Pregnancy · 4 min read

Your first antenatal visit, start to finish

The first antenatal visit is longer than the ones that follow — about forty minutes — because it sets up everything after it. Most people arrive nervous and leave with a schedule, which is usually the thing that settles them.

What to bring

Any reports you already have, including a home pregnancy test if you took one. Your blood group card if you know it. A list of any medicines you take, including anything you buy without a prescription. The date your last period started, if you remember it. Photo ID, if this is your first visit to Pearl.

None of it is essential. If you arrive with nothing, we will still see you.

What happens

We take a history: previous pregnancies, any losses, your periods, illnesses in the family, and what your work and home life look like. Some of these questions are personal and you can decline any of them.

Then blood pressure, weight, and a set of blood tests including blood group, haemoglobin, thyroid and blood sugar. Then a scan, mainly to confirm the pregnancy and the dates.

A female attendant is present for any examination if you would like one. You do not have to ask twice, and nobody will make it awkward.

Bring someone

Your husband, mother, sister or a friend is welcome at every visit. People remember about half of what is said in a medical appointment, and two people remember more than one.

What you leave with

The dates. When the baby is due, when the next visit is, and roughly when the scans will fall. Written down, not just said.

You also leave knowing what to phone about and what can wait. That list matters more than most of the rest of it, and it is worth putting on the fridge.

The question we cannot answer

We do not determine the sex of the foetus, at any stage of the pregnancy, by any technique. It is a criminal offence in India under the PC&PNDT Act, 1994, carrying imprisonment.

Please also do not ask the sonographer during a scan. It puts a member of staff in a very difficult position, and the answer will always be no.

Written and reviewed by Dr. Jigna Jasoliya, M.S. (Obstetrics & Gynaecology), Gujarat Medical Council Reg. G/25348. Published 2026-08-02. Last checked 2026-08-02.

This article is general information, not medical advice about your own situation. If something here applies to you, come and talk to us.