Antenatal Care During Pregnancy: Checkups, Tests, Scans & Care Guide

Your first appointment may be particularly important if you have:

What Happens During the First Pregnancy Checkup?

The first pregnancy checkup usually focuses on understanding your health, confirming relevant pregnancy information and planning antenatal care.

Your doctor may ask about:

Depending on your circumstances and stage of pregnancy, the doctor may recommend blood tests, urine testing, ultrasound or other assessments. The first consultation is also a good opportunity to tell your obstetrician about symptoms that may otherwise seem unrelated to pregnancy.

Questions worth asking at your first appointment

You can ask :

• How far along is my pregnancy?
• Which tests are recommended at this stage?
• When should I have my first ultrasound?
• When is my next appointment?
• Are my existing medicines safe during pregnancy?
• What symptoms should prompt me to seek medical attention?
• Do I need any dietary or supplement changes?

These questions can make antenatal visits more useful and help you understand the reason behind each recommendation.

How Often Should You Have Antenatal Checkups?

There is no single appointment schedule that applies to every pregnancy. The frequency depends on the stage of pregnancy and individual clinical needs.

WHO recommends a minimum of eight antenatal contacts during pregnancy, with contacts distributed from the first trimester through the third trimester. Its model places contacts at up to 12 weeks, 20 weeks, 26 weeks, 30 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, 38 weeks and 40 weeks.

Actual schedules can differ between healthcare systems and individual pregnancies. For example, some maternity services arrange more frequent visits as pregnancy progresses, while additional appointments may be recommended when a pregnancy requires closer monitoring. The important point is consistent pregnancy care rather than simply counting appointments.

Antenatal Care During the First Trimester

The first trimester covers the early weeks of pregnancy and is an important period for establishing the pregnancy care plan.

During this stage, your obstetrician may focus on:

First-trimester ultrasound

An early ultrasound may be recommended depending on the stage of pregnancy and clinical circumstances.

Ultrasound can help assess gestational age, fetal development, number of fetuses and other pregnancy-related findings. WHO recommends an ultrasound before 24 weeks as part of antenatal care, with early ultrasound particularly useful for estimating gestational age and detecting multiple pregnancy and some fetal abnormalities.

First-trimester screening

Some screening tests are offered during the first trimester. Depending on the healthcare setting and screening pathway, these can include blood tests and ultrasound-based assessments.

It is important to understand that screening estimates the chance of certain conditions; it does not by itself establish a diagnosis. Further testing may be discussed when screening results indicate an increased chance of a condition.

Why the Anatomy or Anomaly Scan Matters

The scan can provide information about structures such as:

• Brain and head
• Face
• Spine
• Heart
• Chest
• Abdomen
• Kidneys
• Limbs
• Placenta
• Amniotic fluid

The findings are interpreted in the context of the pregnancy rather than as an isolated image.

What Tests Are Done During Antenatal Care?

There is no single list of tests that every pregnant woman will have at exactly the same time. Testing depends on pregnancy stage, medical history, local clinical protocols and individual risk factors.

Common categories can include:

Blood tests

Depending on the antenatal programme, blood testing may assess areas such as:

• blood group and Rh status
• Haemoglobin and anaemia
• certain infections
• Blood glucose
• Other tests based on clinical assessment

Urine testing

Urine may be assessed during antenatal visits for findings that can help identify certain pregnancy-related concerns.

Blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure is an important part of routine antenatal assessment because elevated blood pressure during pregnancy may require further evaluation.

Blood glucose testing

Some women are screened for gestational diabetes at a stage recommended by their healthcare provider. Women with certain risk factors may need earlier or additional assessment.

Ultrasound scans

Ultrasound may be used at different stages for different purposes, including assessment of fetal development, gestational age, anatomy, growth or other pregnancy-related findings.

WHO's current maternal-health information includes routine blood testing, ultrasound for gestational-age assessment and blood-pressure measurement among antenatal interventions.

What Scans Are Usually Done During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy scans are performed at different stages for different clinical purposes, and not every woman requires the same number of ultrasounds.

Depending on the pregnancy, ultrasound assessments may include:

Early pregnancy ultrasound

May help assess early pregnancy development, location and gestational age when clinically appropriate.

First-trimester or 12-week scan

May assess fetal development and gestational age, with NT assessment included when appropriate as part of a screening pathway.

Anatomy or anomaly scan

A detailed second-trimester ultrasound used to assess fetal anatomy and look for certain structural abnormalities.

Growth scan

May be recommended later in pregnancy when fetal growth needs additional monitoring.

Doppler assessment

May be used when the obstetrician needs information about selected blood-flow patterns.

The purpose of a scan matters more than simply the number of scans.

For a detailed explanation of pregnancy ultrasounds, the Healtree pregnancy content cluster can link this article to the dedicated “Scans During Pregnancy” article.

What Is the Difference Between Routine and High-Risk Antenatal Care?

Routine antenatal care is designed to monitor an uncomplicated pregnancy and identify changes that may require further evaluation.

High-risk pregnancy care involves closer or more specialized monitoring when maternal, fetal or pregnancy-related factors increase the possibility of complications.

Factors that may lead an obstetrician to consider closer monitoring can include:

• Certain maternal medical conditions
• Previous pregnancy complications
• Multiple pregnancy
• Previous adverse pregnancy outcomes
• Abnormal screening findings
• Concerns about fetal growth
• Placental concerns
• Other clinical findings

A high-risk classification does not automatically mean that a complication will occur. It means the pregnancy may require additional assessment or specialist management.

Healtree lists high-risk pregnancy management among Dr. Suganya R's areas of specialization and routine antenatal and high-risk pregnancy management among Dr. Hemalatha's listed areas of specialization.

What Should You Eat and Avoid During Pregnancy?

Nutrition is an important part of antenatal care, but dietary recommendations should be individualized when conditions such as diabetes, anaemia, thyroid disease or other medical concerns are present.

General antenatal counselling may cover:

• Balanced meals
• Adequate hydration
• Appropriate prenatal supplementation
• Food safety
• Healthy weight management
• Physical activity appropriate to the pregnancy
• Avoiding tobacco and alcohol

WHO's antenatal-care recommendations include counselling on healthy eating, optimal nutrition and physical activity. Do not start, stop or change prescribed medicines or supplements based solely on general online information. Discuss them with your obstetrician.

What Symptoms Should You Discuss With Your Obstetrician?

Pregnancy can cause many normal physical changes, but some symptoms require medical assessment.

Contact your maternity healthcare provider promptly if you experience concerns such as:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Severe or persistent abdominal pain
• Severe headache or visual changes
• Significant swelling or sudden worsening of symptoms
• Fluid leakage
• Fever or feeling significantly unwell
• Reduced or changed fetal movements later in pregnancy
• Regular painful contractions before the expected time of delivery
• Any symptom that your obstetrician has specifically advised you to report

The appropriate response depends on the stage of pregnancy and the symptoms involved. If symptoms are severe or you believe you may have an emergency, seek urgent medical care rather than waiting for a routine appointment.