Becoming pregnant and preparing for your first OB appointment can be exciting and nerve wracking all at once! 

You may be wondering things like is baby okay, how far along you really are, excitement at obtaining an exact due date, dreaming about the gender of your baby – the list goes on. And this is how each appointment usually goes! The mental list of “what if’s” and what certain things mean can feel like a lot to discuss in your short, monthly visits to the doctor. 

This is a pretty good representation of the typical appointments you will attend as a pregnant individual, pending any other considerations. Every person and every doctor’s office is different, but you can expect to be seen about every 4 weeks until about 28 or 30 weeks, then every 2 weeks until about 36 weeks, then every week until baby comes. 

The big appointments are the pregnancy confirmation appointment at about 8 weeks, some optional testing at about 12 weeks (genetic disorders and gender), 20 week anatomy scan, 26-28 week glucose screening and then a round 2 on that if the results come back abnormal, and your 34 week Group B strep screening.

Between these milestone appointments, there are other “routine” ones, although they still come with their own anxieties! Your body is changing rapidly and it is normal to wonder if things are “normal”. 

Write down all questions between appointments in your notes app.

OB-GYN appointments when you’re pregnant typically last about 15 minutes. So how do you prepare all of your built up questions over the course of 4 weeks of pregnancy to review in 15 minutes?! The thing that worked best for me was using my notes app on my phone to write down any and all questions throughout the entire time between appointments.

This definitely helped me to make the most of my doctor appointments while pregnant. If I ended up answering my own question by then, then I’d skip it! But remember, your appointment is your time to ask any and all questions you want.

I remember worrying that I was annoying my OB doctor with my mundane questions that she had probably heard a million times, and not wanting to be categorized as an anxious pregnant lady. I wanted her to think I was going to be a confident, prepared parent of course! But I assure you right now, this is your deserved right as an expecting parent, to ask your OB everything you want.

Someone told me once that your care providers actually “work for you”. 

I never thought about it this way before, but it was my choice to hire them as my OB doctor, they are getting paid to do a job, and that job is to, technically speaking, work for me to keep me and baby healthy. This helped to change my perspective and build my confidence in using my time with my doctor exactly how I wanted to. 

I definitely felt unprepared in my first pregnancy. I didn’t know what questions to even ask, I didn’t want to bother her with “dumb” ones, and I didn’t want to seem dramatic or overly worried. I felt way more prepared in my second pregnancy and therefore more confident in asking my questions.

Being on the same page as my OB was key. 

4 weeks can feel like a very long time between appointments! 

It helps to be organized and prepared so you don’t leave that appointment feeling like you wished you asked something and didn’t, because then you have to wait another 4 to ask it. This is another great reason why it’s important to make the most of your OB-GYN appointments while pregnant.

Of course, you always have the option of sending a direct message in the online portal to your doctor or ask to speak with a nurse. I did this many times for both of my pregnancies! Don’t ever feel like you can’t call. Your concerns are valid and deserve the time, attention, and care of your provider. 

Example questions to ask at any OB-GYN appointment

Reach out to some friends who have been in your shoes before. They may have some ideas you haven’t thought of. Here is a great article from What to Expect that provides a nice list of questions you can ask along the way.

15 Crucial Questions Every Woman Needs to Ask Her OB/GYN During Pregnancy. 

For another great article to build your confidence during OB appointments, read, “Women’s Health is Having a Moment: 4 Ways to Have Yours”.