Are you pregnant and wondering how often you should see your OB/GYN? If you are pregnant, your OB/GYN will set up a regular schedule of office visits to monitor the development of your pregnancy and your overall health. If you don’t have a primary care physician or did not meet with a health care provider before you became pregnant, your first prenatal visit will be around eight weeks after your last menstrual period. If your cycles are irregular, you should schedule a visit with an OB/GYN as soon after a urine pregnancy test is positive. At Colorado Obstetrics and Women’s Health in Colorado Springs, we offer free walk in urine pregnancy tests. Most pregnant women have between ten and 15 prenatal visits during the course of their pregnancy. A typical schedule will look like this:
• Weeks 4 to 28: One prenatal visit per month
• Weeks 28 to 36: One prenatal visit every 2 weeks
• Weeks 36 to 40: One prenatal visit per week
During your office visits, your OB/GYN will discuss prenatal care and proper nutrition during your pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. You may need to schedule more frequent office visits if you have special health concerns with your pregnancy. An ultrasound is usually performed in the first trimester to confirm the due date, and another is normally done at 18 to 20 weeks to confirm normal anatomy and development. The second ultrasound is an exciting one, as your OB/GYN can usually determine the sex of the baby at this time. Women over 35 may have one or more ultrasounds done before the baby is born, especially if low levels of amniotic fluid, bleeding, or pre-term contractions are present. Having ultrasounds during your pregnancy poses no risk to you or the baby, including during the third trimester.
At Colorado Obstetrics and Women’s Health in Colorado Springs, we offer complete obstetrical and prenatal care, for both routine and high-risk pregnancies. We care for women at every stage of life, from the child bearing years through menopause and beyond. If you are looking for caring OB/GYNs who will work with you to achieve and maintain your best possible health, give us a call today at (719) 634-8800 to schedule an appointment with one of our friendly women’s health professionals. We look forward to helping you achieve your best health.