Insurance
Information
Before
you arrive at your appointment, check with your insurance
provider to verify coverage and patient responsibility. You
should bring your insurance card and any insurance information
with you to your first appointment.
Health
History
A significant
amount of your appointment will be spent discussing your health
history. Your doctor (or midwife) will want to know anything
that might affect your pregnancy. She will ask you about any
previous pregnancies, particularly any concerns or complications.
She will want to know about any disorders or diseases that
you have or that run in your family.
You will
also be asked about your diet, any smoking or alcohol use,
and be provided resources if you need help quitting.
Lab Work
Your doctor
will order lab work as well. Depending on your doctor's office,
you will either have blood drawn right in the office or sent
to an outside lab or hospital to have it drawn. The blood
work will check for blood type, rule out any sexually transmitted
diseases, check for anemia and infection, and screen for certain
antibodies such as antibodies for Rubella. Your doctor may
also ask you if you'd like an HIV test as well.
You will
also need to give a urine sample. Pregnancy will likely be
confirmed with a urine sample. Your urine will also be checked
for protein and glucose. Plan to give a urine sample at every
appointment.
Physical
Exam
Your doctor
will perform a physical exam, including a pelvic exam. She
will do a Pap smear as well unless you have recently had one
done. She will check for bacterial vaginosis as well as any
sexually transmitted diseases.
Your
Due Date and Office Protocol
Sometime
before you leave, your doctor will calculate your due date.
Your due date is normally calculated based off of your last
menstrual period. She will use the information from your physical
examination to confirm your due date. If unsure of your due
date, she may perform an ultrasound or schedule an ultrasound
at a later time.
During
this time, she will also explain office protocol, warning
signs you should know during pregnancy, when you need to call
the office, and who you need to call if you experience any
problems.
After
your initial appointment you will see you doctor once a month
until you reach 28 weeks of pregnancy. If you have pregnancy
complications, you will likely see your doctor more frequently.
After 28 weeks, you will see your doctor once every 2 weeks,
followed by weekly appointments in your last month of pregnancy.
