Chorevia

Day 83 of 280 · 11 weeks + 6 days

The visit map

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 9 sources · Plain-text version

About ten appointments and two scans in a first pregnancy. Today you draw the months on one page and pencil in the visits and tests you already know about.

Size this week
about the size of a fig
Length this week
around 41 mm from head to bottom
A woman at a desk by a window drawing a long line across a large sheet of paper with a pencil, a few appointment cards beside her, morning light, a loose shirt and no visible bump.

Eleven weeks and six days, the last day of week 11. The appointments ahead have a shape, and once you can see it on one page, each letter that arrives has somewhere to go.

Your baby

A single purple fig on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around 41mm long from head to bottom, about the size of a fig, with tiny nails and ears forming (NHS). Next week's NHS page says a heartbeat can be seen on an ultrasound (NHS), which is the first thing on your map.

Your body

A first pregnancy typically has about 10 appointments and 2 scans, with the booking appointment usually between weeks 8 and 12 and the dating scan between weeks 8 and 14 (NHS). The US rhythm is about monthly from weeks 4 through 28, twice a month from 28 through 36, and weekly from 36 until the birth (MedlinePlus). Women over 35, or with conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, will likely need more frequent visits (MedlinePlus).

Each follow-up visit checks your blood pressure, weight, the baby's heart rate and the measurement of your abdomen (OWH). A few fixed points sit on top of that rhythm: the ultrasound that checks for congenital anomalies, typically at 18 to 20 weeks (NICHD); the gestational diabetes test, typically between 24 and 28 weeks (CDC); the Tdap vaccine, best given between 27 and 36 weeks (CDC); and the group B strep swab at 36 to 37 weeks (OWH).

Try today

  1. The visit map

    Time: 15 minutes

    1. Turn a sheet of paper sideways and draw one line across it, marked from week 12 to week 40.

    2. Pencil the rhythm: a visit about monthly to week 28, every two weeks to 36, then weekly (MedlinePlus).

    3. Pencil the fixed points: dating scan by week 14 (NHS), anatomy scan at 18 to 20 (NICHD), glucose test at 24 to 28 (CDC), Tdap at 27 to 36 (CDC), group B strep at 36 to 37 (OWH).

    4. Go over the visits you already have dates for in pen. The rest stay pencil until a letter arrives.

    5. Photograph it and send it to whoever is coming with you.

    Make it work:

    If you're over 35 or have a condition that needs watching, your map will be denser (MedlinePlus). That's care, not a warning.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a gap of a month between visits in the first trimester (MedlinePlus).

    Call your provider

    between visits for fever or chills; both are on MedlinePlus's list of reasons to call in the first trimester (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    wondering whether something is worth a call.

    Call your provider

    anyway; MedlinePlus's rule is to check with your provider if a symptom bothers or worries you (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    not yet knowing how often you'll be seen.

    Call your provider

    if you have an existing condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure and nobody has told you your schedule, because those need more frequent visits (MedlinePlus).

For you

Ask whether you can keep the same carer throughout. It's on the NHS's to-do list for this week (NHS), and a map with the same name on every visit is a different pregnancy from one where you tell the story from the start each time. The visits are also where problems get caught early, when treatment can cure many issues or prevent others (MedlinePlus).

If you're the partner: pick now which visits you'll be at, and tell your own work early. The anatomy scan at 18 to 20 weeks is the one most partners regret missing (NICHD).

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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