If you’re anything like me, there are a million questions to ask when you visit your women’s healthcare professional. And if you just found out you’re pregnant, the list of questions probably increases tenfold. But do you also suffer from forgetting every single question once you’re in the doctor’s office?

Your first prenatal care visit is a valuable opportunity to learn about pregnancy from the experts, so it’s important to know what you want to know by the time you’re in their office.

You probably won’t need to ask every question in the first appointment, so here are six questions to ask at your first prenatal appointment and empower yourself with a solid foundation for your pregnancy moving forward.

But first, let’s talk about why partnering with your medical professional matters.

Why Partnering with Your Provider is Important.

You Establish Trust

It’s important to create a strong partnership with your provider. You should walk into your appointment with the expectation of being helped, not just as the next person in the waiting room. Ask yourself, “Is this a doctor I can trust to guide me through my pregnancy?”

Here are some questions to help you gauge your experience with your provider:

• How much face-to-face time can you expect with your doctor?
• Will this be the same person who delivers your baby?
• Can you talk directly with this person if you have questions at home?

If you haven’t found a great provider yet, check out 5 Useful Tips for finding a Quality OBGYN Near You.

Your Concerns are Heard

It’s important to follow the advice of your doctor; but it’s also equally important that when you share your gut feelings about what’s happening in your body, your doctor will respectfully listen and act on your concerns.

Throughout your first prenatal visit, be mindful of the relationship you’re developing with your provider. Trusting your provider and feeling like your concerns are addressed will go a long way towards making your pregnancy a positive and healthy experience.

How has COVID-19 changed prenatal care?

Life has changed a lot since the pandemic, and prenatal care was directly affected by these changes. Some providers or hospitals may have changed their practices permanently, so it’s important to get updated information from your provider and the hospital (if you are planning a hospital birth) on what to expect. 

How has COVID-19 changed birthing + parenting classes?

I was terrified of becoming a mom; I didn’t know how to change a diaper or swaddle a newborn. This is why there are classes specifically for new parents!

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many childbirth preparation classes are now offered online instead of in-person. Your hospital may have free breastfeeding, parenting, and delivery courses. Check and see what they offer and how COVID-19 has impacted them.

You can also ask your doctor what birthing and parenting classes they recommend.

What lifestyle changes will I have to make?

Pregnancy brings many lifestyle changes, so here are a few you may want to address with your doctor or midwife:

Your Diet

You’ll probably need to make a few changes to your diet. Soft cheese, sushi, and tuna are all off the menu for the next nine months. Ask your doctor for a complete list of foods to avoid while pregnant.

You also need a diet rich in vitamins and iron (this is also true when you’re not pregnant, but growing a baby demands an increase in certain vitamins). Ask for a list of foods that will provide the nutrition you need while pregnant. Also, the “eating for two” maxim isn’t technically true. If you’re concerned about weight gain, have your healthcare provider discuss with you how many calories you should be adding to your diet.

Your Fitness Regimen

Fitness and exercise is actually encouraged when pregnant, especially if you’ve already been following a certain workout routine. My midwife showed me modifications I could make to ab workouts and encouraged me to keep running until early in my third trimester. Talk to your provider about what exercise regimen is safe for you.

Your Daily Beverages

We all know you should stop drinking alcohol when pregnant, but what about coffee? Ask your provider about the appropriate level of caffeine you can intake. And if you’ve never heeded the “eight cups of water a day” rule, now is the time to begin. It’s especially important to stay hydrated while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Many other lifestyle changes won’t impact you until your third trimester, but it’s a good idea to have an open dialogue with your provider now.

When will I have an ultrasound?

My favorite part of prenatal visits was seeing my baby on the ultrasound monitor, but you don’t necessarily have an ultrasound every visit. During one of your first visits, you’ll receive an ultrasound to help your doctor estimate your due date. After your first visit, you’ll receive several more ultrasounds to check on your baby’s development during key weeks of pregnancy. The amount of ultrasounds you have depends on your provider and can vary depending on your unique circumstances.

