Your Prenatal Care Appointments

If you're pregnant, especially if it's for the first time, you may be wondering what will happen at your prenatal care appointments with your doctor or midwife. Here's a rundown of everything you can expect at each appointment, including tests and exams.

1

Your First Prenatal Care Appointment

Mixed race nurse taking patient's blood pressure
Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Getty Images

Your first prenatal appointment will probably be your longest one. Here you will give your doctor, midwife, or nurse your complete health and pregnancy history. This information is important because it will give your practitioner a good idea of how healthy you are and what type of problems you are most likely to experience during your pregnancy. You will learn what your estimated due date is as well.

There are many areas that may be checked during your physical exam, including:

  • Blood pressure
  • Blood work
  • Breast exam
  • Pap smear
  • Pelvic exam
  • Pregnancy test
  • Ultrasound (if you're having pain or bleeding or underwent fertility treatments)
  • Urine screen for protein and sugar
  • Weight

You will probably be seen for your first appointment between 8 and 10 weeks gestation, though you may be seen earlier if you're having problems or if it's your doctor or midwife's policy.

2

Your Second Appointment

Your second prenatal appointment usually takes place about a month after your first appointment, unless you're having problems or need specific prenatal testing that is best performed in a specific time range. Here is what will most likely happen during this visit:

  • Blood pressure check
  • Listen to a fetal heartbeat using a Doppler
  • Record your weight
  • Urine screen for sugar and protein

Your baby's first heartbeat can usually be heard with a Doppler between 8 and 12 weeks gestation. If you have trouble hearing the baby's heartbeat, you will probably be asked to wait until your next visit when your baby is a bit bigger. Sometimes an ultrasound will be ordered as well.

Additional Testing

Additional testing may be performed at this appointment as needed. There are some optional tests you, your doctor, or your midwife may request:

Be sure to discuss all of your options regarding these tests, including the risks and benefits, how the test results are given, and whether the test is a screening test or a diagnostic test.

3

Your Third Appointment

Towards the third prenatal visit, you're most likely around 14 to 16 weeks pregnant. You're probably feeling better and the most dangerous part of pregnancy is over. You are now probably feeling more confident in your pregnancy and sharing your good news.

It has been about a month since you've seen the midwife or doctor. Here's what this appointment may look like:

  • Check your blood pressure
  • Listen for baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your abdomen, called "fundal height," to check baby's growth
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

Optional Testing

You may also have the following prenatal testing done if you request it:

  • Amniocentesis (diagnostic test for many genetic diseases)
  • Neural tube defect (NTD)/Down syndrome screening by way of maternal blood work (several tests can be used including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), triple screen, and quad screen)
4

Your Fourth Appointment

You are most likely between 16 to 20 weeks at this point, and it has been about a month since your last appointment. You probably feel like you've grown a lot since your last appointment and you may now be wearing maternity clothes and possibly even feeling your baby move. Here's what this visit may involve:

  • Check your blood pressure
  • Listen for baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

Optional Testing

You may also have a mid-pregnancy ultrasound screening if you request it or if it's your doctor or midwife's policy.

5

Your Fifth Appointment

Between 18 to 22 weeks you'll likely have your fifth prenatal care visit. Here's what this appointment may involve:

  • Check for swelling in your hands and feet
  • Check your blood pressure
  • Listen to the baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein
6

Your Sixth Appointment

Your next prenatal care appointment will likely be between 22 to 26 weeks of pregnancy. You are probably still being seen monthly. Here's what this appointment may look like:

  • Check for swelling in your hands and feet
  • Check your blood pressure
  • Listen to the baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Questions about baby's movements
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein
7

Your Seventh or Eighth Appointment

Between 26 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, you'll likely have another prenatal care appointment. Here's what may happen:

  • Check blood pressure
  • Check for swelling in your hands and feet
  • Listen to the baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Questions about baby's movements
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

Other Testing and Information

You may have other tests or procedures ordered, like the glucose tolerance test (GTT) used to screen for gestational diabetes or the RhoGam, shot around 28 weeks of gestation for women who are Rh-negative. Your doctor or midwife may also give you information on screening for preterm labor on your own.

8

Your Eighth, Ninth Appointments and Beyond

Your next appointment will likely be between 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. In fact, you're likely to have at least two prenatal visits during this period because you're now being seen every other week. Here's what these appointments may involve:

  • Check blood pressure
  • Check for swelling in your hands and feet
  • Listen for baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Palpate to check baby's position (vertex, breech, posterior, etc.)
  • Questions about baby's movements
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

Screening for Group B strep (GBS) will normally be done between weeks 34 to 36. This involves rectal and vaginal swab. You will continue to be seen every other week until about the 36th week of pregnancy. At this point, your visits will likely be fairly routine with very few extra tests being performed.

9

Weekly Visits

Between 36 to 40 weeks of pregnancy, you're usually seen every week. Here's what these visits may entail:

  • Check blood pressure
  • Check for swelling in your hands and feet
  • Listen to the baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Palpate to check baby's position (vertex, breech, posterior, etc.)
  • Questions about baby's movements
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

You will continue to be seen every week until about the 41st week of pregnancy, at which point you may be seen every few days until your baby is born. Your visits are most likely fairly routine, with very few extra tests being performed.

Ultrasound

You may also have an ultrasound to determine what position the baby is in at this point. Your doctor will also try to predict the size of your baby, but this is usually not very accurate. Because of this tendency for inaccuracy, it's not a great idea to have an induction of labor based on the predicted size of your baby.

Home Birth

If you're having a home birth, you may have a home visit during this time frame if your midwife doesn't do her normal prenatal visits there. You will be able to give her a tour of your home and answer questions she may have about where everything is located.

10

Overdue Pregnancy Visits

At 40 or 41 weeks of pregnancy, you may begin to see your midwife or doctor every few days. Here is what these visits may look like:

  • Check your blood pressure
  • Listen for baby's heartbeat
  • Measure your fundal height to check baby's growth
  • Palpate to check baby's position (vertex, breech, posterior, etc.)
  • Questions about baby's movements
  • Record your weight
  • Urine sample to screen for sugar and protein

Optional Testing

Since you are officially past your due date, your midwife or doctor may want to watch you and your baby more carefully until labor begins. This may include the following tests:

These tests will help determine if your practitioner needs to intervene with an induction of labor for the health of your baby or let your pregnancy continue.

3 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What Happens During Prenatal Visits?

  2. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What are some common complications of pregnancy?

  3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy.

Additional Reading

By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.