Schedule of ideal Prenatal Care
Most of your visits with us will be quick and simple: they will require a urine sample, a blood pressure check, and your weight, measuring the baby’s growth and listening to the baby’s heartbeat. We always want to know about how you feel and your concerns. There are certain appointments that are essential to excellent prenatal care; they are listed below with the estimated gestational age or weeks of pregnancy that they should occur in. Feel free to bring a list of questions if you have them.
| Weeks of Gestation | Events of Prenatal Care |
| 8 to 9 weeks | This should be your Initial Obstetrical Visit. Be prepared to give your medical, surgical, prior pregnancy and allergy history. Discuss your concerns but don’t worry if you don’t have any.If you are over 35 and plan genetic counseling for CVS, amniocentesis, or triple marker screening and quadruple screening, discuss it now.Expect a pelvic exam for Pap smear, gonorrhea culture, chlamydia culture, and evaluation of vaginal discharge.Blood work; a complete blood count, blood type and Rh status, Hepatitis B surface antigen, syphilis test, toxoplasmosis, cytomegely virus, parvovirus, HIV, HSV 1&2 and thyroid. Urine specimen for urinalysis and culture will also be ordered. You may refuse certain portions of these exams, please ask. |
| 8 to 11 weeks | Transvaginal ultrasound to confirm your due date will done at your first visit. |
| 18 to 19 weeks | Abdominal ultrasound a.k.a. Fetal anatomic survey or level 2 sono, performed by a perinatologist. This evaluates the fetus for abnormalities of the brain, heart. stomach, kidneys, spine, bladder, extremities, placenta, amniotic fluid, placenta cord, and clues to chromosomal abnormalities. Yes, they also might be able to find out the sex; tell them if you don’t want to know.Blood work. To detect fetal chromosomal abnormalities. A single test tube of blood will be taken for triple marker screening; commonly called an MSAFP, this test is actually for alpha- fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg), and estriol (uE3). This test is very date specific and must be done between 16 and 19 weeks, also this is the only time in pregnancy to have this test. |
| 22 weeks | Sign up for birthing classes as Tarzana Medical Center/Women’s Resource Center. Dates for all classes and all tour dates have been posted online through the website for Tarzana Medical Center. To use this information please do the following: 1.) Log onto www.encino-tarzana.com 2.) Click on the green tab labeled “Find an Event” 3.) Under “Select a Topic” arrow down to “Maternity Services” 4.) Click on “Search”. Please call as soon as possible to reserve your space in classes. |
| 28 weeks | Blood work. 1 hour PG, CBC and Thyroid re-screening.To screen for diabetes and anemia in pregnancy. Plan at least 1.5 hours for this appointment because you have to drink a sugar solution and draw blood one hour after you finish. This is a good time to talk about postpartum contraception.If you want permanent sterilization, patients must sign this consent 30 days before they deliver. |
| 32 weeks | OB visits every two to three weeks. Be sure to register at Tarzana Medical Center as a patient. |
| 35 weeks | Group B strep culture (from vagina and rectum); sometimes blood work to check for anemia. |
| 37 weeks | OB visits once a week. |
