Once the pregnancy test confirms that you are pregnant, you will have to make an appointment with the gynecologist for the first control of the pregnancy .
The first visit is usually made between week 6 and week 9 of pregnancy , always counting from the date of the last menstruation. In it, the probable date of delivery (PPD) is determined, the medical history is drawn up and a vaginal ultrasound is performed to confirm the presence of the amniotic sac and, if detected, also the fetal heartbeat.
Your due date
The expected due date is, in theory, the day the baby will be born . But the truth is that only one percent of babies are born on that day.
How is it calculated? Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, or 280 days, counted from the first day of the last menstruation. To determine the date, the so-called Naegele’s Rule is used, which consists of subtracting three months and adding seven days to the date of the last menstruation (the first day of the rule).
Gynecologists often use a wheel with the calculation already done called a gestiogram. You just have to position the date of the last menstruation and the delivery date automatically appears.
For example, if the first day of your last period was September 3, your due date will be June 10.
That is the day that you will turn 40 weeks of gestation, but it is considered normal for the baby to be born between weeks 37 and 42 of pregnancy , that is, two weeks before or two weeks after that date, due to possible variations in the cycles of each woman , or simply because each woman and each baby have their own rhythm.
Therefore, the probable due date is an approximation to the date when you will become a mother.
Medical history and tests
During the first visit, the pregnant woman’s medical history is taken. The gynecologist will assess the couple’s family history , ask if there have been previous abortions, any major illness, allergies, surgeries, lifestyle habits, diet and any information that may be of interest from a medical point of view.
If you already have children, they will ask you how the pregnancy and the previous delivery were, if there have been any complications or something to review.
Weight and blood pressure will also be monitored, which will be re-measured each time you go to prenatal check-ups.
He will also order you to do blood and urine tests . The first to determine the blood group and Rh factor of the pregnant woman, the level of hemoglobin, as well as antibodies against some infections such as rubella, hepatitis and toxoplasmosis, or diseases such as AIDS and others of sexual transmission.
The urine test, to detect possible infections and check the levels of sugar and proteins, whose abnormal levels could indicate the presence of a disease.
Confirmation of pregnancy ultrasound
In most cases, a transvaginal ultrasound is usually performed, which provides very important information.
It serves to verify that the pregnancy has formed within the uterine cavity, that is to say that it is not an ectopic pregnancy and to confirm the presence of the amniotic sac, that is to say that it is not an anembryonic pregnancy either.
It also determines whether it is a single or multiple pregnancy and the vitality of the fetus , although the fetal heartbeat may not yet be noticeable because it is too early.
Finally, it will give you some recommendations, if you have not done it before pregnancy, it will tell you to take folic acid and an iodine supplement. It will also set the date of the next appointment you will have to go to, which will probably coincide with the next ultrasound that takes place around week 12.
The first control of pregnancy is a very special moment for the couple, since it is confirmed that the baby is nested in the uterus and has begun to develop.
In Babies and more | I’m pregnant !: this is what will happen to you in the first weeks of pregnancy
