First Prenatal Appointment: What Happens, Questions to Ask, and What to Bring
Usually at 8-10 weeks. Blood work, urine test, medical history, and possibly first ultrasound. The 15 questions to ask your OB at the first visit.
By TeachToddler Editorial Team · Updated April 11, 2026 · Pregnancy
📋 What to Bring to Your First Visit
Walk in prepared so nothing gets missed. Your first prenatal visit is the longest appointment you will have during pregnancy — typically 45 minutes to an hour — because your provider needs to establish a complete health baseline.
- Insurance card and photo ID: The office will make copies and verify your coverage for prenatal care and delivery
- Date of your last menstrual period (LMP): This is how your due date is calculated. If you are unsure, your best estimate is fine — the dating ultrasound will confirm
- List of all current medications: Include prescription drugs, over-the-counter meds, supplements, and herbal products with dosages
- Family medical history: Both sides. Note any history of genetic conditions (cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, thalassemia), birth defects, Down syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, or blood clotting disorders
- Your own medical history: Previous pregnancies and outcomes, surgeries, hospitalizations, allergies, chronic conditions, and mental health history
- A list of questions: You will forget them if you do not write them down. See below for specific ones to ask
🩺 What Happens During the Appointment
Your provider will cover a lot of ground at this first visit. Here is the typical sequence so you know exactly what to expect.
- Medical history review: Detailed questions about your menstrual cycle, past pregnancies, surgical history, medications, family history, lifestyle, and mental health
- Vital signs: Blood pressure (baseline for monitoring preeclampsia later), weight, and height
- Blood work panel: CBC (checks for anemia), blood type and Rh factor (Rh-negative mothers need a RhoGAM shot later), rubella immunity, hepatitis B, syphilis, HIV, and sometimes thyroid function
- Urine sample: Screens for urinary tract infections (common in pregnancy), glucose, and protein levels
- Pelvic exam (if Pap is due): Not all providers do this at the first visit. If your Pap smear is current, it may be skipped
- Dating ultrasound: Usually transvaginal at this early stage. Confirms gestational age, checks for a heartbeat, determines if there is one baby or more, and rules out ectopic pregnancy. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time is a major emotional moment — it typically sounds like a fast galloping horse at 120-180 bpm
- Due date calculation: Based on your LMP and confirmed or adjusted by the ultrasound measurement (crown-rump length)
About Rh Factor: If your blood type is Rh-negative (like O-negative or A-negative) and your partner is Rh-positive, your body could produce antibodies against the baby's blood. This is easily prevented with a RhoGAM injection at around 28 weeks and again after delivery. This is routine and nothing to worry about — but it is why blood typing at the first visit is so important.
❓ Questions to Ask Your OB or Midwife
Your provider expects questions and wants you to ask them. Here are the ones that matter most at this stage.
- What genetic screening do you recommend, and when? (NIPT is available from 10 weeks; NT scan at 11-13 weeks)
- Which of my current medications are safe to continue? Are there alternatives for any that are not?
- Can I continue my current exercise routine? What modifications should I make?
- What is your on-call and delivery coverage like? Will I always see you, or could another provider in the practice deliver my baby?
- At which hospital do you deliver? Can I tour it beforehand?
- What symptoms should prompt me to call your office between appointments? (bleeding, severe pain, fever)
- How do I reach someone after hours for urgent concerns?
- What is the typical appointment schedule going forward? (Usually monthly until 28 weeks, biweekly until 36 weeks, then weekly until delivery)
- Do you support birth plans? What is your approach to pain management, C-sections, and induction?
- Should I be taking any additional supplements beyond my prenatal vitamin?
🧬 Understanding Genetic Screening Options
Your provider will discuss genetic screening at or soon after your first visit. These tests are optional but give you information about the likelihood of certain chromosomal conditions. None of them are diagnostic on their own — they estimate risk.
- NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing): A simple blood draw available from week 10. Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), and sex chromosome differences. Over 99% detection rate for Down syndrome. Also reveals fetal sex if you want to know
- NT Scan (Nuchal Translucency): An ultrasound at 11-13 weeks measuring fluid at the back of the baby's neck, combined with a blood test (first trimester screen). A thicker measurement suggests higher risk for chromosomal issues
- Carrier screening: A blood test to see if you carry genes for conditions like cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell disease, or fragile X syndrome. Ideally done before pregnancy, but often done at the first visit
- If screening is positive: A positive screen is not a diagnosis. Diagnostic tests like CVS (chorionic villus sampling, 10-13 weeks) or amniocentesis (15-20 weeks) would be offered to confirm
📅 What Happens After Your First Visit
After your first appointment, prenatal care follows a predictable schedule. Knowing what is ahead helps you plan time off work and manage expectations.
- Weeks 10-13: NIPT blood draw and/or NT scan if you opt for genetic screening
- Monthly visits through week 28: Quick check-ups — blood pressure, urine, fundal height (belly measurement), fetal heart tones with a Doppler
- Anatomy scan at 18-22 weeks: Detailed ultrasound checking all of baby's organs, spine, limbs, and brain. This is where many parents learn the sex
- Glucose screening at 24-28 weeks: One-hour glucose challenge test to screen for gestational diabetes
- Biweekly visits from 28-36 weeks: More frequent monitoring as the due date approaches
- Weekly visits from 36 weeks until delivery: Cervical checks may begin, Group B strep swab at 36-37 weeks
🏃♀️ Exercise and Lifestyle Guidelines
Your provider will discuss exercise at the first visit. For most healthy pregnancies, the guidance is straightforward: if you were active before pregnancy, you can generally continue with modifications. If you were not active, now is a great time to start walking.
- Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, stationary cycling)
- Avoid contact sports, activities with fall risk (skiing, horseback riding), and hot yoga or hot tubs (overheating in the first trimester is linked to neural tube defects)
- Stop exercising and call your doctor if you experience vaginal bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, or fluid leaking
- Core work is fine in the first trimester — modifications for diastasis recti become important later
- Stay hydrated and do not exercise to exhaustion. The talk test is useful: you should be able to hold a conversation while exercising