Important Information For All Obstetric Patients

Prenatal Visits & What to Expect

At The Group for Women, our goal is to provide comprehensive, personalized care throughout your pregnancy. Below is an overview of what you can expect during your prenatal care.

Your First Prenatal Visit

At your initial visit:

A nurse will review your medical and pregnancy history
Blood work may be performed
A complete physical exam with your provider

You will also receive your Obstetrical (OB) Folder, which contains important educational materials and resources. Please keep this folder and bring it with you to future visits.

Prenatal Visit Schedule

Visit frequency is individualized based on your specific needs, but a typical schedule includes:

Up to 28 weeks: visits approximately once per month
28–36 weeks: visits every two weeks
36 weeks until delivery: weekly visits

What Happens at Routine Visits

During most prenatal visits, your provider will:

Check your blood pressure and weight
Test your urine
Measure your uterus to assess fetal growth
Listen to your baby’s heartbeat
Discuss symptoms, concerns, and next steps

In the final weeks of pregnancy, pelvic exams may be performed to assess cervical changes and your baby’s position, as clinically appropriate.

Your iron level may be checked periodically with a finger-stick test. If your level is 10, it may be monitored more closely with additional lab work. If you level falls 9 or below, we will refer you to a hematologist for possible iron infusion and management prior to delivery.

Prenatal Screening & Testing

You may be offered or recommended the following tests during pregnancy:

Carrier screening (such as Cystic Fibrosis): typically discussed early in pregnancy
Maternal serum screening (AFP/TETRA): usually offered between 14–18 weeks
NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing) : Offered around 10 weeks.

If you are Rh-negative, RhoGAM will be administered at the appropriate time during pregnancy.

Hospital & Delivery Information

All deliveries are performed at Sentara Leigh Hospital.

In our OB Folder we do provide the pre-admission form for Sentara Leigh that can be completed prior to delivery however, Sentara Leigh also provides an electronic version of pre-admission completion by visiting their website here: Sentara Leigh Pre-Admission
Completing this in advance helps streamline your admission process when you arrive for delivery.

To ensure you feel comfortable with our entire team, you may see different obstetric providers during your visits. If you prefer to see only your primary physician, please let us know.

When to Call the Office

Please contact us immediately if you experience: