What to Expect at your First Visit with an Obstetrician
You can expect your first visit with an obstetrician to last 90 minutes or more. This visit may include:
- an ultrasound to confirm your expected due date
- a thorough visit with your physician reviewing your personal history and previous pregnancies
- a physical exam including a pelvic exam and possibly a pap smear
- comprehensive lab testing including cultures, urine, and bloodwork looking for treatable infections and conditions that can affect both you and the baby
- an initial visit with one of our OB Coordinators to assist in clarifying your maternity benefits through your insurance company
Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time in order to:
- photocopy your insurance card and driver’s license (please bring them with you)
- take a photo for the electronic medical chart
- sign HIPPA privacy paperwork
To prepare for your visit please visit our patient portal. Your username and password should have been provided by our office via letter, email, or over the phone. Feel free to call us if you are missing this important information. This process, if done by you at home, will make your time in the office more efficient. If you are unable to complete the patient portal at home, please arrive 30-45 minutes prior to your appointment time, and we can guide you through the process at one of our computer stations here.
As a service to our patients we verify all insurance benefits prior to your appointment which is the reason we request your insurance information over the phone at the time of making the appointment or via email in the case of electronically made appointments. This verification helps to protect you as best as we can from financial surprises. Please know that we do our very best to only order testing that is medically necessary from labs and sources that are in network with your insurance companies, but we cannot guarantee benefit coverage outside of our own facility charges.
To prepare for the first visit and the decisions we will ask you to make that day, please read the information under the Optional Testing Tab.
Vitamins:
Feel free to start a pre-natal vitamin before you even conceive since your baby needs those nutrients as soon as possible in the pregnancy. The recommended doses are:
- Folic Acid 1000 microgram (MCG)
- Calcium 600mg twice a day
- Vitamin D 600 units a day
- Iron at least 27 milligrams a day
- DHA or Omega 3 supplement for pregnant women
Hospital Information:
All of our obstetricians deliver at Medical Center of Plano and are very pleased with the level of care and service the nurses there provide to our patients during this unforgettable life experience. You can call (972) 519-1251 to gain information about their wide array of childbirth and preparatory classes. You may also want to preregister on their website to expedite the paperwork proceedings on the day of delivery.