Prenatal care, usually called antenatal care in Australia, is the care you receive during pregnancy. Regular appointments give you a place to ask questions, talk through decisions and check your health and your baby’s development. You can start with your GP, a midwife or your local maternity service.
Book your first appointment as soon as you know you are pregnant, ideally within the first 10 weeks. If you are further along and have not started care, contact a service now. You do not need to have every decision about birth worked out before you ask for help.
What happens at the first appointment?
Allow time for a longer conversation. Your clinician will ask about your health, previous pregnancies, family history, medicines and supplements. They will discuss your estimated due date and the options for your ongoing care. Bring a medicine list, any relevant records and the questions you keep meaning to ask.
You will usually be offered blood pressure, height and weight measurements, blood and urine tests, and a discussion about scans and screening. An internal examination is not an automatic part of every pregnancy appointment. If an examination is recommended, ask what it is for and what it involves before you consent.
Your emotional wellbeing matters too. Tell your care team if anxiety, low mood, a previous difficult birth, financial pressures or safety at home are affecting you. You can ask to speak privately, have an interpreter or bring a support person.
How often will you have appointments?
There is no single appointment timetable for everyone. Your care team will plan visits around your pregnancy, health needs and local services. You may need extra appointments if concerns arise. Ask for a written schedule, including which visits are with your GP, midwife or hospital.
At follow-up visits, your clinician will check how you are feeling, measure your blood pressure and review results. As pregnancy progresses, checks may include measuring your abdomen, listening to your baby’s heartbeat and discussing movements. Later appointments also cover preparing for birth, feeding and support after your baby arrives.
Our guides to common prenatal tests and choosing your maternity care team explain those decisions in more detail.
Everyday health is part of the conversation
You do not need a perfect pregnancy routine. Use appointments to work out what is practical for you, especially if nausea, work or caring responsibilities make things difficult.
- Medicines: ask for a review of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and herbal products. Do not stop prescribed treatment or change a dose without medical advice. If you use opioids regularly, including treatment for opioid dependence, seek prompt advice rather than stopping abruptly. Your care team can help you make a safer plan.
- Supplements: discuss folic acid and iodine early, and ask which products and doses suit you. Some people need a different folic acid dose or other supplements for a specific reason. Thyroid conditions need particular advice about iodine. More supplements are not automatically better.
- Food and caffeine: aim for a varied diet and ask about food safety, including safer fish choices. Keep caffeine to no more than 200 mg a day; amounts vary between drinks. The NSW Food Authority’s pregnancy guidance is a useful reference.
- Alcohol, smoking and other drugs: avoiding alcohol is safest during pregnancy. Ask for help to stop smoking or vaping. If you may be dependent on alcohol or other drugs, seek medical support promptly for a safe treatment plan.
- Movement, teeth and work: discuss suitable physical activity, dental care and any workplace chemical exposures. Ask about weight changes in the context of your own health rather than trying to follow someone else’s target.
- Vaccinations: ask which vaccines are recommended for you and when to have them. Some need to be timed during pregnancy; others are given outside pregnancy.
For more practical guidance, explore our articles on food and nutrition, physical activity during pregnancy and infection prevention and care.
When not to wait for your next visit
Contact your maternity unit, midwife or doctor immediately for vaginal bleeding, fluid leaking from the vagina, severe abdominal pain, a severe or persistent headache, vision changes, fever, severe vomiting or painful contractions before 37 weeks. Get urgent advice after an injury to your abdomen too. If you cannot reach your care team, go to a hospital emergency department.
If your baby’s movements have slowed, stopped or changed from their usual pattern, contact your maternity unit immediately. Do not wait until tomorrow or rely on a home Doppler for reassurance.
In Australia, call 000 for an emergency, such as heavy bleeding with faintness, collapse, a seizure, chest pain or severe difficulty breathing.
Make the next step clear
Before you leave an appointment, check what happens next: which tests to book, who will give you the results and who to call after hours. If transport, cost or appointment times are getting in the way, tell the service. If you miss a visit, call to rearrange it.
This is general information for pregnancy care in Australia. Your maternity team can advise you about your own circumstances.