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.
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.
