I'm Pregnant, Now What?
Your first prenatal visit is the most important visit. I mean they ALL are, so don’t try to skip out after the first one. I know how some of us are so don’t try to say Dr. San told me I only had to show up for day one and delivery. I want you to come to all your appointments. I say that your first appointment is your most important because it’s when I can gather the most information that can determine the path of your pregnancy. Is this a 25-year-old with no high-risk medical history or is this a Mature Momma that’s healthy at 40 year old or is this a 35 year old woman who has heart issues and a history of pulmonary embolism? Your past and current medical history determines a lot when it comes to how you will be monitoring during pregnancy. It also determines where you need to safely be delivered or even if I’m appropriate in caring for you. So yes, the first visit is a big deal. It is probably longest visit so be prepared to talk about all the things. On today’s episode, I am going to give you a few tips to make the best of your first prenatal visit.
First you need to make sure you know what type of obstetrical provider you are seeing. Now I just want to take a pause to say that it will only be a few times that I use the word provider to describe physicians, midwives, nurses, doulas, etc. I feel that we all put in a lot of time and sacrifice to earn the titles we have so I don’t want to diminish that by lumping us all together. We all provide different skills that makes your care whole and safe. So yeah, that was my quick TedTalk on why I won’t be using that term too often to describe us.
Know your last menstrual period. This will help you to be scheduled appropriately. Some test are very time sensitive so having a round about time of your last menstrual period will help us.
One thing to expect on your first visit is a full exam. Yes Mommas, you’re expected to disrobe so we can do a full exam. We like to look at you from head to toe and depending on your last pap smear, we may have to do that also. We need to do a breast exam, abdominal exam, and pelvic exam. We get a lot from these exams and on the rare occasion have caught things like breast cancer. It’s not a visit to only talk, but to also fully exam you to see if it changes your management.
Next up bring an advocate with you. It can be your partner, best friend, Momma, Sister, cousin, etc. You want someone that can take in the information with you and give information that you may have forgotten about your medical history or previous pregnancies. Please make sure this is someone that you’re comfortable talking about EVERYTHING in front of.
Bring your medical records from other physicians, especially your specialist. This will help us with the bigger picture and management. Not to mention, save so much time and frustration.
Know your pregnancy history. On your first prenatal visit, be prepared to talk about all of your pregnancies in detail because they can effect how your current pregnancy, labor and delivery are managed
Eat before you come. I just wanted to mention. I just wanted to quickly mention this. Remember, this could be your longest visit. You are getting blood work. You need to be well fed and well hydrated. Your physician or midwife does not want to deal with pregnant Hagatha. If we need fasting labs, which I HIGHLY doubt we would need at your first visit, we will just ask you to come back another day. The last thing we need is a preggo tossing tables because she’s hungry. Oh…that’s just me? Whatever.
Be prepared for blood work.
Bring your questions. Remember, today is a great day to see if the practice is a great fit for you.
Please be honest with us. Honesty will get you the best care and keep you safe and alive. I know you may feel that keeping certain information will guarantee you the pregnancy and delivery you want, but it can also cost you. The more you give us, the more we can protect and help you. We are a team Momma!!
So these are TEN, yes TEN, things to know, expect, and do at your first prenatal visit. On episode 8, I go into more detail with each one of these tips. Make sure you click above or go to your favorite podcast app and tune in.