First consultation for pregnancy: when to schedule it?
Preferably schedule this very first prenatal visit towards the end of the second month, and imperatively before the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. Also remember to choose a date when the future dad will be available, if you wish of course! And do not stall this first appointment between two professional meetings: the purpose of this medical consultation is to get to know you more precisely and to determine any risk factors. So it will be longer than the following antenatal visits !
Pregnant, but how many weeks?
After confirming your pregnancy, by a simple pelvic examination or an ultrasound, the doctor will calculate the approximate date of conception, and therefore that of the term : we speak in weeks of amenorrhea, that is to say from the date of the last menstruation.
To assess any small problems that may arise during pregnancy and offer appropriate medical follow-up, your doctor needs very specific information concerning in particular:
- Your gynecological and obstetrical history (Abortion, miscarriage, multiple pregnancy, etc.).
- Your medical history, but also those of your family and your spouse (diabetes, heart disease or genetic disease).
- More personal questions : your working conditions, your consumption of tobacco, alcohol, etc.
Now is the time, if you have not already done so, to talk to your doctor about possible minor ailments (nausea, “upsets” …) or to ask him the questions that concern you (how will happen? childbirth? how to announce it to the children?…). Do not worry, you will not leave with a list, ten pages long, listing the prohibitions and obligations related to your new condition! On the other hand, listen carefully to the advice of your doctor and try to put them into practice, especially if it is your consumption of alcohol or tobacco that is targeted …
At the end of this first pregnancy consultation, the doctor will give you:
- your declaration of pregnancy: two parts to send to Social Security and to your Caf
- a prescription for a blood test and urinalysis
- another prescription for your very first scan… An event not to be missed!