Maybe you are pregnant?

When you know you are pregnant, you should call to schedule your first examination during the first 6 to 8 weeks of your pregnancy, or when your menstrual period is 2 to 4 weeks late. Many health care providers will not schedule the first visit before 8 weeks, unless there is a problem.

During your first visit, you'll be asked a lot of questions about your health and habits that may have an impact on your pregnancy. It's important to try to remember the date of your last menstrual period so your doctor can estimate the duration of your pregnancy and predict your delivery date.

You can expect to have a full physical, including a pelvic and rectal examination. A blood sample will be taken and used for a series of tests:

1. a complete blood cell count (CBC)
2.  blood typing and screening for Rh antibodies (antibodies against a substance found in the red blood cells of most people)
3. for infections such as syphilis, hepatitis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
4.  for evidence of previous exposure to chickenpox (varicella), measles (rubeola), mumps, or German measles (rubella)
5. for cystic fibrosis (health care providers recently started to offer this even if there's no family history of the disorder)

Some blood tests are offered only to women of certain ethnic backgrounds, who may be at higher risk of carrying genes for specific diseases. For example, women of African or Mediterranean descent are usually tested for thalassemia or sickle cell trait or disease because they're at higher risk of these chronic blood diseases or carrying the sickle cell trait, which can be passed on to their children.

Women of Ashekenazi Jewish heritage (Jews of central and eastern European descent) and women of French-Canadian/Cajun heritage are at increased risk for carrying the genes for Tay-Sachs disease.

Talk with your health care provider to see if any of these genetic tests may be recommended for you.

During the first visit, you also can expect to provide a urine sample for testing and to have a Pap test (or smear) for cervical cancer. To do a Pap smear, the doctor uses what looks like a very long mascara wand or cotton swab to gently scrape the inside of the cervix (the opening to the uterus that's located at the very top of the vagina). This generally doesn't hurt; some women say they feel a little twinge, but it only lasts a second.