Prenatal visits

tangelic3 · October 2015

soo have an OBGYN I think she's sweet I like her everything goes well. But my appointments so far have seemed so bland, I go in, I pee for them, I see my doctor for a minute and a half before she leaves and gets my paperwork comes in ask me if I have any questions and then that's it. Is this normal? Im 24 weeks and 6 days. I just feel like there should be more going on, more communication, this is my first child and I don't know what I need to know at this point.

Cricket99 · October 2015

I am 23w5d and this is what mine are like too. If you are low risk the appointments are fairly boring. My midwife answers any questions I may have, takes my blood pressure, tells me what labs I need next, checks baby's heartbeat, and sends me on my way. If your appointments are short and sweet and you aren't having any weird problems it's a good thing

it took me a few appointments to feel comfortable with the shortness, but I know that if something were wrong, I would be spending more time there. If you want some more information about the birthing process and what is normal during pregnancy find a class in your area. I took one yesterday and it was so informative! I got so much information that I'm still processing it all.

willashbaby · October 2015

This is what mine are like. Weight, pee, blood pressure, doppler, goodbye. I think they'll get a little more specific going forward as we actually enter the third trimesters. I plan on brinning it up at my next appointment.

samara267 · October 2015

that's what mine were like when I was seeing a very medical midwife in a busy hospital practice. I hated it. It's part of the reason I switched to a homebirth midwife. I now have 1 hour blocked out for my appointments. It's so much nicer.

meganleakraus · October 2015

That's exactly how my appointments go! It seems like such a waste of time especially since I have to drive 40minutes to get there...Finally, at this last appointment, he measured my belly! I got excited!!! Haha

Mommyduclos · October 2015

Yeah most of the appointments are like 10 min- totally normal. If you have questions then ask but they are monitoring you for signs of GD and pre eclampsia with your urine, weight, and BP check, they Doppler to check in with baby as well as measure your fundal height after a certain point. A few appointments you may have other labs and at the very very end you will get GBS and cervical checks if you choose too but that's about it!

mom2be2016 · October 2015

Yes mine are like this too, very uneventful (which is probably a good sign)... But I'm sure as we get closer to the due date there will be more to the appointments (or so I've been told).

sexyleslie01 · October 2015

If I intend to have my tubes tied after delivery, do I need to talk to my doctor about it on my next visit?

kodariah · October 2015

Yep, I was saying the same thing to my DH the other day, he works out of town and feels bad about missing all my appointments. He's not missing much though.. I do get my blood drawn everytime too because of other health problems, but I drive the 40 min for my 15 min at the doctor. I love getting to hear his heart though so I don't mind

jrouge12 · October 2015

Sounds like mine too. Although last time I got yelled at because I wasn't planning on taking a birthing class (DH and I are now signed up).

ChrissyD1203 · October 2015

Mine are like that too!

anightintunisia · October 2015

That's why I cancelled all my parental appointments. I don't need to go travel 30 minutes so I can sit for five minutes just for them to ask me if I have any questions.

ashs88 · October 2015

@anightintunisia I would definitely reconsider cancelling your prenatal appointments. Even though they are quick and it doesn't seem like they are doing much, there is a reason we are supposed to have regular check ups. At the very least they are checking your urine, the baby's heartbeat, your blood pressure, and by now should also be measuring your belly. All of the information they get from this is to make sure you and baby are healthy and progressing normally. They do also periodically have to do additional things, like I have my glucose test at my next appointment. I don't want to seem like I'm lecturing you or anything, but prenatal care is important for your baby and if anything did happen to go wrong I would think you'd want your doctor to catch it as soon as possible.

shrsri · October 2015

I'm really sorry to digress from the topic - I had a quick question. Am I reading right or do all of you say that you pee in every appointment - as in they collect & test your urine every appointment?

I have never done been asked to give a urine sample except in my very first appointment way back in May and once while doing the glucose test? What is this exactly for?

I get my pressure and weight checked along with a doppler every appt. though...

nlwz123 · October 2015

I agree with @ashs88, although it may seem pointless to you, the urinalysis, blood pressure checks, measuring, etc. is actually important and they do it for a reason. Going to these appointments can let you and your doctor know if you are at risk for things like preeclampsia and shouldn't be ignored.

mamaksweez · October 2015

@shrsri yes, they take a urine sample at every apt.

STM here and this is pretty much what all of your apts will be like. The glucose test one is different, and around now 24-28wks they start measuring your belly, eventually like 32 or more weeks (I can't for sure remember) they'll check to see if you are dilated, etc.

But they are important! Even though they seem basic, they are checking all of these things for a reason.

boone1991 · October 2015

@shrsri I am 26+3 FTM and I am in the same boat. They took a urine sample at my first appointment and recently when I did my glucose test and that's the only time they took it. My husband is in the military so we are going to a military hospital so I don't know if they do things differently or not. I see a different doctor every time I go and my appointments are every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. It's concerning but I am not high risk so I guess it's normal.

ChrissyD1203 · October 2015

@shrsri I could be wrong but I think they check the urine for protein, blood and sugar. @anightintunisia I didn't mean to support anyone not going to prenatal appointments. Thankfully all of mine have been good so far but for a bunch of my friends those 5 minutes of tests/observation have been incredibly important for their health and the health of the baby. They all your practitioner to spot problems promptly and then act accordingly.

anightintunisia · October 2015

ashs88 said:
@anightintunisia I would definitely reconsider cancelling your prenatal appointments. Even though they are quick and it doesn't seem like they are doing much, there is a reason we are supposed to have regular check ups. At the very least they are checking your urine, the baby's heartbeat, your blood pressure, and by now should also be measuring your belly. All of the information they get from this is to make sure you and baby are healthy and progressing normally. They do also periodically have to do additional things, like I have my glucose test at my next appointment. I don't want to seem like I'm lecturing you or anything, but prenatal care is important for your baby and if anything did happen to go wrong I would think you'd want your doctor to catch it as soon as possible.

I understand. I actually work an hour and a half away from my doctor appointments. I live 35 minutes away and by the time I finish work the offices are closed. So I guess it's bad but I put work over my appointments. If I get too worried I go to urgent care since it's open later and they do the usually tests that happen at the appointments. I'm 23*4 and I read on here that I'm due for a glucose test. Unless it can be done at urgent care I won't be able to miss work for it sadly.

jrouge12 · October 2015

@anightintunisia I don't want to judge, I know everyone had a different financial situation but prenatal appointments are important. Even if they are only 5 minutes. There is a reason why the mortality rate has dropped for women giving birth over the last 150 years and that is preventative care. It might be inconvenient, but it could catch something serious early on and save you and/ or your baby.

UptownPearl · October 2015

@shrsri I only did a urine sample at my first appointment and my anatomy scan. A standard appointment for me is weight, blood pressure, Doppler check, and stomach measurement.

anightintunisia · October 2015

@jrouge12 it is financial and also I am a caregiver and the only option for the people I take care of so its very difficult to take off. I was missing appointments because I couldn't just take off work so I ended up canceling them. I feel guilty but I have to work I just try my best to take care of my body. I run two miles twice to three times a week at night at the gym when I can and I am a vegetarian so I eat fairly healthy. That's the most I can do because an hour and thirty minutes from work to the doctor isn't possible for me to do right now :-S

claireloSC · October 2015

shrsri said:

I'm really sorry to digress from the topic - I had a quick question. Am I reading right or do all of you say that you pee in every appointment - as in they collect & test your urine every appointment?

I have never done been asked to give a urine sample except in my very first appointment way back in May and once while doing the glucose test? What is this exactly for?

I get my pressure and weight checked along with a doppler every appt. though...

My urine doesn't get tested either, but I trust my doctor and I think it's fine. I think if you're low risk it's probably no biggie? I have an appointment on Wed though so maybe I'll check with her. She does measure my belly at appointments though and I get my blood pressure and weight checked every time.

Lljbean · October 2015

@Shrisri. I had my initial urine test at my first appointment and then none the rest of the time. At my last appt, they told me that starting at my next appt they will do regular urine testing since it is getting closer to birth. Every place is different, I guess.

maureenmce · October 2015

My appointments at the beginning were longer because I'm a FTM and high risk, so my OB was laying out how the pregnancy would go, things to watch out for and that my 20 week anatomy scan would be done by a high risk specialist. Also, I got a lot of ultrasounds at the beginning (8, 10, 12, 16 and 20.) However, now that I'm past 20 weeks my appointments have gotten very short. It's basically weight, urine sample, blood pressure, then I chat with my dr for about 5 minutes re: how I'm feeling and what the next appointment will entail. I think as PP said, short and sweet is good! However, my dr always makes time if I have questions. OP - do you have any questions that you feel are being unanswered? If so, that's the only problem I'd see with short appointments.

@shrsri I do urine sample, blood pressure and weight at every appointment. Though I suppose every OB is different, at mine they want to monitor the sugar and protein in your urine, from my understanding, to check for warning signs re: preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

BabyBump2 · October 2015

boone1991 said:
@shrsri I am 26+3 FTM and I am in the same boat. They took a urine sample at my first appointment and recently when I did my glucose test and that's the only time they took it. My husband is in the military so we are going to a military hospital so I don't know if they do things differently or not. I see a different doctor every time I go and my appointments are every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. It's concerning but I am not high risk so I guess it's normal.

I'm pretty sure that's how they do that. Because I am active duty and they've only had me pee once. But you know you can request to see the same doctor every time..

MrsReese28 · October 2015

Mine are short too but if I have any questions, he will always stop to answer them. Although soon enough we will all be sick of going to doctor's appointments!

shrsri · October 2015

Thank you for clearing that up

I guess every OB does it differently...

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