Prenatal care

During the third trimester, your healthcare professional may ask you to come in more often for checkups.

During those checkups, your healthcare professional checks your weight and blood pressure and asks about any symptoms you're having. If you don't have certain high-risk conditions, some of your checkups may be online. Online checkups also are known as telehealth visits or virtual visits. If you and your healthcare professional choose to have online visits, ask if there are tools you should have at home, such as a blood pressure monitor. To make the most of online visits, write a list of questions ahead of time and take detailed notes.

If you haven't yet received a COVID-19 vaccine, get vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines don't cause infection with the COVID-19 virus. The vaccines are safe and effective for pregnant people and their babies. The vaccines don't pose any serious risks for pregnant people or their babies. Vaccination can help pregnant people build proteins called antibodies that protect their babies. If possible, people who live with you also should get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Get one dose of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during each pregnancy. It's ideal to get the Tdap vaccine during the third trimester, between weeks 27 and 36 of pregnancy. This can help protect your baby from whooping cough before your baby can be vaccinated. This vaccine is recommended in every pregnancy, even if you are up to date on the vaccination from before your pregnancy.

Talk with your healthcare professional about getting vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. RSV causes infections of the lungs and other organs needed for breathing. RSV infection can be life-threatening for babies. Getting the RSV vaccine during pregnancy can help protect you and your baby. In the United States, you can get vaccinated once between 32 weeks through 36 weeks of pregnancy during September through January.

You'll also need screening tests for various health conditions, including:

Your healthcare professional also checks the baby's size and heart rate. Near the end of your pregnancy, your healthcare professional checks the baby's position and asks about the baby's movements. Your healthcare professional also may ask about your preferences regarding labor and pain management as you get ready for delivery.

If you have specific wishes for labor and birth, put your wishes in a birth plan. For example, if you want to labor in a tub of water or if you don't want to take pain medicine, note that in your plan. Review the plan with your healthcare professional. But keep in mind that health concerns during pregnancy could cause plans to change.

As your due date gets closer, keep asking questions. Knowing what to expect can help you have a better experience when you give birth.