I. Examination time
1) Within three months (12 weeks), the first check-up.
2) 13-27 weeks, once every four weeks
3) 28-35 weeks, once every two weeks; Anhui Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Department of Gynecology, Zhou Shuguang.
4) 36 weeks – before delivery, once a week.
II. Checkup items, purpose and precautions
1) The first pregnancy checkup will be done at around 12 weeks (three months).
This checkup includes: weight and blood pressure; consultation with the doctor, mainly about the previous pregnancy for future reference; B-ultrasound (Doppler); urine test; examination of other parts of the body; blood sampling; examination of the size of the uterus; fetal nuchal translucency screening.
2) 13-16 weeks, second check-up: from the second check-up onwards, the basic routine check-ups for the mother-to-be include: weighing; blood pressure; urine test; measurement of uterine height; abdominal circumference; consultation and examination of the baby’s fetal heart sounds, etc.
3) 17-20 weeks, the third check-up for Down’s syndrome screening.
This stage is mainly for some basic routine checkups. But at this time, ultrasound can be more accurate to find out the sex of the fetus. 20 weeks later, there will be pseudo contractions, but most of them will be relieved within 30 minutes, but as the number of weeks of pregnancy increases, the frequency will be higher.
4) 21-24 weeks, the fourth maternity checkup Gestational diabetes screening.
Most of the gestational diabetes is done in the 24th week of pregnancy, the hospital will ask the mother to drink 50 grams of glucose water first and then have a blood test one hour later.
5) 25-28 weeks, the fifth maternity test Hepatitis B antigen Syphilis serology test Measles.
The most important thing at this stage is the blood test for hepatitis B. The purpose of this test is to check whether the mother-to-be is infected with hepatitis B. If the mother-to-be is positive for both tests, she must let the pediatrician know so that the newborn can be vaccinated within 24 hours of giving birth to the baby to avoid infecting the newborn. In addition, it is important to reconfirm whether the mother’s previous syphilis test was positive or negative, so that the mother-to-be can be completely treated for syphilis before the birth of the fetus.
6) 29-32 weeks, 6th check-up Lower limb edema Pre-eclampsia Prevention of preterm delivery.
After 28 weeks of pregnancy, the doctor will check the mother-to-be for edema one after another. The mother can reduce edema by wearing elastic socks, elevating the feet (with pillows) when sleeping, or lying on the left side.
7) 33-35 weeks, the seventh maternity checkup Ultrasound (B-ultrasound) and fetal heart monitoring (NST).
From 30 weeks onwards, a pregnant woman’s maternity check-up is every 2 weeks. At 34 weeks of pregnancy, a detailed ultrasound is recommended to assess the weight and development of the fetus (e.g. a fetus with pre-eclampsia will look smaller) and to estimate the weight of the fetus at full term.
8) 36 weeks, 8th check-up Prepare for birth Reduce the frequency of sex and pay attention to sexual positions.
Check weekly from 36 weeks onwards and do fetal monitoring every time. Start preparing some things for the birth so that you don’t miss them on the day.
9) 37 weeks, 9th check-up Pay attention to fetal movements. Know what the hospital may provide and what you need to bring, such as health card, couple’s ID, birth certificate, marriage certificate, money, etc. Know how the birth is going and practice appropriately. Maintain proper exercise and pay attention to your diet, generally eating smaller and more frequent meals is more appropriate.
10) 38-42 weeks, the tenth check-up, the fetal position is fixed, the fetal head is down, and you are ready to give birth.
From 38 weeks, the fetal position starts to be fixed, the fetal head has come down and stuck in the pelvic cavity, at this time the mother-to-be should be ready to give birth. Some mothers-to-be still have no signs of labor after 42 weeks, so they should consider asking their physician to use oxytocin.