Ask These 10 Questions at Your First Prenatal Appointment

You’ve just learned the good news — you’re pregnant — and you’ve scheduled your first prenatal care visit with us. This is your first step toward a successful pregnancy as prenatal care can make a big difference. In fact, women who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a child of low birth weight.

To avoid this and other poor outcomes, Dr. Jack Tubbs and the team here at Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology offers comprehensive obstetric services, including prenatal care.

Arguably, your first prenatal visit with us is your most important visit, so you want to get the most out of it. That means you should come armed with questions, 10 of which we recommend below.

1. What’s my due date?

One very important piece of information that should come out of your first prenatal visit is your due date. To determine that, we’ll need the date of your last period, so please try to figure that out in advance.

2. Am I at high risk?

There are many factors that place your pregnancy in the high-risk category, such as being 35 or older, carrying multiples, previous pregnancy issues, and preexisting health conditions. We assure you that being classified as high risk is just a precautionary measure and not a predictive step.

3. What medications can I take?

During your first prenatal visit, we review any medications you’re taking on a regular basis, so please bring them with you or have a list. We also discuss which over-the-counter medications are safe and which ones are off-limits.

4. How much weight should I gain?

Another question is to figure out, based on your starting weight, body shape, and previous experience, is how many pounds you should gain. We can give you a rough estimate of when you should expect to gain weight, and how much, during each trimester.

5. What can’t I eat?

There are some dietary restrictions when you’re pregnant, such as raw foods or foods that aren’t pasteurized. Rest assured, we’ll supply you with a comprehensive list.

6. What else should I avoid?

There are other things you should avoid when you’re pregnant, such as getting into hot tubs or using saunas. If you engage in an activity that you’re worried might impact your pregnancy, please bring it up during your visit.

7. Is exercise OK?

If you enjoy an active lifestyle, ask us about the activities you prefer and whether you can still engage in them. As an example, we might suggest a little more caution about riding horses than we would about playing pickleball.

8. Do I need vaccinations?

You should come to your visit with your latest vaccination schedule. We may recommend additional shots to protect your pregnancy, such as Tdap and the flu vaccine.

9. Should I have a birth plan?

While it might be early, we can still discuss your potential birth plan during your first prenatal visit. If you don’t know what a birth plan is, we go over this so you can discuss it with your partner, if applicable, and come up with one that best suits your goals.

10. No question is a silly question

We’re not going to suggest a question here, but let you know that there’s no such thing as a silly question during your prenatal visits. We suggest you carry a notebook with you or dictate into your phone any thought or question that pops into your head before we meet for your first prenatal visit.

If you have more questions about your prenatal visit, please contact our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to schedule an appointment.