OB Appointment Week 36

Just four more weeks (give or take)! Your pregnancy has been a most miraculous journey but you are probably ready to kiss your maternity stretch pants goodbye and meet your new baby. Your appointments will continue to be weekly and, unless you have complications or develop any in the next few weeks, your appointments will be short and sweet up until delivery. Your doctor or midwife will discuss what to expect between visits and common signs of true labor.

In addition to all the routine physical checks you and your baby have had in the previous weeks, your doctor or midwife will palpate your uterus to determine your baby's position, perform an internal exam, and possibly an ultrasound to determine the size and position of your baby. Your doctor or midwife will want to determine how your baby is presenting (head or buttocks first, facing toward the front or the back) and if the presenting part is engaged. You may begin to dilate at any time and your doctor or midwife will track this change to help pinpoint when labor may begin. If you have had a positive Group B strep (GBS) vaginal culture at any past appointments, you will be retested and, if GBS is found, put on a round of antibiotics. As your due date grows near, it is not a bad idea for your partner to attend each prenatal appointment from now on with you since, depending on what your doctor or midwife finds during your appointment, they may decide to send you straight to the hospital!