Routine Medical Visits

Pregnant women should remember that visits to the doctor are not limited to the first visit to learn that you are pregnant and the time when you start labor and have your baby. To keep your emotions in place and your health in shape routine visits have to be scheduled for testing to learn if there are complications and risk factors or if you are in perfect health.

Ordinarily, a visit to the doctor every 4 weeks for examination is practiced until the 28th week of pregnancy. From there, visits should be as often as every 2 weeks until reaching the 36th week and finally once a week until delivery.

Those scheduled visits guarantee your blood pressure and weight are under control allowing the doctor to record everything an examination reveals for future reference during labor and delivery, including facts such as the shape and size of your uterus that should be measured after the 22 nd week in order to determine if the developing baby is growing normally.

Examinations may include a request of a small urine sample to test sugar and protein levels that can lead to preeclampsia, a condition developed in some women during late pregnancy and characterized by the excessive gaining of weight with fluid retention, protein in the urine and high blood pressure.

Diabetes is another condition to take care of after 12 weeks of pregnancy that more likely is developed by women that are obese, have a family history of diabetes or are older than 30 years.

Schedule your visits to the doctor and take with you a list of your question and concerns.