When do you schedule first pregnancy appointment

It's the first doctor visit of your pregnancy. Congratulations! During this visit, your doctor will check your overall health and determine your due date. They will also look for any risk factors that might affect your health or the health of your baby. Your doctor will collect information such as your medical history, family history, and age. Your doctor will also answer any questions you have and give you information on how to have a healthy pregnancy. There's a lot to cover, so this will probably be the longest of all of your prenatal visits.

Table of Contents Show

What You Can Expect
Be Prepared to Discuss
Ask Your Doctor
When is the normal first pregnancy appointment?
Do they confirm pregnancy at first appointment?

What You Can Expect

Your doctor will give you a full physical exam, including checking your weight and blood pressure.

You will also have a breast and pelvic exam. Your doctor will do a Pap test (unless you've had one recently) to check for cervical cancer and any sexually transmitted infections.

Your doctor will draw blood to:

Check for blood problems such as anemia
Test your blood type and Rh status
Test for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B
Test for immunity to rubella (German measles)
Screen for diseases such as cystic fibrosis carrier status, diabetes, and thyroid dysfunction -- depending on your family and medical history

You will also leave a urine sample so your doctor can check for:

Kidney disease
Bladder infection
Sugar and protein levels

Your doctor may prescribe prenatal vitamins or tell you to take supplemental iron and folic acid.

Be Prepared to Discuss

It's important to be as open as possible with your doctor during your pregnancy so that your doctor can help both you and your baby be safe and healthy. Be prepared to openly talk about:

Your personal and family medical history, including any chronic health problems
Your ethnic background; some groups are more likely to pass on genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis
Your lifestyle habits that could affect the baby, such as alcohol use, smoking, or illicit drug use
Any incidence or history of domestic violence
Your current emotional state and any history of depression or mental illness
Diet, exercise, and healthy weight gain during pregnancy

Ask Your Doctor

What is my due date?
What symptoms should I expect as the baby grows?
Are there symptoms I should tell you about?
How much weight should I expect to gain?
What types of foods should I eat? Which should I avoid?
Is it safe to exercise? Should I avoid any activities?
Do I need prenatal vitamins or other supplements?
Are there any medications I should avoid?
If I have health problems, will they affect my baby?
How long will my morning sickness symptoms last?
Are there precautions for sex during pregnancy?

Show Sources

SOURCES:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: "Your Pregnancy and Childbirth Month to Month, 5th ed.," "Routine Tests in Pregnancy."

American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: "Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 6th ed."

American Association for Clinical Chemistry: "First, Second, Third Trimesters: Urine Screen for Sugar and/or Protein."

Vicki Mendiratta, MD, associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.

Sharon Phelan, MD, professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque.

Sonja R. Kinney, MD, associate professor; director, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology; medical director, Olson Center for Women's Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha.

Natali Aziz, MD, assistant professor, obstetrics and gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine.

William Goodnight, III, MD, board-certified in maternal-fetal medicine; assistant professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.

Harish M. Sehdev, MD, board-certified in maternal-fetal medicine; associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

Gregory KD, Ramos DE, Jauniaux ERM. Preconception and prenatal care. In:.Landon MB, Galan HL, Jauniaux ERM, et al, eds. Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 5.

Hobel CJ, Williams J. Antepartum care. In: Hacker N, Gambone JC, Hobel CJ, eds. Hacker & Moore's Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 7.

Magowan BA, Owen P, Thomson A. Antenatal and postnatal care. In: Magowan BA, Owen P, Thomson A, eds. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 22.

Symonds I. Early pregnancy care. In: Symonds I, Arulkumaran S, eds. Essential Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 18.

Williams DE, Pridjian G. Obstetrics. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 20.

Last reviewed on: 4/19/2022

Reviewed by: John D. Jacobson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

When is the normal first pregnancy appointment?

The nurse will work with the patient to schedule their first in-person appointment. We typically schedule the first in-person prenatal appointment approximately 10 weeks after the first day of a patient's last period.

Do they confirm pregnancy at first appointment?

At your first pregnancy appointment, your health care provider will confirm your pregnancy and then do an examination, much like your typical physical, to assess your general health. Your weight and blood pressure will be recorded, and your provider will check your heart, lungs, belly and breasts.