Antenatal Care: What to Expect at Each Visit
If you have recently found out you are pregnant—congratulations. Feeling excited, anxious, or overwhelmed is completely normal. Antenatal care is designed to support you and your baby from early pregnancy through delivery, and having the right medical guidance early makes a meaningful difference.
What Is Antenatal Care?
Antenatal care (also called prenatal care) is the medical care you receive during pregnancy to monitor your health, your baby’s development, and any potential risks.
During antenatal visits, your obstetrician will confirm and date the pregnancy, screen for medical or pregnancy related complications and monitor the wellbeing of both you and your baby. During this time, you will be asked to undergo blood and urine testing, as well as ultrasounds to look at the fetus when indicated. Your doctor will also guide you through options for prenatal screening for different conditions. As your pregnancy advances, your doctor can also guide you through delivery planning by assessing your pregnancy condition and birth preferences.
Regular antenatal care has been shown to reduce pregnancy complications and improve outcomes for both mother and baby.
When Should I See a Doctor During Pregnancy?
It is recommended to see an obstetrician as soon as you know you are pregnant, ideally within the first 6–8 weeks of pregnancy.
You should seek medical attention immediately if you experience vaginal bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain, or severe nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may require evaluation for early pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, threatened miscarriage, non-viable pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb).
How Often Are Antenatal Appointments?
For uncomplicated pregnancies, visits typically follow this schedule:
– Up to 32 weeks: every 4 weeks
– 32–36 weeks: every 2 weeks
– From 36 weeks until delivery: weekly
If you have chronic medical conditions or pregnancy complications, more frequent visits may be recommended.
What Happens During Antenatal Visits?
At each visit, your doctor will assess your symptoms, check vital signs including your blood pressure, weight, do a urine test, and monitor your baby’s growth and well-being. Ultrasound scans and laboratory tests are performed at specific gestational ages to screen for potential complications.
Key Milestones During Pregnancy
First Antenatal Visit
During your first antenatal visit, your doctor will ask about your detailed history, and perform a baseline physical examination. Your last menstrual period will be assessed and you might undergo an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. Occasionally, a BhCG test (pregnancy blood test) will be needed. Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your doctor will suggest blood and urine testing to check for different conditions that might have an impact on your pregnancy. More information on first antenatal care can be found here. This is also an opportunity for your doctor to counsel you on nutrition, provide supplements and offer information on prenatal screening tests.
11–14 Weeks
During this period, a nuchal translucency (NT) scan can be performed, which is a test to assess the thickness of the fluid in the back of the neck in the developing fetus. This is also an opportune time to undergo screening for chromosomal aneuploidies, for example Down Syndrome, and carrier screening such as thalassemia or spinal muscular atrophy.
18–22 Weeks
During 18-22 weeks gestation, a detailed anatomy scan is performed on the fetus to check for any anomalies, assess the baby’s growth and amniotic fluid, as well as the location of the placenta. During this visit, your doctor will also measure the length of your cervix. A short cervix may increase your risk of preterm birth. More information on cervical length screening can be found here.
If any abnormalities are found in the fetus, and depending on the anomaly found, your doctor may counsel you with options for further testing such as amniocentesis. It is also important to note that anatomy scans are not 100% sensitive, and not all conditions can be picked up on ultrasounds. Once the baby is born he or she will need to undergo a physical examination by the pediatrician.
24–28 Weeks
During this time period, your doctor might screen you for gestational diabetes. This test will include consuming a sugary fluid, and undergoing a blood test to check your blood sugar some time after. If the initial test is positive, your doctor might prescribe additional sugar testing to confirm whether you have gestational diabetes mellitus.
Please note that in some women who are at high risk of gestational or pre-gestational diabetes mellitus, the sugar test might be performed earlier, such as during one of your first antenatal visits
30–32 Weeks
During 30-32 weeks pregnancy, some antenatal labs are repeated, such as complete blood count to check for anemia, and testing for HIV and Syphilis. This is to detect any acquisition of these conditions during pregnancy so as to provide timely treatment for the mother and to reduce the risk of transmission to the baby.
36–37 Weeks
During 36 weeks of pregnancy your doctor may ask to perform a swab of your vagina and rectum, to test for Group B streptococcus (GBS screening), which is a bacteria that sometimes lives in the birth canal without causing any symptoms. Please note that this is not a sexually transmitted disease. Although GBS can be harmless to the woman, it may cause a higher risk of infection to the fetus. Therefore, if a woman is found to be a carrier of GBS, she may need to receive antibiotics during labor to prevent the baby from getting infected.
Planning for Birth
Once you enter the third trimester, discussions will begin about your birth plan and mode of delivery. Many patients find it helpful to visit the delivery hospital in advance (if you are undergoing antenatal care at a clinic), tour the labor and delivery rooms, and clarify administrative and insurance details. These steps can help reduce stress and ensure a smoother delivery experience. Your doctor will be able to guide you through your birth plan and preferences, as well as discuss any procedures that you might need, if they are medically indicated.
References
1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 762: Prepregnancy counseling. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(1):e78-89.
2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 175: Ultrasound in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(6):e241-56.
3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 190: Gestational diabetes mellitus. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;131(2):e49-64.
4. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 797: Prevention of Group B Streptococcal early-onset disease in newborns. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(2):e51-72.
5. Cunningham FG, Leveno KJ, Dashe JS, Hoffman BL, Spong CY, Casey BM, et al., editors. Williams obstetrics. 26th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2022.
Maternal–Fetal Medicine Specialist in Bangkok
Dr. Narisra Srikureja Firer (Dr. Niti)
Dr. Niti is a Bangkok-based OBGYN with subspecialty training in Maternal–Fetal Medicine (MFM). She provides comprehensive care for women across all stages of life, including pregnancy care, deliveries, and general gynecological conditions.
She dedicates her time to private practice at Ruamjairak Hospital and Mission Hospital, and serves as a Maternal–Fetal Medicine Consultant at a large government tertiary care center.
To read Dr. Niti’s full bio, click here.
