Pregnancy is a new and exciting experience for anyone. There are so many stages that you go through when you are pregnant. Even though both the parents would be thrilled to be new parents and will do everything they can to keep the mom and baby healthy and happy during the course, for the mother, it is a long and out-of-the-world journey. The day you find out that you are expecting, you will be worried for the baby and a little bit yourself. There are endless doctor visits and long routine checkups as well.
Although you will eventually get used to the long routine checkups and doctor visits, the most crucial one would be your first prenatal visit. You must be nervous and thrilled to visit your doctor that is going to be a big part of your pregnancy journey. While there will be a lot of excitement you must not forget that you will need to educate yourself better about the pregnancy. This will help you take care of your baby and yourself during pregnancy.
The best way to get all the information and clear all the doubts would be to ask all the important questions on your first prenatal visit. With the right questions, you can find yourself a little relieved and will be able to better take care of yourself as well.
There must be hundreds of questions running in your head right now, but when you sit in front of the doctor you might forget it all. To avoid such a situation it would be better to prepare the questions to ask at the first prenatal visit, this would certainly help you to figure out what to ask and why that is important.
To help you out, we have enlisted some must-ask questions to ask at the first prenatal visit. Go ahead and take a look at the following questions and ask them to the doctor.
Before we start the list of questions to ask at the first prenatal visit, here are some of the things that you should have when you visit the doctor;
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General Medical History; before you go to the doctor, make sure you gather your general medical history. This will include any medical problem that you have had. List the type, date, and treatment as well.
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Family Medical History: family medical history is as important as your medical history, this is why a doctor might ask you this. You shouldn’t just include the medical history of your family but your partner’s family as well. This will include any medical issues such as genetic or chronic diseases that your family suffers from. Based on your family medical history, the doctor can prescribe some tests and screenings for you. This will help your baby if there is any genetic risk and how they can prevent it at the early stage of the pregnancy.
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Fertility History: this includes your period history and the fertility history of you and your partner. Things such as regularity of your period, any cramps and severe pain, if you were taking any medication for periods, and fertility.
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Past Pregnancies; if you have been pregnant before, you would want to include that as well. It will also include live births, stillbirths, premature deliveries (less than 37 weeks), miscarriages (less than 20 weeks), ectopic/ tubal pregnancies, and/or elective terminations (abortions).
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Infection Exposure: if you have been exposed to any kind of infection in your life then you might want to tell your doctor.
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Medications You’re Taking: this will include both prescribed as well as OTC medications. You should also tell them about any kind of herbal medicines, vitamins, or health supplements that you are taking.
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Allergies: if you suffer from any kind of allergy to anything then you should mention that as well.
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Dietary Habits; tell your doctor about the diet you take in general. These include the meals you mostly eat as well as the caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine consumption.
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Mental Health History: if you suffer or suffered from any kind of mental health issue then you should mention that to your doctor.
Things you will expect at your first prenatal visit;
If you are nervous about what will happen at your first prenatal visit then don’t worry, here we have listed some of the things that you can expect at your first prenatal visit;
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Routine procedures such as your blood pressure, weight, blood type, exposure to any infection, and overall medical history and condition.
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Fatal heartbeats
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HIV testing
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You will be given a prenatal care plan as well.
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Questions To Ask At First Prenatal Visit
1. Are there changes I should make to my diet?
This is a simple question to ask your doctor. Diet is an important part of our health and it certainly affects our lifestyle as well. While diet is something you should be careful of at any stage of your life, you will have to be extra careful when you are pregnant.The doctor is going to ask you about your diet in general, with this question you can be assured if you need to make any changes in your current diet, and if yes then what are those.You should also ask if there are any foods that you should avoid during your pregnancy and why. Overall, the doctor might help you come up with a suitable diet plan for you.
2. How much weight should I expect to gain during my pregnancy?
Most pregnant women are cautious about weight gain. So it would be better if you ask about your weight queries during the pregnancy. You should certainly ask how much weight you are expecting to gain and how much weight you should be gaining during pregnancy.
3. How much should I be exercising?
Exercising will be a big part of your pregnancy journey and it would be better to come up with a workout plan for your pregnancy instead of just working and laying on the couch.Doctors do recommend a good exercise plan during your pregnancy, although it would vary from your regular workout sessions and also based on your pregnancy stage. So ask your doctor how much exercise would be ideal for you and what kind of special exercise you should be practicing. Always find the exercises that are most suitable for you and your health.
