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Home › Articles › Early Pregnancy › Prenatal Doctor Visits

Prenatal Doctor Visits

What to Expect During Office Exams from Conception to Delivery

By Renee Roberson

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"My least favorite test is the triple screen," says Melissa McDonald, a mom from Houston, Texas. "I had a false positive, and it was really hard. Once the test comes back positive you have to wait to get an advanced ultrasound, and then possibly an amniocentesis. It can be really hard on the mom."

Around the seventh month, your practitioner will perform a vaginal swab to check for Group B Streptococcus (GBS). GBS is a bacteria that many women carry in their vagina without having any symptoms, but it can pose a serious risk if a baby is delivered vaginally. If you do have the bacteria present, you'll be given antibiotics through an IV during labor. If the baby is delivered via C-section, no further action will be necessary since the baby will not be traveling through the birth canal, Dr. Jackson says.

Scheduling Life Around Doctor's Visits

Pregnancy and childbirth can bring plenty of surprises to even the most experienced mom. Knowing how often to expect your regular checkups and routine testing will help you plan your visits around your schedule around your work or other children you may have at home with you, and you can take comfort in knowing exactly what is expected of you and when. Before you know it, you'll have an array of well-baby visits to keep up with instead.

Pregnancy Visit Primer
  • Expect monthly checkups until about 28 weeks.
  • Schedule appointments every two weeks until 36th week of pregnancy.
  • Be ready for weekly checkups the last month of pregnancy.

Test and Procedure Glossary
  • Blood pressure check: Helps gauge risk of a serious condition called pregnancy-induced hypertension.
  • Urine test: Monitors how the kidneys are functioning during the pregnancy and helps detect toxemia and PIH.
  • Ultrasound: Checks on the growth of the fetus and detects the placement of the placenta.
  • Group B Strep test (GBS): A vaginal swab that helps determine if the bacteria GBS is present in the vagina. It can pose a serious health risk if it is passed along to the baby in the birth canal.
  • AFP or Triple Screen: An optional blood test that can be taken during the second trimester of pregnancy. Checks for neural tube defects and chromosomal abnormalities, such as spina bifida.
  • Glucose screen: A blood test that is performed during the second trimester that helps screen for gestational diabetes.


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