How many prenatal examinations do I need?

How many prenatal examinations do I need?

Being expectant means welcoming a new schedule in your life. This may include having regular visits to the clinic. It is during these clinic visits that you will know your expected date of delivery and if you and the baby are fine. You will get more tips on how to keep healthy during this remarkable period of your life.

Prenatal visits

Every woman wants to know how many times she will get to see the doctor. Sometime it will depend on your condition, but the recommended schedule includes:

·         one monthly visit for the first seven months

·         One visit after two weeks between 28 and 36 weeks

·         One weekly visit between the 36 and 40 weeks

Prenatal care is crucial to every pregnant mom. Avoid skipping any of your schedules. Regular tests help the doctor to identify problems early. The condition is, therefore treated before the situation escalates.

Why do I need several visits than the recommended?

Perhaps during your last pregnancy, you had many prenatal visits, and you had several questions in mind. If your doctor did not explain to you, he did that for a reason. The number of visits you have depends on your overall health situation. If you had a health problem before getting pregnant, the doctor might want to see you often. If you also developed complications during your pregnant period, this might also be the cause of the many visits. Another reason is that you need more prenatal examinations to make sure you and the unborn child are okay. The doctor may increase the number of visits if you:

·         Are 35 years and above: If you are over 35 years, you are more at risk of having pregnancy complications as compared to expectant moms below your age. Therefore, the doctor will need to monitor your situation.

·         Previous health issues: If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you are likely to make more visits to the clinic than other expectant moms without a preexisting health condition.

·         You are at risk of premature labor: If you have a past of having premature birth or labor, your doctor will want to watch you closely.

What happens during the visits?

The most important thing is to ensure that you and your not yet born baby are okay. During those visits, your doctor will carry out different prenatal examinations to find out if you have an underlying issue. The appointments will help you have a birth plan because you are aware of your health situation. You will, therefore, plan where you will have your baby and what you want to happen on such day.

Conclusion

Some expectant mothers skip their scheduled prenatal visits. Although this might seem like something easy to do, it is one of the ways of risking the baby and you as well. Regular examinations during prenatal visits help to calm you because you have the assurance that both you and the baby are doing fine. Remember to follow your doctor’s guidelines when exercising.