Prenatal Care in Honolulu and Kailua

At Ko’olau Women’s Healthcare, we are partners with you throughout your pregnancy.

Regular prenatal visits with Ko’olau Women’s Healthcare are important to monitor your health and your baby’s health. They can identify issues before they become serious problems for you and your unborn child. The frequency of prenatal visits depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy and any known health conditions.

About Prenatal Visits

Your first prenatal visit should be scheduled as soon as you think you are pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses, prenatal checkups will happen more regularly and may include special tests.

A typical schedule for prenatal checkups is:

• Between Weeks 4-28. You’ll have an appointment once a month.
• Between Weeks 28-36. You’ll start having appointments twice a month.
• After week 36. You’ll have weekly appointments.

If your pregnancy is high-risk, which depends on factors like the patient’s age, weight, and other health problems or concerns, Ko’olau Women’s Healthcare may recommend more frequent prenatal visits to closely monitor your pregnancy.

What to Expect During Your Prenatal Visit

The earlier you start prenatal care, the better! Ideally, your first prenatal visit occurs when you are around eight weeks pregnant or four weeks after your missed period. If you are already past this point in your pregnancy, call one of our offices immediately, so that we can start your prenatal care as soon as possible.

During a prenatal checkup, your OBGYN will:

• Get a urine sample
• Review medical history
• Check blood pressure, weight, and height
• Check stress level and lifestyle habits
• Perform blood tests
• Check the fetal heart rate
• Feel and measure the patient’s abdomen
• Take a fetal ultrasound
• Answer any questions or concerns the patient has

Other tests may be done to test to detect signs of possible health problems including infection, birth defects, gestational diabetes, or fetal distress.