Can I have a prenatal checkup in the afternoon?

The best time for a prenatal check-up is in the morning, but it can also be done in the afternoon. There is no special time limit, so pregnant women do not need to worry about time issues. The main thing is to pay attention to their diet and daily routine, and know how to maintain an optimistic attitude, which is good for the development of the fetus. Prenatal check-ups are our main method of determining whether a baby has developmental abnormalities. We hope that every mother will take the time to have prenatal check-ups during pregnancy.

1 Can I go for a prenatal checkup in the afternoon?

You can go for the prenatal check-up in the afternoon. There is no set time for prenatal check-ups, basically any time is fine. It is said that there are fewer pregnant women doing prenatal check-ups in the afternoon because most pregnant women come to the hospital for check-ups in the morning. It is recommended that expectant mothers go for other prenatal check-ups in the afternoon except for fasting blood tests and sugar screening tests when there are fewer people.

But there is one disadvantage of going for a prenatal check-up in the afternoon. For some examinations, you will have to wait until the next day to get the examination report if you do it in the afternoon, which means it will take two days. If expectant mothers have more time, they can choose to go in the afternoon.

2 Prenatal check-ups suitable for the afternoon

1. Second prenatal check-up (16 weeks of pregnancy): The second prenatal check-up includes blood routine, urine routine, uterine height, abdominal circumference, fetal heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and Down syndrome screening. This prenatal check-up is a routine check-up and does not require fasting. Therefore, pregnant women can choose to go in the afternoon.

2. The third prenatal check-up (20 weeks of pregnancy): There is no need to fast for this check-up. The examination items include routine blood tests, routine urine tests, uterine height, abdominal circumference, fetal heart rate, blood pressure, body weight, and B-ultrasound fetal malformation screening. The most important of these is the B-ultrasound fetal malformation screening, and the results are generally available in a timely manner.

3. The 5th and 6th prenatal check-ups (28 weeks and 30 weeks of pregnancy): These two check-ups are for routine examinations, including blood pressure, weight, uterine fundus height, abdominal circumference, fetal heart rate, blood routine, urine routine, etc. You can go in the afternoon.

4. The 7th and 8th prenatal check-ups (32 weeks and 34 weeks of pregnancy): The prenatal check-up items include blood pressure, weight, uterine fundus height, abdominal circumference, fetal heart rate, fetal position, blood routine, urine routine, and fetal heart monitoring. There are no special requirements and you can go at any time.

5. The 10th-12th prenatal check-up (once at 38-40 weeks of pregnancy): The examination items include fetal position check, recheck of blood routine, urine routine, uterine height, abdominal circumference, fetal heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and fetal heart rate monitoring. You can go for a prenatal check-up at any time, but you must pay attention to changes in your fetal movement and be prepared for delivery at any time.

3 Precautions for pregnant women during prenatal check-up

1. Prenatal check-ups should not be conducted more than 3.5 months after pregnancy. Expectant mothers should go to the hospital for prenatal registration at 12 weeks of pregnancy, have their first prenatal check-up, and receive a maternity health handbook. From the 13th week onwards, the pregnancy should be checked once every four weeks, after the 28th week of pregnancy, once every two weeks, and after the 36th week, once a week until delivery. However, if any abnormalities occur during pregnancy, you should see a doctor immediately and do not wait until the prescribed time.

2. Do not do any unnecessary examinations. Doctors will generally ask pregnant women to do necessary examinations according to their needs. However, some pregnant women think that the more examinations they do, the better after hearing what others say about them. Or they worry too much about the safety of the fetus and ask the doctor to prescribe more examinations. You should know that this may harm the fetus. So, be sure to listen to your doctor's advice.

3. Do your homework before prenatal check-ups. Pregnant women should do their homework in advance for each prenatal check-up. For example, whether they need to be on an empty stomach, hold their urine, or if they need to bring any special items, they should ask the doctor in advance to avoid being in a rush during the check-up.

4. Maintain an optimistic attitude. The purpose of prenatal check-ups for pregnant women is to observe whether the pregnancy is progressing smoothly. During the examination, pregnant women can ask the doctor about their doubts and maintain an optimistic attitude, because the mood and emotional state of pregnant women will also affect the health of the fetus.