The visit
Once your pregnancy has been confirmed and you have chosen your caregiver and birthplace, an appointment is then made for your first pregnancy visit. This is something many women look forward to with excitement and eager expectations, but for others the visit may also be anticipated with a degree of nervousness and perhaps apprehension. If you have never been pregnant before, it can be difficult to know what may be involved with a first pregnancy visit and for many women this is the first genuine contact they have with the medical world and hospitals, which at times can feel mysterious, intimidating and/or scary. A few women may still feel unsure about their choice of caregiver before their first visit and will use this initial consultation to make a more informed judgement.
Your first pregnancy visit is usually with the caregiver (or group of caregivers) who will be providing your entire pregnancy care (or the majority of it). The first visit is generally timed to happen around 10 to 14 weeks of the pregnancy (earlier or later than this for some women). Depending on who you are seeing, you will need to ring up and book this appointment early in the pregnancy (anytime after 6 weeks but ideally before 8 to 10 weeks) because most caregivers and places are booked up for at least a month in advance.
In the meantime, many women will see their local doctor (GP) or women's health nurse, usually to have a formal test to confirm the pregnancy. If this is the case, the doctor or nurse may also perform some initial routine blood tests for the pregnancy. You can take a copy of these results with you to your pregnancy caregiver for your first appointment (unless you are continuing your pregnancy care with your GP). Some GP's prefer to post the results to your caregiver or the hospital you will be attending.