Once the pregnancy test confirms that you are pregnant you will have to make an appointment with the gynecologist for the first pregnancy control.
The first visit is usually made between week 6 and week 9 of pregnancy, always counting from the date of the last menstruation. It determines the probable date of delivery (FPP), the medical history is prepared and a vaginal ultrasound is performed to confirm the presence of the amniotic sac and if detected, also the fetal heartbeat.
The probable date of delivery
The probable 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? The pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, or 280 days, counted from the first day of the last menstruation. To determine the date, the so-called Negele 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 wheels with the calculation already done. They just have to position the date of the last menstruation and the birth date automatically appears.
For example, if the first day of your last period was September 3, the probable due date will be June 10.
That would be the day that would turn 40 weeks of gestation, but It is considered normal for the baby to be born between the 38th and 42nd week 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 date of childbirth is an approximation to the date on which you will become a mother.
Clinical history and tests
In the first visit the clinical history of the pregnant woman is elaborated. The gynecologist will assess the family background of the couple, ask if there have been previous abortions, any major illness, allergies, surgical interventions, lifestyle habits, food and any information that may be of medical interest.
If you already have children, it will ask you how the pregnancy and the previous delivery have been, if there has been any complication or something to review.
Weight and blood pressure will also be controlled, which will be measured again every time you go to prenatal check-ups.
It will also send 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 other sexually transmitted diseases.
Urine, to detect possible infections and check sugar and protein levels, whose abnormal levels could indicate the presence of any disease.
Pregnancy confirmation ultrasound
In most cases, a transvaginal ultrasound, which provides very important information.
It serves to verify that the pregnancy has formed within the uterine cavity, that is, it is not an ectopic pregnancy and to confirm the presence of the amniotic sac, that is, it is not an anembryonic pregnancy.
It also determines if it is a single or multiple pregnancy and the vitality of the fetus, although the fetal beat may not yet be perceived as being too soon.
Finally, it will give you some recommendations, if you did not do 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 should go to, which probably coincides with the next ultrasound that is done around week 12.
He first pregnancy control It 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.
