How often should I have a prenatal check-up after pregnancy?

The so-called prenatal check-up means a check-up for pregnant women before delivery. Another name is perinatal care. When a pregnant woman is about to reach her due date, she must go to a regular hospital for a prenatal check-up. This is very important. At different stages of pregnancy, the examination items will be different. For example, in the late pregnancy, pregnant women need to do two B-ultrasound examinations, including checking the position of the placenta, etc. So how long does it take to do a prenatal check-up after pregnancy?

How often should I have a prenatal check-up after pregnancy?

First prenatal check-up time: 12 weeks of pregnancy. Creating a card is the prenatal examination record of a pregnant woman in the hospital, also known as creating a file, which is to facilitate the hospital to track the condition of the pregnant woman. In addition, if an expectant mother has maternity insurance, she must create a card in a designated hospital to enjoy maternity reimbursement.

First prenatal check-up items

1.NT examination

NT examination is the fetal nuchal translucency examination. The fetal nuchal translucency refers to the space of subcutaneous fluid accumulation behind the fetal neck, which appears as a transparent band during ultrasound scanning. The normal thickness of the fetal nuchal translucency is between 2.2 and 3.0 mm. If the thickness of the fetal nuchal translucency is greater than 3.0 mm, it is abnormal, indicating that the baby is likely to have Down syndrome. It is best to further determine whether the fetal chromosomes are normal.

2. Height and weight

Changes in weight can help us understand the development of the fetus. Abnormal weight gain may indicate the possibility of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

3. Blood pressure

If blood pressure rises abnormally, you should be aware of the possibility of pregnancy-induced hypertension. It will affect the development and growth of the fetus. Standard value: should not exceed 130/190 mmHg, or increase by no more than 30/15 mmHg compared with baseline blood pressure (blood pressure before pregnancy).

4. Listen to fetal heartbeat

Listening to fetal heartbeats: By the 13th week of pregnancy, you can already listen to the fetal heartbeats. Hearing the fetal heartbeat indicates that the fetus in the abdomen is alive. The doctor will write a series of test orders only after hearing the fetal heartbeat. Normal range: 120-160 beats per minute.

5. Uterine height and abdominal circumference

It can help us understand the growth of the fetus. Abnormal enlargement may indicate excessive amniotic fluid or the possibility of twins.

The above is an introduction to when to have the first prenatal check-up. In short, there are still many items to be included in the first prenatal check-up. It should be noted that many blood tests require fasting, so you should go for the prenatal check-up on an empty stomach. You can bring some food and water with you, and eat as soon as you finish the fasting test to avoid hypoglycemia.

Women will undergo multiple prenatal checkups during pregnancy. For pregnant mothers, there is nothing happier than watching the fetus develop healthily. Pregnant mothers who have no childbearing experience are always prone to panic during the check-up and are not clear about how often to check during pregnancy. So, how often should you have prenatal checkups when you are just pregnant? How long after pregnancy should I do an ultrasound? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

How often should I have prenatal checkups when I first get pregnant?

Generally, about ten prenatal checkups are required during pregnancy.

12 weeks (three months) of pregnancy: Check once within this period to identify early pregnancy symptoms in time and start health care early;

Second trimester (13-28 weeks): Check once a month to timely screen for high-risk pregnancy. If high-risk factors are found, the number of checks should be increased as appropriate, and necessary corrective treatment should be given;

Late pregnancy (28-36 weeks): Check once every half month to timely identify various factors that affect normal delivery and pregnancy complications and comorbidities;

After 36 weeks of pregnancy to full-term pregnancy: check once a week to closely observe the condition of the pregnant woman and fetus in order to better prepare for delivery.

How long after pregnancy should I do an ultrasound?

Not everyone has the same opinion about doing B-ultrasound. I personally recommend four B-ultrasound examinations. One in early pregnancy, mainly to determine whether you are pregnant; the second time is usually at 4 or 5 months, mainly to determine the development of the fetus; the third time is usually around 7 and a half months, mainly to see if the fetal position is normal; the fourth examination is before delivery, to determine the fetal position, degree of placental maturity, amount of amniotic fluid, etc., to prepare for delivery.