Pregnancy checkup schedule — every antenatal visit explained

What happens at each antenatal visit, which scans matter and when, and which tests have windows you cannot miss. Written for families in Amreli district.

Published by the clinical team at Naari Women's and Children's Hospital and Endoscopy Center Last updated 31 July 2026

How many antenatal checkups does a pregnancy need?

Indian public health guidance sets a minimum of four antenatal visits; the World Health Organization recommends at least eight contacts. Most obstetricians schedule monthly visits to about 28 weeks, fortnightly from 28 to 36 weeks, and weekly after 36 — roughly 10 to 12 visits in an uncomplicated pregnancy.

The schedule, trimester by trimester

First trimester (weeks 1–12)

The booking visit is the most important appointment of the pregnancy, and the one most often delayed. It establishes your dates, your history and your baseline — and several tests after it depend on knowing your dates accurately.

Confirmation and dating. An early scan fixes gestational age more reliably than a remembered date.
Baseline blood work. Blood group and Rh typing, haemoglobin, blood sugar, thyroid function, and screening for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.
Urine test. For infection, protein and sugar.
Blood pressure and weight. The two numbers tracked at every single visit from here on.
NT scan, weeks 11–13+6. A narrow window. Missing it means losing that screening option entirely.
Folic acid and iron. Folic acid ideally starts before conception; iron and calcium usually follow.

Second trimester (weeks 13–28)

Usually the steadiest stretch. Visits are monthly unless something needs watching.

Anomaly scan, weeks 18–22. The detailed structural scan of the baby. Another fixed window.
Glucose testing, weeks 24–28. Screening for gestational diabetes — common, treatable, and easy to miss without the test.
Td / TT vaccination. Given in this period as per the national schedule.
Haemoglobin recheck. Anaemia is common in pregnancy and frequently correctable.
Fetal movements. You will start feeling them. Get to know your baby's pattern — it becomes a monitoring tool later.

Third trimester (weeks 29–40)

Visits get closer together as the due date approaches: fortnightly to 36 weeks, then weekly.

Growth scans. Checking the baby's growth, position and the amniotic fluid.
Blood pressure, closely. Preeclampsia typically shows up in this trimester.
Position check. Head-down or not, and what that means for delivery.
Delivery plan. Where, how, who to call, and what happens if labour starts at night.
Movement counting. A drop in movements is the single most important thing to report immediately.

Warning signs — do not wait for your next appointment

Come in straight away, at any hour, for any of these:

Bleeding from the vagina
Fluid leaking
Severe or persistent headache, or blurred vision
Swelling of the face and hands that comes on quickly
Severe abdominal pain
Reduced or absent fetal movements
Fever
Fits or convulsions

Naari Hospital runs emergency and inpatient care 24×7. Call 93273 61084 — do not wait for OPD hours.

If you are travelling in from outside Amreli city

Families come to us from Savarkundla, Lathi, Bagasara, Dhari, Rajula and beyond. Tell reception which town you are travelling from when you book — where it is medically sensible, scans, blood work and the consultation are grouped into a single visit rather than spread across three.

See distances from your town →

What we do at Naari

Antenatal care runs through the OPD Monday to Saturday, with 3D/4D sonography on site and a neonatal intensive care unit in the same building as the delivery suites. High-risk pregnancies — gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, twins, preterm risk — are monitored more closely, by the same team that will deliver you.

Read about our maternity and obstetrics service →

Antenatal care

Questions expecting mothers ask most

How many antenatal checkups are needed during pregnancy?

Indian public health guidance recommends a minimum of four antenatal visits, while the World Health Organization recommends at least eight contacts for better outcomes. In practice most obstetricians in Gujarat schedule monthly visits until about 28 weeks, fortnightly from 28 to 36 weeks, and weekly after 36 weeks — around 10 to 12 visits in an uncomplicated pregnancy.

When is the first pregnancy checkup?

As soon as the pregnancy is confirmed, ideally within the first 12 weeks. The first visit sets the baseline — dating the pregnancy, recording your history, checking blood pressure and weight, and ordering the first round of blood and urine tests. Booking early matters more than most people realise, because several important tests have narrow windows.

Which scans are done during pregnancy?

Typically a dating scan in the first trimester, an NT scan between 11 and 13+6 weeks, an anomaly scan between 18 and 22 weeks, and growth scans in the third trimester. 3D/4D sonography gives additional structural detail and is available on site at Naari Hospital, Amreli.

What is a high-risk pregnancy?

A pregnancy where mother or baby has a higher-than-usual chance of complications — because of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure or preeclampsia, twins, a previous complicated delivery, certain existing medical conditions, or age. High-risk does not mean something will go wrong; it means the pregnancy is watched more closely, with more frequent visits and scans.

Expecting?

Book your first antenatal visit

Early booking gives you every screening window. OPD runs Mon–Sat; emergency care is 24×7.

Book a consultation Call 93273 61084

Near Old Panch Maliya, Opp. Vijay Arts, Manekpara, Amreli · Emergency & inpatient care 24×7 · OPD Mon–Sat 8:15 AM – 2:00 PM & 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM