What have your monthly pregnancy visits entailed?

kmb21416 · February 2016

I am 17 weeks and have been to the doctor 4 times now (6, 10, 13 and 17 weeks). She has not done an ultrasounds since 10 weeks. Each time all they do is take a urine sample, ask how I am feeling and find the baby's heart rate on the doppler. I'm not feeling any movement and you can't even tell that I'm pregnant yet so how do I know he is actually growing in there? Has anyone else had different experiences from their monthly appointments for a low risk pregnancy?

yogahh · February 2016

Mine consist of asking me how I am and checking HB. Thats it. I think that is standard.

alohasoprano · February 2016

Sounds about right. My doc doesn't take a urine sample (and neither did my previous doc when I was pregnant with DS), although I think many doctors do. It sounds like your appointments are pretty standard. Frequent ultrasounds, without medical reason, aren't typically done. In low-risk pregnancies I think the initial ultrasound at the first appointment (or at 10 weeks in your case) and then the A/S are the only ones scheduled unless more are found to be needed.

After about 20 weeks your doc will typically start to measure your belly to check for regular growth. They'll continue to check the heart beat. Once you hit 3rd trimester you'll have more frequent appointments and when you get closer to the end they'll check to see if you've started dilating (I think they start around 35 weeks if I remember correctly).

The fact that your appointments are uneventful is a great sign

I had some spotting and had to have an extra ultrasound to check viability and it was the terrifying. Everything turned out to be fine, but I'm glad now that my appointments are a quick heartbeat and blood pressure check and then done. Means everything is going fine. You'll start feeling baby move soon and that will help you feel more at ease. Hang in there.

kyraaD · February 2016

sounds exactly like mine. they check my weight, BP, measure my belly, & check baby's HR via doppler. I've only recieved 2 ultrasounds; my 12 week NT scan & 20 week A/S. they're going to do a very brief US to make sure baby is head down at my next appointment (36 weeks).

if you're a FTM, you wont show/feel baby move for probably a few more weeks still. I personally started showing in the 18-19 week mark, but a lot of other FTM's dont start showing until mid-late 2nd Tri. i also didnt really feel any movement until around 20 weeks or so. if you have an anterior placenta (like me), you wont feel movement until a bit later than women who dont have anterior placenta's.

mmmmkay · February 2016

same here. peeing in a cup. quick chat with OB. quick check on doppler for heartbeat. I'm 23 weeks along and it's the same.

next time i think they will send me to the lab to check on Gestational Diabetes.

I was surprised. I thought there was more! apparently it is SO EASY to be an OB

goldie987 · February 2016

Mine are the same. I had a viability sonogram at 7 weeks, blood work done at 10 along with a Doppler check, NT scan at 12, more blood work at 16 (sequential screen) and a Doppler check again, anatomy scan at 20, I'll do the glucose screen a few days after 24 and that's as far as I've got planned out. Other than one event like that at each appointment, all they've done is check my blood pressure and weight and ask if I have any questions. Kind of annoying to have to be there for what amounts to a 10 minutes tops appointment but its nice to know everything is still going well.

cMichelle0423 · February 2016

That all sounds pretty standard.

SweetMamaJune · February 2016

I see a midwife, so my appointments are about 90 minutes long and include belly measuring, weight, baby's heart rate, my heart rate, BP, pee check & a long talk about whatever is going on with me. I feel like this is a good value, although I'm surprised at how I haven't yet been asked to disrobe for anything! (Not s complaint!)

I had a US at 12 and a/s at 20. If you're worried about growth, ask them to start measuring- it was so reassuring and we started doing that at the 17 week mark.

flowerpower5838 · February 2016

Your care sounds very standard. You'll likely have an anatomy scan around 20 weeks and it's very possible you won't have another ultrasound after that. From my experience and what I've seen here, unless there is a reason, doctors don't generally make orders for an US. I REALLY want to see baby again, but I kind of take it as good news that there hasn't been a reason to.

In addition to urine samples, getting weighed and a blood pressure at every appointment, I also had blood drawn until about 28 weeks or so but those have stopped. With the doctor, it's usually a 5-10 minute appointment that consists of her checking my fundal height, using the Doppler to check baby's heart rate and us having a little discussion based on her having things to tell me, my questions, etc.

Also in the next month or two you'll likely have to take the 1-hour glucose tolerance test. It just consists of some variation of them taking a beta blood draw, drinking a sugary drink and then taking an additional draw after the hour to see how your body is processing glucose. If you fail that, you'll likely have a 3 hour test. This all is to see if you have gestational diabetes.

At 36 weeks I'll get the TDAP vaccine, but I think that can come as early as 28 weeks.

