Pregnancy
Patient Education

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Pregnancy

From that first moment when you realize you're pregnant up until your delivery, you will have questions about your pregnancy.

Below is a list of helpful questions for each trimester of your pregnancy.

First Trimester

Questions About My Diagnosis

• What tests will I need and when should they be done?
• What are the risks for each test?
• What vitamins and supplements should I take?
• Will certain medical conditions interfere with pregnancy?
• What symptoms can I expect and what would be abnormal?
• When should I call you?
• When will I start to feel better?

Questions About My Lifestyle & Family

• What diet should I follow?
• What foods should I avoid?
• How much weight should I gain?
• What exercise can I do? What should I avoid?
• Are there any foods or medications that I should avoid?
• Is it safe to have sex?

Second Trimester

Questions About My Diagnosis

• When will I feel the baby moving?
• How can I avoid stretch marks?
• What does bleeding gums mean when I brush my teeth?
• What does the darkening pigment mean?

Questions About My Lifestyle & Family

• What childbirth class do you recommend?
• What can I do about heartburn?
• What can I do about hemorrhoids? How can I avoid them?
• How can I avoid constipation? How do I treat it?
• How can I avoid varicose veins?

Third Trimester

Questions About My Diagnosis

• How will I know when I am in labor? What are the signs?
• How will I know if I have broken my "bag of water"?
• When do you believe a pregnancy should be induced?
• Is there anything that I can do to bring on labor?
• Will I have a bloody show? How will I know that it is not abnormal?
• Will I need any further tests?

Questions About My Lifestyle & Family

• Until what week can I fly?
• Can I take road trips? Should I limit the time of the trip?
• When can I work until?
• Are there any activities that would put me in labor?
• Until what week can I have sex?
• When should I notify or get in touch with you?
• If you are not available, who is covering you?
• What level of exercise is safe now?
• When should I go to the hospital?

Written by Barbara Hales, M.D.