What Can I Expect at My Prenatal Appointment?

You’re absolutely over the moon to be expecting a baby, but there’s a lot to learn! In between reading baby books; thinking about what you eat, drink, and do; and managing cravings and exhaustion, you’re likely curious about what will happen at your prenatal doctor’s appointments.

Dr. Keven Hooker and the Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care team embrace your whole family when you enter into their care, and their goal is to monitor the health of you and your baby as closely as possible, answer all your questions, and ensure that all is going as it should be as you approach the big day.

Each trimester brings different developmental milestones, and Dr. Hooker assesses your health and the baby’s developmental progress during each appointment. Every woman and pregnancy is different, but proper prenatal care is critical to ensuring that you have the healthiest pregnancy and birth experience possible.  

What happens at my prenatal appointment?

First, Dr. Hooker checks in with you about how you’re feeling. The adjustment to pregnancy is huge, and can include morning sickness, energy dips, and subtle changes in your body. Your first appointment is typically lengthier than others because Dr. Hooker records lots of information:

• Your complete medical history, as well as family medical history
• Medications you take
• Date of your last menstrual period to determine your due date
• Allergies
• Pelvic exam and pap smear
• Pregnancy history and any past miscarriages
• Your weight and height
• Information on any recent hospitalizations or surgeries
• Tests to see if you have diabetes, rubella, or any other condition that can potentially complicate your pregnancy
• High-tech 3D and 4D ultrasound testing to assess and track your baby’s development
• Depending on the stage of your pregnancy, prenatal screening tests (amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling) that check for problems such as spina bifida and Down syndrome
• Urinalysis
• Blood pressure check

Dr. Hooker also measures your belly at each appointment as well, so he can compare how the baby is growing with what’s considered healthy, and monitors your baby’s heartbeat. 

In addition to information gathering, Dr. Hooker talks to you about other important matters, like self-care during your pregnancy. This includes diet, exercise, rest, and staying away from activities that can be harmful to pregnant women like eating raw seafood, cleaning the cat’s litter box, drinking alcohol, and smoking. 

Dr. Hooker speaks with you about your birth plan too, or how you envision your birth ideally. He asks questions about whether you want to receive medications that stimulate labor like Pitocin, or whether your wish is for, if possible, a natural delivery. He also discusses what will happen if for some reason you end up needing to have a C-section. 

You determine who you want with you during your birth in addition to your medical team, whether it’s your partner, close friend, or family member, as well as other factors that will make the birth a positive experience for you — a tub filled with water, music, or low lighting, for example. 

Birth is definitely one of the events in life that can be accompanied by many surprises, but Dr. Hooker believes that it’s important to be on the same page with you in terms of your wishes for your birth and what alternative plans exist if anything unexpected happens and you need unanticipated medical intervention. 

More appointments as time progresses

The prenatal appointments that follow your first one will develop a rhythm and as you get nearer to your due date, they become more frequent. If you’re even considering getting pregnant, you should visit Dr. Hooker, and if you suspect you could be pregnant, you should make an appointment as soon as possible. 

A typical prenatal care schedule looks like this: For the first 32 weeks of your pregnancy, you come to see us every 4-6 weeks. From weeks 32 to 37, you’ll visit us every 2-3 weeks, and from week 37 on, you see us weekly. 

Dr. Hooker never hesitates to have you come in more frequently if he sees any reason that you should be more closely monitored. Our prenatal care is thorough, based on the most advanced clinical knowledge, and always compassionately delivered (pun intended!). 

What if my pregnancy is considered high-risk?

Many factors can throw your pregnancy into a high-risk category, including gestational diabetes, pre-existing conditions you may have, or if you’re having a multiple birth. If you’re over the age of 35 or you have a history of miscarriages, you’re also monitored closely and carefully at each and every prenatal appointment. 

Learn more about prenatal care

Whether you’re pregnant or just dreaming about it, call our office in Lake Havasu, Arizona, to schedule a consultation to discuss prenatal care, or reach out to us via our website.