Questions for prenatal visits

Write one sentence about what you most want to discuss. It might concern a symptom, a proposed test, the birth setting or how care will work after delivery. At the start of the visit, tell the clinician what you hope to cover.

If you have noticed a change, record what happened, when it began and how it affects you. Use your own words. You do not need to select a medical term before asking for help.

Useful questions include:

• What is this test, examination or treatment intended to tell us or address?
• What choices apply to my situation?
• What are the important benefits, risks and limits?
• How and when will I receive the result?
• Who should I contact if I do not hear back?

Ask for a plain-language explanation when a term is unfamiliar. ACOG's pregnancy information provides background on care, but your own team needs to explain the recommendation for you.

Ask who is part of the care team, how appointments are scheduled and how to reach someone between visits. Find out what to do after hours. If you receive care from more than one office, ask who communicates results and coordinates follow-up.

You can also ask what planning is needed for care after birth. Include physical recovery, emotional health, feeding questions and the practical support available at home in that discussion.

Tell the office if transportation, work, child care, cost, interpretation or disability access may make a recommendation hard to follow. Ask about the specific options available rather than assuming the only choice is to miss care.

If you want a support person present, ask how the visit can accommodate them. You may also want time to speak with the clinician privately.

Ask which symptoms or changes should prompt urgent care and whom to call. CDC's Hear Her campaign explains the importance of taking concerns during pregnancy and after birth seriously. If you believe you are having an emergency, seek urgent help rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit or an online reply.

Say what you understood and check it: “I will arrange this appointment, and your office will contact me about the result. Is that right?” Record medication or care instructions exactly as the clinician explains them, and ask for written information if useful.

If there was not enough time to discuss something, ask how to arrange another conversation. Keep the original question so it does not get lost in the next round of planning.

You do not need to take this whole list to one visit. Choose the topics you want explained and leave space for your care team's advice.

Early in care

• Which health history, medicines, supplements or previous pregnancy experiences should we discuss?
• How can I get help with nutrition, symptoms or emotional health between visits?
• Where will I find the instructions and contact details for this practice?

When a test or treatment is offered

• Is this routine care or being recommended because of something specific in my situation?
• What can the result tell us, and what can it not tell us?
• If I need time to consider a choice, what timing matters?

As you prepare for birth

• Where should I go when I think labor has started, and when should I contact you first?
• Which birth preferences can we discuss now? What might require a change in the plan?
• How are pain relief, support people and communication needs handled in the birth setting?

For care after the birth

• How will my postpartum care be arranged, including if I receive care from another practice?
• Who can help with feeding questions and emotional health concerns?
• What instructions will I need before going home, and how can another caregiver learn them?

These are conversation prompts. Your clinician can explain which choices apply and provide instructions for your pregnancy.

For a short visit, choose three questions: the concern that needs attention now, the recommendation you need explained and an arrangement that affects the next step. Tell the clinician which is most important. You can save the remaining questions for an agreed follow-up rather than rushing through the whole list.

Suppose a test is suggested while the clinician is discussing several other topics. You can pause the conversation: “Before we move on, could you explain what this test would change about my care?” Then ask how you will receive the result and what the possible next steps are.

If you receive written instructions that use an unfamiliar term, point to that term. You do not need to say that you understood in order to end the appointment politely. Ask whether a written explanation, interpreter or follow-up conversation would help you consider the decision.

Use the visit worksheet · Make a support plan