Hmmmm other than that, I can't think of anything.

fourtsixand2 · February 2016

Weight check, urine sample, blood pressure check, heartbeat check, and asking how I'm doing or if I have any concerns. I have one more appointment just like that before I start going every week. I was told once we hit the home stretch (34+ weeks) we'll start doing cervical checks along with the above mentioned things.

Jules08 · February 2016

That's pretty normal.

I am high risk (pre-e with my first, signs of it with this one - no diagnosis yet), so my only difference has been intermittent BP checks

8 weeks: 1 hr apt, transvag US, talk to OB in her office, pee in a cup, blood work, BP & weight check
10 weeks: BP check
12 weeks: PIAC, BP & weight check, Doppler (portable US because OB couldn't locate baby / HB), Q&A with OB
14 weeks: BP check
16 weeks: PIAC, BP & weight check, Doppler, Q&A with OB
18 weeks: BP check
20 weeks: PIAC, BP & weight check, AS, fundal height measurement, Q&A with OB
24 weeks: AS #2 (couldn't see the spine the first time), PIAC, BP & weight check, fundal height, Q&A with OB
26 weeks: BP check
28 weeks: PIAC, BP & weight check, fundal height, Doppler, TDAP, Q&A with OB
30 weeks: PIAC, BP & weight check, fundal height, Doppler, Q&A with OB

I will go at 32, 34, 36, and then weekly until DD is born. (UNLESS my BP doesn't stay controlled or I show more signs of pre-e. Then my appointments will increase to upwards of 3 times a week where we will add NSTs and USs to check on baby.) Assuming that I don't have the extra monitoring this time, she may do one more US between 34 and 38 weeks to check on baby and then possibly internal exams near the end.

PugsandKisses · February 2016

Yours sounds abut right for a low risk pregnancy. They aren't very exciting but are very important.

GinnyJ2012 · February 2016

Sounds standard. It's hard those first few months until baby starts to move. As a FTM you may not feel baby until 24 weeks. My appointments last about 10 minutes and they check: weight, urine, BP, baby's HB, and have a Q&A. I have ultrasounds at 8 weeks for dating, 12 for NT scan, and 20 for anatomy scan. Blood work is done at the beginning for a baseline then any optional that I request (AFP and such). Around 36 weeks they'll do a GBS test. Cervical checks are done on request only.

taysun · February 2016

That sounds standard. With DD I didn't receive an ultrasound until 20 weeks because I started out low risk. FTMs usually show later and take longer to feel movement.
Its rough when you want to see your baby, but not having extra ultrasounds is a good thing.

thycapa · February 2016

I'm high risk and get monthly Ultrasounds at the perinatal unit, but those appointments are separate from my monthly appointments, at which time they take a urine, my weight, and listen for the HB. My US from perinatal are also discussed at that time if there is something to talk about, but all in all they are usually fairly quick appointments.

PhoebeJune1984 · February 2016

I will be 17 weeks on Sunday, and my appointments went as follows:

1st appointment: weight check, vitals, pap (because I needed one around the time I got pregnant), breast exam and a abdominal ultrasound. I was 11w3d.
2nd appointment: Not even an "appointment", I stopped by the lab and gave blood for 1st Tri screenings. Also peed in a cup. I was 12w3d.
3rd appointment: Weight check, vitals, schedule next appointment, listen to heartbeat, discuss 3rd Tri appointments (because I have two OB's at two locations, we discussed that I would stick with the OB at the hospital I will deliver, when I hit 3rd Tri). I was 15w2d.
4th appointment: Another non-"appointment", I stopped but the lab and gave blood for 2nd Tri screening. Didn't need to pee in a cup. I was 15w3d.

My next appointment isn't until 3/2 (I will be 19w3d) and it will be the anatomy scan with the ultrasound tech. My next appointment with my OB isn't until the 23rd (I will be 22w3d). So I was 11w3d at my first OB appointment, 15w2d at my second OB appointment, and will be 22w3d for my third OB appointment.

ETA: I am a low risk 2nd time mom, and as a low risk first time mom, I had my first appointment at 8w, then again at 9w, then at 10w, and then every 4 weeks after that. There was a screw up with the portable ultrasound machine, so that is why I went in three times in a row, and each of those times I had an ultrasound. With this pregnancy, I have an at home doppler, and I check baby once a week....so I am not worried about the 7 week gap between my 2nd OB appointment and my 3rd. If there were any symptoms or indications that something is off, or if I was high risk, then I would want my appointments more regular.

wifehorner · April 2016

I have only been to 3 doctor visits so far(6,10, and 17 weeks) since my first one they have done ultrasounds. With my second ultrasound they told me from now on every time I come in I have to have an ultrasound done because my Lil ones heartbeat is really irregular and has fluid in the abdomen area. So they have to check for these every time I go. Scary. But hopefully the doc in Jackson can tell us what's really going on and if the baby will be ok

PugsandKisses · April 2016

Zombie thread, almost 2 months old.

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