Your second visit - the booking appointment
Your next appointment should occur when you are between 8 and 12 weeks pregnant. This is called the booking appointment. This will last for up to two hours, and could take place either at a hospital or in the community, for example in a clinic at a health centre, in a GP surgery or at home.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- Give you your hand-held notes and plan of care.
- Plan the care you will get throughout your pregnancy
- Identify any potential risks associated with any work you may do.
- Measure your height and weight and calculate your body mass index (BMI).
- Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein.
- Find out whether you are at increased risk of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.
- Offer you screening tests and make sure you understand what is involved before you decide to have any of them.
- Offer you an ultrasound scan at eight to 14 weeks to estimate when your baby is due.
- Offer you an ultrasound scan at 18-20 weeks to check the physical development of your baby and screen for possible abnormalities. You may also be offered an ultrasound scan.
You will be given information about:
- How the baby develops during pregnancy.
- Nutrition and diet.
- General exercise and pelvic floor exercises.
- Antenatal screening tests.
- Your antenatal care and antenatal classes.
- Breastfeeding workshops.
- Maternity and paternity benefits.
- Planning your labour and where to have your baby.
Your practitioner will ask questions to build up a picture of you and your pregnancy. This is to make sure you're given the support you need, and so that any risks are spotted early.
Several antenatal screening tests are performed on a sample of your blood which is usually taken at your booking appointment. In some cases, the baby's father may be asked to have a blood test to check for inherited conditions, such as sickle cell or thalassemia. Johnson, T.C. (2019, January 15). 1st Trimester: 2nd prenatal visit. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/baby/your-second-prenatal-visit#1
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