013

Lucky+Square Did you need a prescription or form from a doctor to get your first U/S?

I am thinking of also going private as I would prefer doing the optional U/S.

PanamaPineapple · August 2013

London Ontario. My first ultrasound last pregnancy was at 12 weeks but I miscarried. I then had a second M/C so this time around they are doing it at 9 weeks but they said normally the first is done at 12. I have heard other women on this site saying their first is at 20 though. I think every doc may be different.

joyfullyfound · August 2013

I'm in BC, and I'm receiving maternity care from midwives. My first appointment is Sept. 11th, so I'll be 7 weeks, and they'll use a doppler to listen for the heartbeat at that point. Last pregnancy I didn't get an ultrasound until around 22 weeks, I think, but this time I'm unsure of when we conceived, so we'll have a dating ultrasound in the next few weeks.

RayRay007 · August 2013

I think it is usual to have your first appointment b/w 8-12 weeks and every four weeks thereafter until around 26-30 weeks when it becomes every two weeks. It is standard to only get an anatomy scan b/w 18-22 weeks. Dating and NT scans are not standard.

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