The visits
The pregnancy visits following your
first consultation will be scheduled at fairly regular intervals. However, the frequency of your pregnancy visits up until 28 weeks can vary, depending on when you had your first visit, your individual needs and your caregiver's preferences.
In the past, pregnancy visits during the 2nd trimester were routinely scheduled every 4 weeks. However, recent research has shown that antenatal visits every 5 to 6 weeks are also acceptable for women whose pregnancies are progressing normally. This has led to an increasing trend for caregivers and hospitals to space out pregnancy visits. Even so, many caregivers still see women at regular 4 weekly intervals and some women will request to be seen this often because they prefer to have more contact with their caregiver. Other women prefer less frequent contact, especially if this is not their first baby.
As a general guide, women who are more likely to be seen at 4 weekly intervals, or perhaps more often (every 2 to 3 weeks) during the middle phase of their pregnancy are:
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Women with medical conditions who require closer monitoring. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, thyroid conditions, metabolic disorders, mood disorders, blood disorders, heart or kidney disease. |
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Women having twins, triplets or more. |
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Women experiencing pregnancy complications such as bleeding during their pregnancy or threatened premature labour. |
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Women who have experienced a stillbirth with a previous baby. |
Your subsequent pregnancy visits do not generally take as long as the first pregnancy visit. Depending on your
choice of caregiver, an average visit will last from 10 to 30 minutes (or more).