When are you having your 1st prenatal visit?

[mamaw/two]

Hi, my name is Wendy and I am pregnant with my third child. I have a 4 yr old and an almost 17 month old (that still nurses constantly). I went to my prenatal visits early with my first two, six weeks and eight weeks. I feel like I want to wait and go around 14 weeks or so, but at the same time I would love to go talk to my midwife. When is everyone having their first visit? Are there any advantages to going early?

[amygeekgrl]

i'm going at about 9 1/2 weeks. that's just when the OB office i'm going to recommended it. they said it should be late enough to hear the heartbeat.

[egoldber]

My first appointment is Tuesday. I'll be 6W5D. I'm trying out a new OB, so hopefully I'll like this person.

[midwestmeg]

I like to wait until almost the end of the first trimester. I did that last time and I'll do it again. I'm comfortable with that.

[rainbowfairymomma]

I can't remember with DS1!
With DS2 I know it was 12 weeks
This time I went in for casual (my midwife does a centering pregnancy class so its not one on one.) The only reason I went was to meet a new midwife joining the practice. I was 8 weeks.
I will go back around 12 or 13.

[lexbeach]

I'm going at 11 weeks. . . three weeks to go! I am so excited to be working with a homebirth midwife. She said the first appointment should take an hour and a half. . . and none of that time will be spent waiting in a waiting room!

With my last pregnancy, I saw a traditional OB/CNM group, and they had me go for my first visit at 8 weeks. The midwife gave me an internal exam, which was really uncomfortable, and said, "yep, your uterus feels very enlarged," and that was about it. There was no discussion of nutrition or anything. It was a totally pointless appointment.

The only reason I can think of for going in early is if you're not sure about who you want your provider to be. It could be a way for you to gather information about the practice. But in terms of the pregnancy itself, I don't think you gain anything from an early visit.

amygeekgrl: please don't be surprised or alarmed if you can't hear the heartbeat at 9.5 weeks. It's definitely not a "should be able to hear it" for most people at that point. You should be able to hear it by 12 weeks, and you might be able to hear it as early as 9 weeks.



Lex

[gen_here]

I went at 7 weeks, but I would have been comfortable waiting longer. My first pregnancy, I went at 5 or 6 weeks, I think. The only reason I went so early with this one is that the appointment was already made for my yearly pap/physical. My next appointment would be in 4 weeks, but I'll be out of town and the following week is an appointment with my endocrinologist... so I don't have another prenatal for 6 weeks.

I love my doctor and the whole office there, though... so I love going for these appointments. It's like going to visit friends =)

[amygeekgrl]

Originally Posted by lexbeach

amygeekgrl: please don't be surprised or alarmed if you can't hear the heartbeat at 9.5 weeks. It's definitely not a "should be able to hear it" for most people at that point. You should be able to hear it by 12 weeks, and you might be able to hear it as early as 9 weeks.

thanks, lex. i thought that seemed a little early too so i won't get my hopes up just in case.

[SagMom]

I don't have an appointment yet--I figured I'd wait until after the holiday, so I'd be at least 10 or 11 weeks by then.

With my first, I went pretty early, but then bounced around from one provider to another until I found the m/w I ended up using. For that reason, it was good I went early because I needed to figure out who I was going to be with.

Now though, I figure, it's too early to hear a heartbeat, I already have prenatal vits., I've never had any blood pressure or other issues that needed monitoring, so there's really no reason for me to go earlier. I DO love talking with my m/w though...so I'm looking forward to my visits.

[Brisen]

My first app't is at almost 9 weeks. I have a midwife and they are very gov't regulated here. I have asked in the past about not coming in for regular prenatals unless there is a problem and they looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted a second head.

I do call asap because the supply/demand for midwives here still seems to be working itself out. In the city I just moved away from, they went from always having openings, to being in such high demand that if you hadn't had a midwife before, you couldn't get one (Ontario has a rule of some kind that says women who have previously had a midwife get preference). So I just call as soon as I know, just in case, because even though I have had one before, if they are all booked up, they're all booked up.

[poetesss]

I just went for my first appt a few days ago at 8 wks. I agree that it didn't give info abt the pregnancy itself, but since it is my first I got to talk a lot with the midwife (and an awesome senior midwifery student who was sitting in) as she took my history and all. It was nice to just sit and chat as she answered my questions and I hers. We even discussed my family's attitudes towards natural childbirth and they shared their experiences. It was quite fun, I wasn't expecting it to be so relaxed and enjoyable.

[aniT]

I just hired a midwife today. So, my first prenatal visit (as oposed to my consultation) is Friday the 7th. I should be about 10 weeks (or a few days shy) by then.

Tina

[amm0406]

My first midwife visit is at 12 weeks but I went to my regular ob/gyn just to confirm already.

[babywink]

I had my first appt. w/ my m/w last week - which was week 9.

[boscopup]

I had mine a week and a half ago. My OB sees patients at 6 weeks based on LMP (which I'm like 10 days behind that in reality). So I wasn't really 6 weeks or even 5 weeks yet! :P I go again for an u/s next Friday. I'll be 7 weeks. They usually do the u/s at 8 weeks, and they'll correct my chart to reflect the REAL date (not the LMP date) after the u/s. My OB even pushed it out a bit because he agreed that I wasn't due as early as LMP said I would be, but it's earlier than 8 weeks because he'll be out of town next week.

Last preg, I only saw a midwife, and I didn't see her until 12 weeks. I'm currently planning to use her again, so I'll see her at 12 weeks. I'm seeing an OB in tandem this time, because last time I needed an OB and didn't have one, and had to take who they assigned to me in the hospital. : This time, if something happens, I've got one I like and am comfortable with. And I really think a hospital birth with him would be fine. I'd still prefer a midwife-attended out-of-hospital birth though, of course. I just now know that sometimes things happen out of our control!

[Ellie Jan]

My first appointment was at 6 weeks only b/c I had no idea how far along I was. Still bfing a 7 month old and no AF since his birth to go by. My next appointment I will be 14 weeks.

Marcia

[rad]

I'll go in sometime next month. When I'm around 12 weeks. I did that with my last pg and I liked it somuch better. I actually got to hear the heartbeat by then. I went in around 8 weeks with my 1st and 2nd and I just felt like it was a wasted drive cause nothing productive really came of it.

[Ileifa]

I went for my first visit yesterday only because I am not sure of my due date. Hubby and I cannot remember the last time we had sex and I was on the pill , so I am not sure about my last period because I think I missed a couple. I went in to get a script for an ultrasound - ugh! Otherwise I don't usually go until end of first trimester. My midwife and I email and chat on the phone if I have had questions. But go when you feel ready, if everything else feels good.