Points of Care Throughout Your Pregnancy

One of the keys to having a healthy baby is taking good care of your own health. The healthier you are, the stronger you and your baby are likely to be. That means having regular checkups throughout your pregnancy. Use this as a guide to what checkups you should get and when, but always follow your doctor’s specific instructions for your situation.

9 to 11 weeks to 28 weeks:

• Monthly visit with your obstetrician
• First trimester screening, a blood test to screen for chromosome problems and Down’s syndrome

16 weeks:

Tetra-Screen, a blood test to screen for problems or abnormalities such as spina bifida and Down’s syndrome

18 weeks to 22 weeks:

Ultrasound to assess fetal anatomy

25 weeks to 28 weeks:

One-hour glucose screen, a blood test to screen for diabetes

28 weeks to 36 weeks:

Visits every two weeks with your obstetrician

36 weeks to delivery:

Visits at least every week with your obstetrician

Special Situations

Under some circumstances, you may need additional points of care:

• If your blood type is RH negative or you have certain other blood conditions, then you may need a blood test called an indirect Coombs test at about 26 weeks.
• If your blood type is RH negative and your indirect Coombs test is negative, then you may need a shot called Rhogam at 28 weeks.
• If your doctor orders specific testing, then you may need a special appointment for additional tests.

Obstetric and Pelvic Sonograms

In prenatal care, sonograms are an important tool in helping to determine growth characteristics of the unborn child. Sonograms use ultrasound to visualize internal organs; they do not use radiation. For this reason, sonograms are often used for studying pregnancies and evaluating problems with the pelvic organs.

Your obstetrician may perform some sonograms in the office. However, most of your sonograms will be scheduled through Kelsey-Seybold’s Radiology Department. Our registered technologists use state-of-the-art sonography equipment, and the sonograms are reviewed by Kelsey-Seybold physicians specializing in radiology. In some cases, your sonogram will be scheduled at the same location where you visit your obstetrician.

The Final Weeks

As you get closer to your due date, you’ll be meeting weekly with your obstetrician. In the majority of cases, the OB you choose to care for you during pregnancy will deliver your baby. If, for any reason, your OB doctor is not available for your delivery, then another qualified Kelsey-Seybold obstetrician will deliver your baby.