As soon as pregnancy is confirmed, it is important to choose the healthcare provider who will oversee the pregnancy. Obstetricians, general practitioners, midwives - several healthcare professionals may be involved in this process. This decision is often related to the chosen maternity facility. Public maternity hospitals typically assign the follow-up of normal pregnancies to midwives, while options vary in private establishments.
The Stages of Pregnancy Monitoring
In France, 7 prenatal check-ups are mandatory and covered by social security. These 7 prenatal visits span from the 3rd to the 9th month of pregnancy. They allow the healthcare professional to monitor the growth and development of the unborn child closely. They will also closely monitor the health of the expectant mother: weight gain and dietary balance, blood pressure, assessment of the risk of gestational diabetes, and monitoring of the cervix. These 7 prenatal visits will be punctuated by 3 surveillance ultrasounds.
The first ultrasound takes place between the 10th and 12th week of pregnancy. It serves to determine the number of embryos and to precisely date the pregnancy. Several criteria are evaluated to detect possible anomalies.
The second ultrasound or morphological ultrasound takes place between the 20th and 22nd week of pregnancy and allows for a more detailed study of fetal development. All vital organs and limbs are visualized, measured, and compared to reference data. The ultrasound doctor performing the examination uses Doppler to assess the quality of exchanges between the fetus and the mother, the volume of amniotic fluid, and the placenta. It is generally during this second ultrasound that the baby's gender can be revealed.
The third ultrasound takes place between the 30th and 32nd week of pregnancy. It assesses the proper growth of the fetus: weight, size, and development of vital organs. Some anomalies can only be visible at this stage. The ultrasound doctor ensures that everything is ready for birth: the fetus's position, the placenta's positioning, and the cord. This information, which is systematically transmitted to the healthcare professional overseeing your pregnancy, is valuable for preparing for childbirth (especially if the baby has not turned and remains head-up, which may indicate a breech presentation, for example).
To complement the monitoring of your pregnancy and depending on your health status and age, additional tests may be prescribed to track the evolution of certain data: serum marker levels (for detecting a risk of trisomy 21), amniocentesis, blood sugar levels (O'Sullivan test), toxoplasmosis test, etc.