First prenatal appointment?

[Swallowbird23]

I was just wondering when your doctor scheduled your first prenatal visit? I called today to schedule and they said wait until 8-9 weeks to come in. Is this normal? My few friends who are also pregnant had their first appointments between 4 and 6 weeks to confirm, but I'm not sure that's normal either.

Thanks!

[marymoo86]

really depends on the practice - i had a consult with the prenatal nurse @ 7 weeks and first OB appt with ultrasound @ 9wks

[nicepersonfl]

My 1st was an "education" appointment with the RN - included dietary counseling, review of meds, URINE pregnancy test

1st appt with MD was not before 9 weeks - included more counseling, blood work including beta Hcg, transvag US to identify multiples

[MamaSnoo]

Ours scheduled for 8 weeks. I think a lot of practices wait until then because really early losses are common, and there is nothing they can do about them medically. :(

[littlebird]

With this pregnancy, I had confirmation & care up through 7 weeks with my RE's office, and then he released me to my OB. I had a prenatal consultation with a nurse at my OB's office the week he released me and then saw my OB at 8 weeks

With DD, I also had care with my RE up through 7 weeks and then saw the OB at 9 weeks with no prenatal nurse consultation beforehand.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope you have a happy, healthy one!

[s7714]

My OB office won't see you until 8 weeks, because they want the fetus to be old enough to detect a heartbeat on the first u/s. However, they generally tell people to get in to see their primary care doctor asap to get a confirmation test done.

[okinawama]

Mine didn't see me until I was 10 weeks. Even then they didn't even attempt to find a heartbeat, it was mainly just blood work and a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

[barkley1]

Mine schedules you to come in as soon as you can when you call w/ a + test, but it's just to confirm and do bloodwork. they don't even mention a prenatal. Then, you come back around 8-10 weeks for a RN appt (no OB yet at this point) for a full exam and probably ultrasound to confirm.

[SnuggleBuggles]

10 weeks was the norm at the birth center with ds2. With ds1 I had been taking Clomid and they had me come in sooner than that, maybe 8 weeks, to do an u/s to check if multiples.

Beth

[Swallowbird23]

OK, so I guess this is pretty standard. I called late this afternoon and told her I got a positive test and AF didn't show this AM (ALWAYS like perfect clockwork - starts in the very early AM on day 28) Last time I was late, I didn't call right away and ended up losing that pregnancy very early on, so it makes sense to wait a bit. Afterwards I thought I had done something wrong by waiting a week to call the doctor so called right away this time. I'm just glad this seems to be standard.

She said we don't schedule until 8-9 weeks so they can do an ultrasound and asked which doctor I prefer to see. I just assumed I would see the doctor and have an ultrasound at that appointment, so we'll see! She also just asked if I wanted them to phone in a prescription for some prenatal vitamins (said I would take them if they are recommended over the over the counters but I still have about 3 months worth that I have been taking for a few months. She said either are fine) And said to call back if I had any problems or questions before the appointment. Hoping and Praying the next 4 weeks pass quickly! I just want to know everything is going the way it should be going!

[blue]

My doctor had me schedule my first appointment at 10 weeks.


Also, congratulations Swallowbird23!

[Edensmum]

Last time they wanted me in at 5-6 weeks. If I get pregnant again I'll wait until I'm out of the first trimester unless I'm concerned about something. Going in before 12 weeks bought me nothing but a big wait time and stress. I don't need a pap and I certainly don't have and STD or need and U/S so what good would it do to go through all that? I'd take my bp at home and go in if I felt off in anyway. The thing is they can't do much at that point if it doesn't work out anyway.

[HIU8]

I understand 10 weeks to be the norm. I saw my OB at 7 weeks b/c I had undergone fertility treatments and was seen weekly by the RE anyway (released at 6 weeks). My OB took me right away at 7 weeks (but told me if it did not involve FT it would have been 10 weeks).

[Myira]

My OB's office calls for the first ultrasound(probably to date the pregnancy) at 7 weeks. The first prenatal appt. is scheduled at 8 weeks.

[Kitten007]

I always saw a nurse to take a test and blood work and then had to wait till 9 weeks to see my doctor.

Congrats!!! Hopefully the next few weeks fly by and you get to see your little one and get some pics.

[lizzywednesday]

My (former) OB's office didn't schedule the 1st prenatal appointment 'til 8 weeks.

In the meantime, they sent me a packet of general information, a health questionnaire and a 'script for prenatal vitamins.

I brought the questionnaire to my 1st visit, where we met with their "OB coordinator" (a kind of "super nurse" who handled all the weird questions from nervious moms-to-be) did another intake questionnaire, then we met with the OB, had the internal u/s for heartbeat and they did a Pap (I was due for my annual anyway.)

On the way out, they gave me a test-request form and instructions to go have bloodwork done (they do not have a lab, so I had to go offsite.)

[MoJo]

Not 'til 10 weeks with my first, even though I had never been to that practice before. I questioned it too, because that was different than pretty much everything I had heard & read up to that point.

8 weeks with my second (same practice).

Congrats, Swallowbird23!

[vonfirmath]

I was just wondering when your doctor scheduled your first prenatal visit? I called today to schedule and they said wait until 8-9 weeks to come in. Is this normal? My few friends who are also pregnant had their first appointments between 4 and 6 weeks to confirm, but I'm not sure that's normal either.

Thanks!

That sounds about right, yes.

[BabyBearsMom]

I went in and just had a blood test to confirm when I was about 4 weeks and then they scheduled a real appointment with the doctor at 8 weeks. I ended up having to go in at 6 weeks due to some spotting (I was high risk due to prior miscarriage) but that isn't typical.

[AnnieW625]

With DD1 I went at 7 weeks, with the baby we lost I went in at about the same time, and with DD2 I didn't go in until 9 weeks IIRC.

Congratulations!

[janine]

I am on #2 (very early on) and called my dr. at 4wks - she said i could come in for confirmation, otherwise wait a few weeks. Well I'd rather wait the few wks and she told me ok come in at 6wks for an u/s. I was pretty shocked, that seems awfully early.

[indigo99]

With my first pregnancy, they had me wait until almost 9 weeks. I went in for an ultrasound, and there wasn't a heartbeat. Apparently the baby "stopped growing" around the beginning of week 8.

Knowing that, I went in as soon as I had a positive test for my second pregnancy. They did blood work and found that my progesterone was very low so I started taking pills (there is debate over whether this does any good though). I then had an u/s at 6 weeks which was too early for a heartbeat so I went back a week later for another and then another a few weeks later.

With my third pregnancy, I went in for blood work as soon as I had a positive test. They tested my progesterone to be sure I didn't need to be on it again. It was fine, but I went back every few days just for lab work to be sure that my progesterone was OK, and my hcg levels were doubling. Once we determined that I didn't need progesterone, the additional blood work was really just for my peace of mind. I didn't have a dr apt until 7 weeks.

Apparently they are way more likely to see you early if you have a history of miscarriage. We saw a heartbeat at 7 weeks (last week), and she was going to have me come back in a month to do the first trimester screening. I asked to have another ultrasound in 2 weeks though because I'm so nervous, and she agreed. I just want to get past that 8 week mark and then see that the heartbeat is still there.