4. Can I continue taking my current medications?
If you are currently taking any medications for anything, it is better to ask the doctor whether those would be safe during the pregnancy. Some medications are not supposed to be taken during the pregnancy and you should certainly avoid them. So tell them the prescribed medications that you already take and if they would be safe. If not, then ask for alternative medications.Apart from this, you can ask if over-the-counter medications would be safe during the pregnancy or not in case of headache or anything else.
5. Do I need to change my beauty routine?
Just like the medications, some cosmetic or skin care products are not pregnancy safe. If you follow a skincare routine religiously, then you might want to ask your doctor about it.You can tell them the list of products that you use daily and whether those products would be suitable during the pregnancy. If not, then you can certainly find an alternative because there are so many pregnancy-friendly beauty and skin care products available.
6. What vaccinations should I get?
Vaccinations are certainly an important part of health. There are plenty of vaccinations that are prescribed for pregnant ladies so that they can avoid any mishaps or future issues. If you have a chronic illness and you have a certain type of medical condition, then the doctor might tell you to get some vaccinations that would be necessary for the health of your baby and yourself.So make sure to ask about the list of vaccinations you should be getting while you are pregnant and even after childbirth for the baby.
7. How long can I work when I’m pregnant?
If you have a hectic job, then you might want to ask this question. It would be better to know how long you can work before taking your maternity leave.Most of the time it is okay to work until you deliver, but sometimes it will depend on the nature of your job. If the job is stressful you might want to consider taking leave early and rest at home. Take your doctor’s opinion on how your work can affect your health and the safety of your baby. So you can take precautions and see how to avoid stressful situations at work.
8. Can I travel?
Traveling is one thing that might get affected when you arrive pregnantly. So this is something that you should certainly be aware of and has all the information on your traveling safety and whether it would be ideal for you or not. Not only the doctors but the airlines have the rules about traveling and most of them allow you to travel up to 37 weeks pregnant.You can ask your doctor what precautionary measures you can take while traveling and how you can make it safe.
9. What pregnancy symptoms are normal, and what’s an emergency?
Pregnancy can be a lot for some and others won’t even feel that much of a difference. So it would be better to ask your doctor about what are the major symptoms of pregnancy and how intense some of them can be for you.You should know that each trimester comes with different kinds of symptoms and it would be better if you know about them all and be prepared. You can also ask what symptoms you are most likely to suffer from based on your health.Ask your doctor what symptoms are normal when to worry, and contact the doctor, and how you can prevent or handle those symptoms.
10. Do you recommend any type of prenatal screening or testing?
Even though the doctor would suggest to you all the necessary tests and screenings, it would be ideal if you would ask this again and see if there are any more tests and screenings you can take just to be sure.The tests and screenings will be recommended to you based on your medical history, your family’s medical history, your ethnic background, and your fertility history as well. If you are concerned about any issue, you can ask to get tested.
11. Can we discuss my birth plan?
If you like to discuss your birth plan then you can simply ask for it from your doctor. They will certainly tell you the most likely due date and what can you expect on the big day.While it is not very necessary, certainly not at an early stage, if you are worried you should just ask it. This will help you understand the course of your pregnancy and what can you expect and when can you expect it.
12. What’s the likelihood I’ll need a C-section?
This is another important question that you would like to ask your doctor. Although it is unlikely for you to think that you will need a crossbow section but if you were worried you should ask.Ask the doctor what are the chances that you might have to get a C section and how certain they are. You can also ask about the common factor of a c-section and how you can prevent it.
13. Do you recommend any prenatal classes?
You should also consider the prenatal classes and if the doctor has some specific recommendations. The prenatal classes are there to help you with the pregnancy and prepare you better as well. The doctor can certainly help you to understand the importance of prenatal classes and what would be the best one for you.
14. When will be my next appointment?
At last, you should ask about your next appointment with the doctor and what you can expect in the next appointment. You can also ask about future appointments and if you can call your doctor in case of doubt. You can also ask for the doctor that will deliver your baby and more.This will help you plan your appointments which mean there will be less stress to plan them at the last minute.
Conclusion
So these are some of the questions that you must ask at your first prenatal visit. It is okay to get nervous about it if it is your first pregnancy, and these questions would certainly help you clear any doubt that you have in your mind.Make a list of the questions that we have listed here and ask them to the doctor so that you can make the most of your prenatal visit. You can also include any question that you feel like asking. It would be better to go prepared while visiting the doctor than regret later.That would be all for now and we hope you liked the article and found it helpful as well. Thank you and best of luck!
