Prenatal Care

During this appointment, your provider will confirm your pregnancy, estimate your due date, gather a medical history and discuss preexisting health conditions.

Your provider will answer your questions about pregnancy and help evaluate your readiness.

• Monitor your weight gain, blood pressure, and pregnancy discomforts such as morning sickness and back pain; discuss emotional changes, your safety, and other concerns you have; and give you needed immunizations.
• Monitor baby's heart rate, measure the size of the uterus and evaluate baby's growth.
• Watch for signs of complications, such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and preterm labor.

Education ensures you are informed about your pregnancy, risks and complications and what to do when you go into labor. You will learn about prenatal education options and discuss your desire to breastfeed and your birth plan.

Your provider will discuss dietary recommendations and prescribe prenatal vitamins.

These are needed to screen for infections and preeclampsia, test for gestational diabetes and anemia, and check your blood type and Rh factor.

This program, available at select locations, is for women with low-risk pregnancies looking for a more active role in their prenatal care and the convenience of fewer clinic visits. In this program, prenatal care combines traditional office visits with Connected Care visits and in-home monitoring. Virtual care patients receive the same Consultations as in-person care patients. Not all prenatal care providers participate in this program.

Ultrasounds confirm your baby' due date, assess fetal development, and identify any health issues. Ultrasounds may be offered in the office or Radiology, depending on your prenatal care provider.

Limited providers offer this procedure once fertility issues have been identified. During this procedure, your provider places sperm directly in the uterus, the organ in which a baby develops, to improve your chances of becoming pregnant.

Some prenatal care providers can evaluate female infertility. During this procedure, X-ray contrast is injected into your uterus, and an X-ray is taken to check for problems inside the uterus. The test also shows whether the fluid passes out of the uterus and spills out of your fallopian tubes.

For your first appointment, bring your current prescription information or medical records from non-Mayo Clinic Health System facilities. Complete a medical records release form to authorize the transfer of health records from another healthcare facility to us. Visit our Medical Record Forms page for this form and other forms in multiple languages.

The appointment length depends on the patient's specific medical situation or concern. We recommend calling your preferred Prenatal Care location to inquire about the appointment length for your health needs.

Mayo Clinic OB Nest is a program for women with low-risk pregnancies who are looking for a more active role in their prenatal care and the convenience of fewer clinic visits. This prenatal care program combines traditional office visits with Connected Care visits and in-home monitoring.

Connected Care visits

You will communicate with an experienced obstetrics nurse by phone or using the Mayo Clinic Patient Portal secure messaging. During visits, you will provide routine information to your nurse, including your weight and blood pressure reading, baby’s heart rate, and medication or allergy changes.

The obstetrics nurses will monitor your pregnancy progression, provide answers to common questions and pregnancy-related education, review your plan of care, schedule future appointments, and be available by phone or the portal to meet your needs and concerns.

In-home monitoring

Through the program, you will get a fetal Doppler and blood pressure machine to use at home. Not only can you listen to baby whenever you’d like, you can do so in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Secure messaging using the Mayo Clinic Patient Portal

The patient portal allows you to have direct, personal and trusted communication with your care team. This connection allows you to address concerns, care for yourself and connect with the obstetrics nurses as needed between visits.

How to get started

If you are interested in participating and your provider determines that you are a candidate for Mayo Clinic OB Nest, you will be given the equipment and materials to begin. Throughout your pregnancy, you will listen to your baby’s heartbeat and measure your own blood pressure at home. You will communicate with an obstetrics nurse through scheduled phone calls or messaging through the Mayo Clinic Patient Portal. You will rotate in-person appointments and phone or portal visits approximately every other visit.

Learn more

Call or message your care team on the Mayo Clinic Patient Portal. Include “Mayo Clinic OB Nest” in the title of your portal message.

You will see your regular Family Medicine provider for most prenatal visits, for your postpartum care and for newborn care. You will see a provider from the OB-GYN team for weeks 36–40. You will complete pre-registration paperwork and discuss delivery options and plan.

A Family Medicine provider or pediatrician will care for your baby while in the hospital. Care will transition to your regular Family Medicine provider upon discharge. If you choose to circumcise your baby boy, discuss this with your regular Family Medicine provider prior to delivery to make arrangements. Talk to your provider to learn more and to see if OB Shared Care is available at your primary care clinic location.

One of the many steps to preparing for baby is to select a provider who cares for you during pregnancy, labor and delivery. You can choose from:

• Family medicine physicians and advanced care providers. They are trained to care for people of all ages and provide preconception counseling and prenatal care. Typically, the family medicine physician who cares for you in clinic will deliver your newborn. They care for the medical needs of infants, children and your entire family.
• Family medicine residents. They are family medicine physicians in training through our Residency program and often have faculty members participating in care so patients receive the benefit of the resident and physician. They provide preconception counseling, prenatal care, and labor and delivery care for low-risk pregnancies. They care for the medical needs of infants, children and your entire family. Typically, the resident who cares for you in clinic will deliver your newborn.
• Nurse-midwives. They are advanced-practice providers with specialized training, education and certification in women's gynecological health issues. Nurse midwives provide preconception counseling, prenatal care, and labor and delivery care for low-risk pregnancies. They only provide women’s healthcare. Typically, the nurse-midwife who cares for you in clinic will deliver your newborn and provide additional services beyond maternity care.
• OB-GYNs. They are physicians who have completed specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology, more commonly referred to as Obstetricians, OB-GYNs, or simply OBs. OB-GYNs provide preconception counseling, fertility, prenatal care, and labor and delivery care for low- and high-risk pregnancies. They only provide women’s healthcare. The OB-GYN team rotates labor and delivery call; the physician who is on call at the time of your delivery will deliver your newborn.

Ultrasounds are performed by your provider or group of diagnostic medical sonographers. The following outlines when an ultrasound may be needed:

• First trimester. The ultrasound can be used to help determine birthdate and potential for multiple births.
• Second trimester. This typically occurs between 18 and 22 weeks. The technologist performing the exam will save multiple images to be reviewed by a radiologist to help evaluate your baby's growth and development. At this point in pregnancy, it is possible to determine your baby's gender.
• Third trimester. Ultrasounds are not always performed in the third trimester, but may be ordered to help determine the baby's estimated weight, amount of amniotic fluid, location of the placenta, fetal heart rate and well-being, and confirming delivery date range.

Virtual visits are offered in prenatal care. These visits may be scheduled through the patient portal, the Mayo Clinic App or by calling your preferred Prenatal Care location.

A variety of classes are offered to new or soon-to-be moms and their support person. Search our Classes & Events page to find a Mayo Clinic Health System offering near you. Mayo Clinic’s Perinatal Education Program in Rochester also hosts a wide selection of classes both in person and via the interactive Zoom platform. A variety of class topics are offered based on availability.

It's important to be involved in your partner's pregnancy. Here are some ways to be involved from the start:

• Offer to run out and purchase the pregnancy testing kit
• Attend prenatal visits
• Talk to your partner
• Get to know your baby
• Support your partner in a healthier lifestyle

Our Patient Account Services representatives can assist you with any issues related to billing and insurance. We also offer financial assistance if you are unable to pay for care due to financial hardship.

Yes. Call the appointment number at your preferred prenatal care location.  

Always call 911 in case of an emergency. For after-hours help with other issues, get virtual care 24/7 through the Primary Care On Demand app or review our convenient care options.