Antenatal care allows Dr Farag and the team at Coastal Women’s Health to monitor your baby’s growth and wellbeing throughout your pregnancy. These visits provide a great opportunity to ask questions, but please reach out to us at any time with additional questions or concerns.
A general guide to what you may expect and the schedule of visits is below. Note that this is only a guide and that visit schedules and tests are individualised and adjusted based on patient care needs. More frequent visits may be needed if you have high risk pregnancy.
What can you expect at every appointment?
Confirming foetal heartbeat with ultrasound, screening your urine for glucose and/or protein, checking your blood pressure and weight, talking with our team about what’s happened since your last visit, and any troublesome symptoms you may be experiencing.
| Approximate Gestational Age | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| 7-12 weeks (every 4 weeks) | Pregnancy confirmation / viability / dating ultrasound. First antenatal visit. Initial blood work and labs. Optional carrier and genetic screening tests. Non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) / Early pregnancy ultrasound including nuchal translucency. |
| 16 weeks (every 4 weeks) | MSAFP blood test screening for open neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Optional genetic screening tests if not done in 1st trimester. |
| 20 weeks (every 4 weeks) | Detailed anatomy ultrasound of baby. |
| 26 – 28 weeks (every 4 weeks) | Screening for gestational diabetes. 28-week blood work. Blood group antibodies for Rhesus Negative. Whooping cough vaccination. |
| 30 – 34 weeks (every 2 weeks) | Birth plan: Information about delivery. |
| 34 – 36 weeks (every 2 weeks) | Screening for Group B Strep. 36-week blood work. Ultrasound for foetal growth and position. |
| 36 – 41 weeks (weekly) | Ultrasounds for foetal wellbeing (if necessary). Scheduling of induction (if necessary). Cervical exam to check for dilation (only if necessary). |
More information is also available in our patient fact sheets.
