Women who start prenatal visits during the first 3 months of pregnancy have fewer problems with their pregnancy and have healthier babies. During your first prenatal visit, your provider, usually a physician or nurse midwife, will be taking a complete medical and famly history. Medical conditions will be evaluated and medications adjusted if necessary. Knowing the date of the last normal menstrual period is the basis for estimating your date of delivery. Of course no due date is absolute.
Most women deliver within two weeks of their estimated date of delivery.
A complete physical exam is also done at the first visit. The pelvic exam, if done early enough in pregnancy can also help confirm the due date. Usually, many lab tests are done during the first prenatal visit. Blood tests are drawn to check for anemia, syphilis, history of German Measles, blood type, RH factor, hepatitis, and other conditions as indicated by your hisotry or exam. Testing for HIV is now recommended for all women since early treatment during pregnancy can significantly lower the transmission rate of HIV to the fetus.