When you find out you are pregnant questions flood your mind especially if it is your first time. This is just one of the many reasons why your first prenatal appointment is so important. Once your test shows up positive it's time to start looking around for where you will be receiving your prenatal care. Prenatal care is vital to having a healthy and safe pregnancy and delivery.

At your first visit there are a few things that you should have prepared before your appointment. There is going to be a bit of paperwork to fill out and questions from your care provider. They are going to want to know about your medical history as well as your family's. This will also include a need for a list of any medications that you may be taking or have taken recently. Don't hold anything back because it can be vital information to have during your pregnancy and delivery.

Once you are done with the paper work you get to head on over to every woman's favorite place, the scale. Once you have weighed in you'll also have your blood pressure and height taken. You will also be asked when your last menstrual cycle was to help determine when your approximate due date is. If you aren't sure, your doctor or midwife may want to do an ultrasound to get a better idea of how far along you are.

In addition to getting the basics from you they are also going to want to give you a physical exam. Much like what you experience during a regular pap exam, your care provider will want to check for STDs by taking cervical cultures followed by a quick breast exam. The physical exam can also give some insight on how far along you may be in your pregnancy.

Next up on the list is blood work. Here is a list of some of the common things that are examined through your blood work from your first visit:

• Hemoglobin/hematocrit
• Rh factor and blood type
• Rubella screen
• History of chicken pox, rubella and hepatitis vaccine
• Cystic Fibrosis screen
• Hepatitis B surface antigen
• Tay Sach's screen
• Sickle Cell prep screen
• HIV test
• Hemoglobin levels
• Hematocrit levels

Your doctor or midwife will want to discuss with you things that you may need to start avoiding now that you are pregnant. This will include safe meats to eat, avoiding the litter box, raw meat, gardening, miscarriage, prenatal vitamins, exercise, diet and nutrition and much more. The first appointment is always one of the longest so be sure to plan your appointment on a day that you don't have jam packed with errands to run.

This can all be a lot to take in and that is why it is also a great idea to have a note pad with you throughout your pregnancy and a list of questions to ask at your first appointment. Jot down any questions that come across your mind that you want to ask your doctor. It may sound silly but you'd be surprised at how many things you will end up forgetting due to "pregnancy brain."