A pregnant woman has more prenatal doctor’s appointments than you’d ever expect, but the checkups are necessary to monitor her health and the growth and health of the baby. To screen for complications, the obstetrician (OB) performs different tests on the mother and baby at various stages of the pregnancy, and the following chart lists what to expect when:
| Weeks | Possible Tests |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 | Blood type, rubella titer, blood counts, HIV antibody, syphilis, hepatitis screen, ultrasound |
| 10 to 12 | Doppler detection of fetal heart; chorionic villus sampling, if planned |
| 11 to 14 | First trimester screen/Nuchal translucency |
| 15 to 18 | Second trimester serum screen (quad screen), amniocentesis if absolutely necessary |
| 18 to 22 | Ultrasound (and the best time to determine baby’s sex if you and your partner are interested in doing so) |
| 24 to 28 | Gestational diabetes screen |
| 28 to 36 | Biweekly visits to check blood pressure, weight, urine, and fetal growth |
| 36 to 40 | Weekly visits, same as weeks 28 to 36, with a check for fetal positioning |
| 40+ | Twice-weekly visits to test fetal stress |