Follow-up checks

During the follow-up check-ups, we will discuss how things are going and whether there are any problems or complaints regarding your pregnancy. We check how you and your baby are doing. We also provide appropriate information on various subjects for each term.

After your first check-up at around 7-9 weeks, you will come back for another check-up after four weeks. We will then listen to your baby's heart for the first time. You will have had a term ultrasound between the first and second check-up, so that we know exactly how far along you are and what your due date is.

The follow-up checks take approximately 15 minutes. If you think you need extra time to discuss something, please let us know when planning the appointment. We are happy to take this into account. The frequency of the checks changes as your pregnancy progresses.

When the pregnancy is normal you will:

If problems or complaints arise during the pregnancy, it is possible that you come for check-ups more often.

During the appointments we will check your weight and blood pressure. Your blood pressure is important to us because high blood pressure can indicate problems. If your blood pressure is on the high side or if you have certain complaints, we will also check your urine for the presence of proteins.

We also conduct an external examination at every check-up. We feel your belly so that we can check the growth and position of the baby (from ±26 weeks). From 26 weeks we will measure the abdomen with a centimeter. These centimeters are put in an individualized growth curve. This is according to the GROW method, a national protocol to detect growth retarded children. If there is suspicion of a baby that is too small using this method, extra growth ultrasounds will be made. Of course, we also listen to the baby's heart sounds at every check-up.

Between 24 and 30 weeks you will receive another form to have blood drawn. We would then like to know your hemoglobin ('iron') and your glucose ('sugar') again. If you are rhesus D or rhesus c negative, we will also check that you are not making antibodies against the rhesus factor. This should take place between 27-28 weeks. You will find more information about this further on.

At around 34 weeks, we make an ultrasound in our practice to check the growth and position of the baby.

If your pregnancy is progressing normally, you can give birth under our supervision. However, if problems or complications arise during the pregnancy, such as high blood pressure or a baby that is not growing properly, we will refer you to the gynaecologist for specialist help. You can indicate which hospital you want to go to. We mainly work together with the Maxima Medical Center in Veldhoven and the Sint Anna hospital in Geldrop.

When you are Rhesus D negative:

As you may know, there are different types of blood groups. You have blood group A or B or AB or O. There are also "additional blood groups".

The Rhesus D factor is one of them. When you have that Rhesus D factor, we say that your blood group, for example, is A positive. If you do not have the Rhesus D factor, we say that your blood group, for example, is A negative. Why is this so important to know now?

When you, as a Rhesus D negative pregnant woman, carry a child that is Rhesus D positive, you can start making antibodies against the baby's blood the moment the baby's blood comes into contact with the mother's blood. The consequences for the pregnancy in which this happens are not that great, because the production of those antibodies takes so much time that it has little or no consequences for the baby. If you become pregnant again, it can have major consequences for the baby. If your baby is Rhesus D positive again, your body now knows how to make antibodies and everything goes much faster. This causes the baby's blood to be broken down.

To prevent all this, we have taken a number of measures in the Netherlands:

You will receive another anti-D injection within 48 hours after the birth of your baby.

When you are Rhesus c negative:

For Rhesus c negative the same applies as for Rhesus D negative. If, as a Rhesus c negative pregnant woman, you are pregnant with a Rhesus c positive child and blood from the baby ends up with you, you will make antibodies against the baby's blood group.

We have also taken a number of measures to prevent problems with Rhesus c negative pregnant women:

Unfortunately, we do not have any products available for rhesus c that can prevent you from forming antibodies. If blood group antibodies are found during pregnancy, it may be necessary to refer you to a gynaecologist for more specialized care.