If you are feeling nervous about your first prenatal visit, it’s ok!
(especially if you are a first-time mom.)
I was super nervous at my first prenatal appointment!
(mainly because I still couldn’t believe I was pregnant!)
Also, I didn’t know what to expect, and I wasn’t sure what questions I should be asking.
I figured I’d ask whatever comes to me at the moment.
I loved the team of doctors I had the privilege of working with during my pregnancy. They were very informative every step of the way.
So at the time, I didn’t know there were specific questions I should be asking until I spoke to some of my friends who were expecting, and they had concerns they wish they cleared up from the beginning.
As a result, I created a list of questions to ask at your first prenatal visit to get clear on your expectations.
Below, Are 13 Great Questions For First Prenatal Appointment.
However, I do understand you will be nervous or too excited to ask 13 questions!
So just read through them and pick the ones most important to you.
Post you may also like: What to Expect At Your First Prenatal Appointment (6 weeks pregnant)
Table of Contents
1. Is your gynecologist also an obstetrician?
A GYN is someone who takes care of all of your women’s health concerns. A OB takes care of pre-conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and immediately post-childbirth care.
A OB/GYN can do all of the above. So make sure you are clear on that!
2. Will that doctor be the one to deliver your baby?
Why? You don’t want to get comfortable with your OB, and then during labor, someone else is the one delivering your baby.
You want to be clear on that from the beginning.
For me, It was whichever physician was on call that day to deliver my baby. So, during my pregnancy, they recommended I had prenatal appointments with each physician on staff to meet them all.
Post you may also like: What to Expect at Your Prenatal Appointment ( 8 weeks pregnant).
3. What hospital are they affiliated with?
Why? You want to know what hospital you will be going to! You want to check out the hospital, to see if you like it, to see if they will also support your birth plan.
4. Do they conduct sonograms on-site?
Why? It’s so much easier when you have an appointment with your OB, then they send you down the hall for a sonogram and you can discuss any concerns with your OB right away.
Instead of having to go to another location for the sonogram and discuss concerns on a later date or having to then come back to the OB office.
5. Do they conduct Labs on-site?
6. How often will you be going in for prenatal visits?
Why? Prenatal appointments are very important! You want to know when to expect them. In the beginning they are pretty spread out but as you get closer to your due date the appointments also get closer.
7. How often do they conduct sonograms?
Why? Some expecting moms don’t like sonograms because of radiation concerns, so they want the least possible.
8. Do they have a number you can call after office hours?
Why? You want someone to clear up your concerns as soon as you have them so you know what to do. So an emergency number would be great!
9. What exercise can you do?
10. What is a healthy amount of weight to gain during my pregnancy?
11. Do they support your birth plan?
12. At what point will they consider induction? Why?
13. At what point is a C-Section considered?
Why? You want to know and understand why your OB would consider a C-section, and at what point so you are not stressed or disappointed when the time comes.
You also want to know if this OB/Hospital has a high rate of C-sections because maybe it’s what they prefer.
Last Thoughts
You don’t have to overwhelm yourself by asking all these questions at once! Just ask the ones that are most important to you.
I hope this was helpful!