Prenatal Care in Asheville
I remember when I found out I was pregnant, the first thing I felt like I needed to do was immediately make an appointment with a prenatal care provider. I was so bummed when they told me that I was going to have to wait until I was around 8 weeks to be seen.
But why?!
At 8 weeks gestation your baby is about half an inch long, about the size of a raspberry. The weeks leading up to that, your baby doesn’t even resemble a baby. It looks more like a blob or an egg yolk. In fact, they even call it a yolk sac if you were to see it on an ultrasound before 8 weeks. And since your baby is so so teeny tiny, hearing it’s heartbeat usually isn’t possible yet.
Of course, if you have major concerns, or your gut is telling you to be seen right away, go ahead and ask for an earlier appointment. You may get some peace of mind having a conversation and asking questions with your provider.
What to expect at your first visit
You made it to 8 weeks and you finally get to hear and maybe see that little raspberry!
Your first visit will likely be the longest. Your provider is going to want to know every nuance of your medical history. They will want to know your general health history, mental health history, gynecological health history, health conditions that run in your family, any meds you are taking etc.
Now that you have filled out all the paperwork, they will likely want to do a physical exam. They will check your weight, take a blood pressure, and check your urine for proteins and just to quadruple check that you are in fact pregnant. They will take blood to check for STDs, screen for genetic carriers, and determine your Rh status and blood type. If you are determined to be at a higher risk for Gestational Diabetes they may prick your finger to check your blood sugar levels. If you haven’t had a routine pap smear in a while they may want to do a pelvic exam.
Then the best part!
You talk about your baby! Your provider will feel around your uterus to make sure it is growing as it should. They will use a doppler or in some cases a fetoscope to listen to your baby's heartbeat, and in some cases you will get an ultrasound.
Your provider will explain to you the do’s and don’ts of pregnancy (recommend a prenatal vitamin, avoid soft cheeses, raw fish, deli meat, all that fun stuff. Don’t worry, I can almost guarantee that you will be handed a big fat folder of handouts with all this information).
If you have a list of questions, this is the best time to ask or to take notes for your next appointments.
Typical prenatal care schedule for pregnancy
Weeks 4-28: one prenatal a month
Weeks 28-36: one prenatal every 2 weeks
Weeks 37-40: one prenatal every week
And of course, if at any point you have a concern about you or your baby’s health and feel like you need to be seen, absolutely call and make an appointment!
