What happens at my visits?
At each visit, your caregiver will:
- ask you how you are going,
- ask about fetal movements,
- measure your baby’s growth, and
- take your blood pressure (if in-person visit) or ask for your self-measurement recording if via telehealth.
Before 20 weeks, this examination is not very detailed as it is too early to determine which way your baby is facing and generally to hear the heartbeat.
After 20 weeks, you will be able to measure the height of your uterus (called symphyseal fundal height), and hear your baby’s heart rate during your clinic visits.
What does the height of my uterus (symphyseal fundal height) mean?
The uterus height is roughly the same as the number of weeks of your pregnancy and should steadily grow between visits. If your uterus does not steadily increase in size, you will generally be recommended an ultrasound test to check the growth of your baby.
What should my baby’s heart rate be?
A normal heart rate for your baby is between 110 and 160 beats per minute.
The heart rate can vary depending on if your baby is awake and moving or asleep, this is quite normal. This test cannot tell if you are having a girl or a boy, despite the old wives’ tale.
Your baby’s heart rate is also not a test for wellbeing. The most important indication of your baby’s wellbeing is the presence of normal movements.
How do I know my baby is facing the right way?
Your caregiver will perform an examination to identify your baby’s head, buttocks, back and limbs to determine the position of your baby in your uterus.
The normal position for your baby is facing head down towards the end of pregnancy. Closer to term you may also notice your breathing becomes easier as your baby’s head ‘drops’ down into your pelvis.
In your final weeks your caregiver will carefully assess the position of your baby to exclude a non-head down position as well as how well your baby’s head is fitting into the pelvis.
If your baby’s head is not descending towards the pelvis or is not head down on examination, you will be sent for an ultrasound test to confirm this and search for a cause. You caregiver will discuss options for your birth informed by the results of this scan.