Tell me about your first prenatal appointment

Mine is on Wednesday, I will be 7w5d and I really have no idea what to expect. I am hoping they will do some sort of dating ultrasound since my periods were sort of irregular, I think from counting calories, (anywhere between 21-29 day cycles) and I am going off of when my last period was for my estimated due date... should I bring my menstrual history? Sorry if I'm rambling.... I had a miscarriage 2 years ago and I have been afraid to get too excited about this pregnancy.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

At my first appt they did the usual weight, medical history, confirmation pregnancy test, test for UTI's.

I also got an u/s at my first appt with both kids.  Now, one of them was at a fertility specialist's office, so I'm sure he does them every time regardless, to make sure the pregnancy is not ectopic.  I think my other (first pregnancy) doctor did it because I was highly emotional (I'd had some spotting) and she could tell that I needed to see with my own eyes.  Not that there was much to see at 5 weeks.  A sac was all, but the sac was in the right place, so I felt better.  At 7 weeks there will be more to see.  A whole bean, practically.  Maybe even some arm and leg buds.

I was also sent for blood tests both times.  Genetic screening for problems common in my ethnicity - in my case cystic fibrosis was one of the things they tested for and I am a carrier.  They also commonly test for sickle-cell in those of African descent and tay sachs in European Jews.  I think that's it, but I might be missing one or two others.  They will draw blood for STD testing, iron levels, and blood typing.  They took a lot of blood on that first trip.

I think that's about it.

I would just have your last two period dates handy and when they ask tell them that your most recent one was abnormal.  They will probably go ahead with the u/s at that point, for dating purposes, like you said.

The only thing that I can add is that they did a sonogram at my first appointment (and everyone after, as well) to listen to the baby's heart beat. I heard his heart beat before I had my ultrasound.

They will probably to a pelvic exam, too...from what I remember.

My thoughts are with you and I pray for a happy and healthy pregnancy and baby!

Mine was soooo dissapointing - and I will tell you just so you don't get your hopes up.

They did nothing!

I think I peed in a cup and she said - yep your pregnant - come back at the 12 week mark. 

That was it!  They might have done some other random test and checked my vitals but I went in hoping  to see the little peanut or hear a heartbeat and she said that comes at the  next appointment.

Good Luck - enjoy being pregnant - it goes WAY too fast.

Yea mine was a pee in a cup and listening for a heartbeat wich they didnt hear b/c I wasnt far enough along... pee in a cup, weight check, some poking here and there and that was that...

Don't expect to hear a heart beat before 12 to 14 weeks. Hubby was very disappointed to come to the boring appointments expecting to hear something and.... nothing!

If you choose a naturopath/midwife for your care provider, your appointments will be in depth and thorough.  Mine usually lasted between 30-60 minutes.  The first one involved blood work, a pelvic exam, a breast exam, and emotional "counseling" about the pregnancy.  I really like the midwifery model--they're not necessarily on a time-schedule like regular OBs.

It depends on the doctor/office you go to whether or not you'll have an u/s at each visit. With mine, I have one twice, unless of course something comes up!

At mine it was: pee in a cup, weight, routine questions, estimated the due date based on the date of my last period (all of this with the nurse)... then off to see the dr. and I had an internal exam, answered any questions that I had, felt my uterus from the outside, breast exam... then it was off to the lab for a bunch of blood work. The first is usually the longest visit.

Congratulations!!!

Thank you all for your replies. I am a little less nervous today than I was yesterday, but of course that changes with the hour! :) I am still terrified that they will find something wrong.

first off you gotta just let the stress go , every things going to be good I know that easier said then done however I too went through a miscarriage and then 3 yrs of nothing while everyone I knew and a lot of people I didn't got preggers which really bummed me out until finally.... my first visit I was around 7 1/2, 8 weeks and my doctor had me pee in a cup then go back for blood work once it was confirmed I was indeed preggers then weighed asked a few questions and measured then I had to come in a week later for my results as well as a pap cause I hadn't had one recently (lucky me) I felt I really could have done with out and he whipped out the Doppler (to here the heart beat) which I was lucky enough to hear you can't always at this stage....we are in a small town so no ultrasound then ... when all the other blood work came back great it was just routine visits till I was around 20 weeks as they weren't sure at this point were I was......then sent to a large city centre to a ultrasound specialist to have my ultrasound and get exact dates as well as the sex if I wanted to know which was so cool but that was the only one I ever got .....until my sisterin-law got preggers I thought getting an ultrasound on your first visit and everyone after was something you saw in movies, but apparently some places they do one right there to confirm that you are pregnant anyway I hope all goes well with this pregnancy and you have lots of pregnant month's to come mine did'nt go so smooth but I had a healthy little girl

congrads!!

My very first ob appointment i had a confirmation pregnancy test.  (which of course came up positive) like duh i told them i had already done one!! LOL  They took medical history, etc.....i had to pee in a cup (get used to this one btw you have to do it at every visit) i was a perfect shot by the end of my pregnancy!! They usually draw blood too.  We talked about nutrition how much i should be eating etc....weight check etc.....then the second visit is when i had my first ultrasound (because like you my periods were all whack before that period i had before coming pregnant with my son) (he's 8 months old now).  I dont recall having the pelvic exam though until my second visit.  It's all a blur now.  Well good luck!!


Clarice

My first pregnancy I had an appointment at 7 weeks, and I got the whole battery of blood tests and jazz like that. I found out about my second pregnancy while at Anderson AFB on Guam and they wouldn't see me until my 12th week mark! I had a pelvic exam on the first visit for both pregnancies, though.

Bring whatever you think the doctor needs. The more information, the better I say.