Preparing For Your First Visit To An Obstetrician

If you had recently gotten a positive result on a pregnancy test, you are most likely experiencing a bunch of emotions regardless of the way you feel about the situation. It is important to see a professional about the state of your health soon after you find out you are pregnant. Here are some of the tasks that will be performed during an appointment with an obstetrician to help in reducing anxiety about what you will endure during this session.

Health History Information Will Be Evaluated

When you first arrive at your appointment, you will be given forms to fill out. You will need to provide your doctor with your personal information for billing purposes in addition to any health history information which could be pertinent to your current condition. This will help your doctor in deciding how to proceed with your care should you have other existing medical conditions to deal with. Do not hold back on any information that could put you, or your unborn baby, at risk. It is best to divulge all history to ensure your health is not compromised during any procedures or treatments.

Your Pregnancy Will Be Confirmed

The nurse helping your obstetrician will ask you for a urine sample. This is given in the privacy of a bathroom at the facility. The office will give you a small cup for the collection of your sample and disposable moist towels will be present in the bathroom to ensure your genitals are clean before you eliminate. This will reduce the risk of a false reading with a pregnancy test. A standard pregnancy test, much like the one you would use for home use, would be used to confirm the result is indeed positive before continuing with an examination.

An Examination Will Be Conducted

After your pregnancy is confirmed via a pregnancy test, the obstetrician will do an internal exam to check the condition of your cervix. They will most likely do a pap smear at this time as well to ensure cancerous cells are not present on the cervix. The internal exam will give your obstetrician a better idea about the progression of your pregnancy, helping to pinpoint an accurate due date compared to any menstrual information you had provided with your history documentation. Your doctor will feel the exterior of your lower stomach to see if the uterus has grown in size, also helping to pinpoint how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Your Options Will Be Discussed

Your physician may ask you how you feel about your pregnancy and whether you have plans regarding the outcome of your situation. If you decide to go through with your pregnancy, they will provide you with plenty of resources to find additional information in what to expect as your body goes through changes. If you are unsure, they may recommend going to a counselor to discuss options. If you wish to terminate the pregnancy, this procedure will be discussed in length with you before you schedule an appointment for the process.

For more information, contact a clinic such as Health Care for Women.