You have taken the test, seen the two lines, and felt that first mix of joy and nerves. One of the earliest and most useful things you can do next is book your first antenatal appointment.
Antenatal care simply means the checks, scans and tests carried out through pregnancy to keep an eye on both you and your baby. Most pregnancies are healthy and straightforward. Regular monitoring is what makes sure that stays true, and catches the small number of problems while they are still easy to manage.
What happens at your first visit
The first appointment is the longest, because it sets up everything that follows. The doctor takes a full history of your health, any previous pregnancies, medicines you take and any conditions in the family.
You will usually have your blood pressure, weight and height recorded, and a set of blood tests arranged. An early ultrasound scan may be done to confirm how many weeks pregnant you are and to check the pregnancy is developing in the womb.
The blood tests, and why they matter
Early pregnancy bloodwork looks for several things that are far better known about early than discovered late. These typically include your blood group and rhesus factor, which is a protein on red blood cells that matters if your blood type is rhesus negative, along with a check for anaemia, meaning low iron in the blood.
Screening blood tests also check for infections that can affect the baby, and your blood sugar may be tested, since some women develop gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that appears during pregnancy and needs monitoring. Our laboratory is on site, so these can be arranged in the same place as your consultation.
The scans during pregnancy
An ultrasound uses sound waves, not radiation, to produce a picture of the baby, so it is safe in pregnancy. Most women have a small number of scans at different stages, each looking for something specific.
An early dating scan confirms your due date and checks the heartbeat. A mid pregnancy scan, usually around the middle of the pregnancy, looks in detail at the baby's growth and development. Later scans may be arranged if your doctor wants to check the baby's growth, position or the fluid around them.
The routine checks at every visit
As the pregnancy goes on, appointments become more frequent, moving from roughly monthly in the early months to more often near the end. Each visit is short but purposeful.
Your blood pressure is checked every time, because a rise can be an early sign of a condition called pre eclampsia. Your urine may be tested for protein or infection. Your bump is measured to track the baby's growth, and later on the doctor listens to the baby's heartbeat and checks the position.
Where delivery fits in
It is worth being clear about what we do and do not provide. At Newtown we offer antenatal consultations, ultrasound scanning and laboratory testing, so a great deal of your routine monitoring through pregnancy can be done here.
We do not have a maternity delivery unit. Your delivery care is arranged with the hospital or birthing facility you choose to deliver at, and we will work with you so that your records and results are ready to go with you. Deciding early where you plan to deliver makes the whole journey smoother.
Looking after yourself between visits
Antenatal care is a partnership, and much of it happens between appointments. Take a folic acid supplement as advised, ideally started before or as early in pregnancy as possible, since it protects the baby's developing spine. Eat well, stay hydrated, keep gently active unless told otherwise, and avoid alcohol and smoking completely.
Keep every appointment, even the ones where you feel perfectly fine, because those are often the visits that quietly confirm all is well. If something worries you between visits, ask. No question about your pregnancy is too small.
What to do next
If you have just learned you are pregnant, book your first antenatal appointment now rather than waiting. Getting your dating scan and early blood tests done at the right time gives you and your baby the best possible start.
From there, the schedule takes care of itself. A steady rhythm of checks, scans and tests is one of the simplest and most powerful things that keeps mother and baby safe.
Expecting? Arrange your antenatal checks and scans at Newtown.
Doctor consultations, ultrasound scanning and full laboratory testing are all available under one roof at 55 Woodford Street, Port of Spain, so much of your routine monitoring can be done in one place. We provide antenatal assessment, scans and bloodwork, and your delivery care is arranged with the hospital or facility you choose to deliver at. Our Accident and Emergency department is open 24 hours if an urgent problem arises during your pregnancy.
This article is for general education only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your own health. If you believe you have a medical emergency, call or visit our 24-hour Accident and Emergency department immediately.