What to Expect During Your First Prenatal Appointment

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Whether it’s your first pregnancy or you’ve had kids before, prenatal care is incredibly important. While no one can guarantee a successful pregnancy, research has shown that inadequate or nonexistent prenatal care is a risk factor for low birth weight and poor outcomes.

With that in mind, it’s important that you schedule your first prenatal visit when you get your happy news so that the obstetric team at Bayard Street Obstetrics & Gynecology can help get your pregnancy off on the right foot.

Here’s a look at what you can expect during this all-important prenatal appointment.

Gathering background information

After we confirm your pregnancy, one of our important tasks is information-gathering. We start by reviewing your medical history — past and present — and going over any medications and supplements you’re taking.

We also look at your immediate family tree to check for any health conditions or genetic anomalies we should be on the lookout for.

Then we get into some lifestyle considerations — do you smoke, do you drink, do you exercise? (We discourage the first two and encourage the last one!)

Collecting baseline vitals

Another important task that we accomplish during your first prenatal visit is to collect baseline vital statistics, such as your:

• Height
• Weight
• Blood pressure
• Heart rate

This information helps us spot any trends as you progress through your pregnancy.

Establishing a due date

An exciting aspect of your first prenatal appointment is that we use this visit to establish your due date by reviewing your menstrual cycles and last period.

Blood tests

We draw some blood to run some routine tests. These tests help us identify your blood type and whether you have any active infections, and we can also measure your hemoglobin levels to make sure you’re not anemic.

Basic pregnancy information

There's a lot of information that comes at you very quickly when you first become pregnant, from travel and food restrictions to how much weight you should gain and what type of exercise is good for you and a growing baby.

During this first prenatal visit, we take some time to go over all of this with you so that you have a better understanding of what lies ahead. Rest assured, we provide you with lists and we’re also available to you anytime you have questions.

Speaking of questions, it’s a great idea for you to come to this first prenatal appointment armed with any questions you might have about your pregnancy. We suggest that you write them down ahead of time just to make sure we cover everything you’re curious about.

To schedule a prenatal visit with our experienced, caring team, simply contact Bayard Street Obstetrics & Gynecology at one of our five New York locations — in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Flushing, Queens, and now Syosset on Long Island. You can also request an appointment using our convenient online scheduling system.