Antenatal Appointment

Booking your first antenatal appointment is a crucial step in starting your pregnancy care journey. It ensures early monitoring, expert guidance, and sets up your personalised antenatal appointment schedule.

At Emerald Lakes Medical Clinic, we offer full-spectrum care for expectant mothers, starting from the initial antenatal appointment through to ongoing pregnancy support across the Gold Coast. Whether you are in the early stages of pregnancy or approaching your due date, understanding what to expect during your appointments can help you feel prepared and confident throughout your pregnancy.

Confirming Your Pregnancy

Before your regular check-ups begin, you may wish to have medical confirmation of your pregnancy. While home test kits are highly accurate, we are happy to perform a urine pregnancy test or a blood test on the spot to confirm your results. These tests are typically performed a few days after your period is due. 

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, we will discuss the necessary steps to plan your ongoing pregnancy care. We will also discuss your options and organise referrals to a public hospital or a private obstetrician as required.

Your Antenatal Appointment Schedule

Antenatal appointments are designed to monitor the progress of you and your baby, identify any potential risks early, and provide you with an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have. While every pregnancy is different, a typical antenatal appointment schedule follows a specific pattern to ensure consistent monitoring.

For a low-risk pregnancy, your schedule generally looks like this:

• First antenatal appointment: Typically scheduled between 6 and 8 weeks of pregnancy.
• Monthly appointments: From your first visit up to 28 weeks.
• Fortnightly check-ups: Between 28 and 36 weeks.
• Weekly visits: From 36 weeks until delivery.

We will advise you on a schedule tailored to your specific needs. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or underlying health conditions, your antenatal appointment schedule may involve more frequent visits to ensure the best possible care.

Areas Checked During Antenatal Visits

What’s covered during a typical antenatal appointment:

• Blood count: Measures your red and white blood cells and hemoglobin levels. This helps detect anemia, infections, or other blood-related issues that could affect your health or your baby’s growth.
• Blood grouping and Rhesus antibodies (Rh factor): Determine your blood type and Rh factor to prevent complications during pregnancy. Knowing this early can help prevent problems such as blood incompatibility with the baby, which can lead to anemia and other complications.
• Immunity against infections such as Rubella or Hepatitis: Assesses your immunity against infections that can be harmful to you and your baby during pregnancy.
• Pelvic size and shape: Checks the structure and size of your pelvis to ensure it can support a safe delivery. This helps doctors anticipate and plan for any potential birth complications.
• Blood pressure: Monitoring your blood pressure to detect high or low readings. Maintaining healthy blood pressure is important to prevent conditions like pre-eclampsia and ensure a safe delivery.
• Urine test (for diabetes or pre-eclampsia): Analyses urine for sugar or protein levels, helping detect gestational diabetes or kidney-related issues early. Timely identification allows for proper management to keep you and your baby healthy.
• Cervix (pap smear test): Screens for cervical changes, infections, or abnormalities. Ensuring cervical health helps prevent complications and keeps your pregnancy on track.
• Baby’s progress (size of uterus, heartbeat, movements): Monitors your baby’s growth, heartbeat, and activity. These checks confirm that your baby is developing normally and help detect any early warning signs.
• Mother’s progress: Tracks your overall health, weight, and well-being throughout pregnancy. Regular monitoring ensures any maternal concerns are addressed promptly to support a safe pregnancy.

Serving the Gold Coast Community

Emerald Lakes Medical Clinic services the whole of the Gold Coast region. Located in Carrara, our clinic is easily accessible for patients from a wide range of local suburbs, including:

• Upper Coomera
• Pacific Pines
• Nerang
• Helensvale
• Pimpama
• Hope Island
• Beenleigh 
• Tweed Heads

Whether you’re due for a routine antenatal appointment, need a pathology referral, vaccination, or general pregnancy support, you can trust us to provide the highest level of care for you and your family.

Take The Next step

Sticking to a regular antenatal appointment schedule is key to supporting a healthy pregnancy and smooth delivery. If you suspect you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, start antenatal care early and keep regular check‑ups throughout your pregnancy.

Ready to begin your antenatal care? Book your antenatal appointment with our experienced GPs today.