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Your pregnancy test was positive (yippee!), and now your practitioner is in the loop. Here's how to prepare and what to expect at your first prenatal appointment.
Back to Top In This Article When should I schedule my first prenatal visit? When will my first prenatal visit take place? How should I prepare for my first pregnancy appointment? What will happen at my first prenatal visit? Will I see my baby on an ultrasound at my first prenatal visit?Your first prenatal visit may be one of the longest you'll have during your pregnancy — and definitely the most comprehensive. Not only will there be tests and information-gathering, there will be lots of time spent on questions and answers. There will also be plenty of advice given, from what to eat (or not), what prenatal vitamins to take, and how much to exercise.
Here are the details on when to go for your first pregnancy appointment, how to prepare for it and what actually happens while you're there.
As soon as you have a positive result on a home pregnancy test, call your practitioner to schedule an appointment. Good prenatal care is one of the most important steps in having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Trusted Source American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Having a Baby See All Sources [1]
The first prenatal appointment usually takes place in the second month, between week 6 and week 8 of pregnancy.
Be sure to call as soon as you suspect you're pregnant and have taken a pregnancy test. Some practitioners will be able to fit you in right away, but others may have waits of several weeks (or longer). Certain OB/GYN offices also offer an earlier "pre-OB" visit to confirm a pregnancy as soon as you think you're expecting.
Regardless of when that first appointment is scheduled, start acting pregnant once you get that positive result at home (such as by taking a prenatal vitamin, following a healthy diet, switching to mocktails and skipping certain off-limits foods like raw fish and deli meat). You may be familiar with the basics, but don't hesitate to call your practitioner's office if you need to brush up.
And if the wait is of concern because you feel your pregnancy may be high-risk (because of a chronic condition or a history of miscarriages, for example), check in with the office to see if you can come in earlier.