Ask your provider when she thinks you’ll have ultrasounds. These appointments are generally longer, so prepare to take more time off work. And if you attend a smaller clinic, the ultrasound technician may not come in everyday, so you may need to change the day of the week you normally come in, or schedule a separate visit.

Where should I go or who should I call in a medical emergency?

What denotes a medical emergency?

If you’ve never been pregnant before, it’s hard to know the line between what’s normal and what’s not, and when to consider something an emergency. Ask your provider to explain how to gauge what is considered ‘normal’ or expected during your pregnancy, and what is an emergency. One of my concerns was knowing what to do if I started cramping or bleeding. Some cramping and bleeding, especially early in the first trimester, is normal as the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall. Constant cramping or bleeding may be a sign that the pregnancy is not progressing correctly or may indicate an impending miscarriage.1 Speak with your doctor about what’s normal and what’s not.

Who do I call?

Ask your doctor or midwife what the standard protocol is in case of a medical emergency. There may be different contact numbers depending whether you’re calling during or after business hours, and the office can provide these to you.

Who can I anticipate receiving care from?

Ask who you should expect to see if you come into the clinic for an emergency check-up. If you have an emergency in the middle of the night, do they have an on-call provider, or should you go to the emergency room instead?

What medications can I take?

Pregnancy changes what you eat, drink, and how you move and exercise your body. It also changes what medications you can take. Make sure to tell your doctor about any medications you currently take and ask if they’re safe to continue throughout your pregnancy.

For example, certain antidepressants are considered to be harmful for pregnant women, and their doctors may encourage different methods to manage their depression until after the birth of their baby.

Prenatal Vitamins

Talk to your doctor about which brand of prenatal vitamins they recommend and why. Prenatal vitamins come in pills or gummies and are taken daily during pregnancy to support fetal development. Most importantly, they provide the adequate amount of folic acid and iron needed to support you and your baby.

Do I have any special risks or concerns?

There are certain risk factors that may make your doctor want to see you more often.

Family History

Your first prenatal visit will include disclosing your family medical history to help your doctor assess your risks. Ask your mom and your partner’s mom about their family medical history, particularly surrounding birth. Ask if they have a family history of preeclampsia, twins, or if they have had repeated miscarriages—and if so, why?

Potential Risk Factors

Risk factors that may impact your pregnancy include, but are not limited to:

• Pre-existing conditions: if you have a history of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, etc., ask your doctor how your pre-existing condition may affect your pregnancy.2
• Age: Being 35 years or older or under the age of 20 may make you “high risk.”2
• Race and ethnicity: If you are a woman of color, you may want to have a honest discussion with your provider about risks women of color face while pregnant.3

Use this list as a starting point for a conversation with your doctor. If you’re concerned about a particular risk, ask your provider for more resources. You can also ask them to explain why or why not a certain risk may apply to you.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a tremendous learning curve about what your body is capable of doing. It can be both incredible and incredibly terrifying, especially if you’re walking into it with a host of unknowns.

Start a note on your phone or a section in your journal with questions to ask your provider at your visit. Try starting with the six questions here.

And if you’re at your first visit, remember this—your provider is your partner. As long as you communicate your concerns, and they address your questions, you’ll be set up for a physically and emotionally healthy pregnancy.

Sources:

• Shelton, H. personal interview, October 27, 2020.
• Bleeding During Pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/bleeding-during-pregnancy. Published September 2019. Accessed November 5, 2020
• What are some factors that make a pregnancy high risk? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/high-risk/conditioninfo/factors. Published November 6, 2018. Accessed November 2, 2020
• Chuck E. The U.S. finally has better maternal mortality data. Black mothers still fare the worst. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/u-s-finally-has-better-maternal-mortality-data-black-mothers-n1125896. Published January 30, 2020. Accessed November 2, 2020
• “Prenatal Testing: Is It Right for You?,” Mayo Clinic (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, August 25, 2020), https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-testing/art-20045177
• “Prenatal Genetic Screening Tests,” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), September 2019, https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/prenatal-genetic-screening-tests
• “Prenatal Screening and Testing,” Understanding Genetics: A New York, Mid-Atlantic Guide for Patients and Health Professionals. (U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 8, 2009), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115544/