Typical Schedule for Prenatal Visits and Tests in Australia and New Zealand

To ensure the health of you and your baby, you need to schedule regular visits to your midwife or doctor during your pregnancy. Use this guideline for making your appointments and understanding tests that may be offered through your pregnancy if giving birth in Australia or New Zealand.

Note: If you have health issues or develop problems during pregnancy, you may need to see your midwife or doctor more often than the schedule outlined here.

Stage of pregnancy	Details of visit and tests
6 to 12 weeks	Visit your local midwife or GP for a pregnancy test and prenatal screening. Blood tests to check your health and wellbeing and identify any risks to the baby. Mid stream urine sample to check for symptomless urinary tract infections. A dating ultrasound may be advised if you’re unsure of the first day of your last menstrual period or date of conception
11 to 13 weeks	Nuchal translucency scan (using ultra sound) to screen for chromosomal abnormalities in the baby. Blood tests for free ßhcg and PAPP-A may be recommended for use in conjunction with scan
10 to 14 weeks	Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) may be offered if you’re at high risk of the baby having a chromosomal abnormality
15 to 20 weeks (ideal time 16 weeks)	Triple or Quadruple test to screen for Down syndrome and neural tube defects. Amniocentesis to screen for chromosomal abnormalities in the baby in women with an increased risk
18 to 20 weeks	Morphology ultrasound to look for abnormalities in the baby, placenta or amniotic fluid
18 to 20 weeks	First visit at the hospital clinic or with your private midwife or obstetrician
24 to 26 weeks	Regular check up with a midwife, GP or obstetrician
24 to 28 weeks	Glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes in women at increased risk
28 weeks	Full blood count to check for anaemia. Blood group and antibodies test to monitor women with a negative blood group for antibodies in their blood
28 to 30 weeks	Regular check up with a midwife, GP or obstetrician
32 to 33 weeks	Regular check up with a midwife, GP or obstetrician
36 weeks	Regular check up with hospital staff, midwife or obstetrician*. Group B strep swab to screen for the Group B Streptococcus bacteria in the vagina or anus
38 weeks	Regular check up with hospital staff, midwife or doctor
40 weeks	Regular check up with hospital staff, midwife or doctor
41 weeks	Regular check up with hospital staff, midwife or doctor
42 weeks	Postdates visit with hospital staff, midwife or doctor

* If seeing a shared-care GP, you generally start being seen at a hospital from 36 weeks.

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