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Home › Articles › Health and Physical Changes › First Trimester: Too Much Information?

First Trimester: Too Much Information?

Getting Back to Basics in the First Trimester

By Kelly Burgess

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Ever hit a state of T.M.I.? That stands for "too much information," and when it comes to pregnancy, there is definitely a lot out there. The problem is a lot of the information is inaccurate, contradictory, unnecessary and, sometimes, downright scary.

Dr. Glade Curtis is the author of the Your Pregnancy series of books published by DaCapo Press. He notes that the Internet can be a wonderful educational tool for mothers-to-be, but it's also important for women to understand that most pregnancies progress very normally and complications are quite rare.

"It's good to have a foundation of knowledge, and if you're the one going through it you want to know what's going on," says Dr. Curtis. "But at the end of the day we need to realize that we don't get to do this very many times and some people don't get to do it at all. It's definitely a miracle and it's important to enjoy it."

In other words, when it comes to actually being pregnant, there are some basic guidelines that virtually every doctor's office follows. For those who are content for "just the facts, ma'am" so they can move on to contemplating their miracle, here is Dr. Curtis' "Back to Basics" first trimester guide to pregnancy:

First Doctor's Appointment

  • Schedule it as soon as you realize you're pregnant. This is generally around your eighth week. The goal is about 13 total prenatal visits.
  • This will be the longest appointment and will usually include an internal exam, pap smear, urinalysis and a blood test to screen for rubella and to establish your blood type and Rh factor. You will also be weighed and the doctor will take a complete medical history if he isn't your regular OB/GYN.
  • At this time, if you haven't started them already, you will be given prenatal vitamins.
  • The office will schedule your next appointment for the following month, at about your 12th week.

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