Questions to ask at your prenatal appointments
By Hamid Ouchlah, founder of DueDuo · Last updated Wed, October 14, 2026
Appointments go fast, and the questions often come to mind on the drive home. Write them down before you go. Below are common questions sorted by trimester, plus a few for the partner to ask.
How often you'll go. In the US, visits are usually monthly until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, then weekly until the birth (NICHD). In the UK, a first pregnancy usually includes at least 10 midwife appointments and 2 scans (NHS).
Go together if you can. The NHS says partners can come to appointments if you'd like them to. Agree beforehand who asks what, and who writes down the answers.
First trimester
- Which prenatal vitamin and dose is right for me?
- Are all my current medications and supplements safe?
- Which screening tests do you recommend, and when?
- Which symptoms mean I should call you right away?
- Can I keep doing my current exercise routine?
Second trimester
- What will the anatomy scan check?
- When is the glucose test, and do I need to fast?
- Which vaccines do you recommend during pregnancy, and when?
- Is it safe to travel, and until which week?
- How will I know if the baby's movements are normal?
Third trimester
- When exactly should we call or come in once labor starts?
- What pain relief options are available where I'm giving birth?
- What happens if I go past my due date?
- When will you test for Group B strep?
- Can we go over my birth preferences together?
For the partner to ask
- If something worries us at night or on a weekend, who do we call?
- Can I be there for the scans and the birth, and are there limits on visitors?
- What should I know about getting to the hospital: parking, which entrance, what to bring?
- What can I do to help during labor?
- Which signs of depression or anxiety after the birth should we watch for, in either of us?
Tests and timings differ by country and by hospital, so some of these may not apply to you. In the UK, for example, the glucose test is only offered if you have a higher chance of gestational diabetes (NHS).
Get all our printables in one PDF
The hospital bag checklist, appointment questions, the partner's list, the baby starter list and the who-owns-what sheet. Free, for both of you.
Sources
First trimester
- Which prenatal vitamin and dose is right for me?
- Are all my current medications and supplements safe?
- Which screening tests do you recommend, and when?
- Which symptoms mean I should call you right away?
- Can I keep doing my current exercise routine?
Second trimester
- What will the anatomy scan check?
- When is the glucose test, and do I need to fast?
- Which vaccines do you recommend during pregnancy, and when?
- Is it safe to travel, and until which week?
- How will I know if the baby's movements are normal?
Third trimester
- When exactly should we call or come in once labor starts?
- What pain relief options are available where I'm giving birth?
- What happens if I go past my due date?
- When will you test for Group B strep?
- Can we go over my birth preferences together?
For the partner to ask
- If something worries us at night or on a weekend, who do we call?
- Can I be there for the scans and the birth, and are there limits on visitors?
- What should I know about getting to the hospital: parking, which entrance, what to bring?
- What can I do to help during labor?
- Which signs of depression or anxiety after the birth should we watch for, in either of us?