Many women, having learned that they are pregnant, do not know when it is better to register at the antenatal clinic. Some come there too early, others, on the contrary, postpone the visit to the doctor as long as possible.
Of course, ideally, you should see your doctor as early as possible in your pregnancy. He will advise you to carry out the necessary tests, select vitamins or make any individual prescriptions. Although pregnancy is not a disease, it should be monitored from the beginning.
You will be registered directly no earlier than seven to eight obstetric weeks (calculated from the day the last menstruation began). At an earlier period (up to 6-7 weeks), there is a high probability of miscarriages and frozen pregnancies. You can, of course, go through a dozen doctors, pass a bunch of tests and suddenly reveal that the fetus is not viable.
When you first visit a doctor, you will most likely be offered a blood test for the pregnancy hormone hCG and an ultrasound scan. These tests will more accurately determine the presence or absence of pregnancy, its term. Among other things, an ultrasound will help check if the pregnancy is uterine, if there are any pathologies. The doctor will conduct a general examination, prescribe tests for the presence of genital infections, predict the date of birth and inform you about what you can eat, what physical activity is acceptable, what you can do, and what is better to abstain from.
When registering, you will be given the first screening ultrasound. It will reveal the absence or presence of possible genetic abnormalities in the fetus and help predict the course of pregnancy.
Some women think that the later they get registered, the better. Fortunately, there are enough programs on the Internet that can calculate the exact date of birth, and various information for pregnant women. However, only an experienced doctor can seriously examine the mother and child, carefully understand the test results and accurately decipher the indicators of a genetic test. Therefore, every pregnant woman simply needs a medical curator, whose role can be performed by either an obstetrician-gynecologist or a local gynecologist.
In addition, it is the state institutions in which you were registered that will issue you a sick leave, intended for registration of prenatal leave, as well as parental leave. In addition, they are required to issue a birth certificate, which will need to be presented at the hospital.
