Your next appointment will be booked at the front desk after each visit. Up to 28 weeks of pregnancy, appointments are typically scheduled every four weeks. From 28–36 weeks, visits occur every two weeks, and after 36 weeks, appointments are scheduled weekly until delivery.

After you and your baby are discharged from hospital, please call as soon as you return home to book a follow-up appointment for both of you within one week at the clinic where you received your prenatal care. 

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we ask that you provide advance notice whenever possible.

In most pregnancies, exercise is encouraged and can provide many health benefits. Certain conditions—such as vaginal bleeding or risk of preterm labour—may require activity restrictions. Please speak with your provider and visit our Patient Resources page for pregnancy-safe exercise recommendations.

Initial lab work is arranged after your intake appointment with our prenatal nurse. This typically includes a complete blood count, iron levels, thyroid function, blood type, and infectious disease screening. This will include a blood and urine sample. Optional blood tests for prenatal genetic screening will also be discussed so you can decide what is right for you. 

Between 24–28 weeks, another set of blood tests are completed, including screening for gestational diabetes. Additional investigations may be recommended in certain situations and will be reviewed with you by your physician.

Most pregnancies include two routine ultrasounds:

• First ultrasound (dating scan): This is arranged after referral to our program, before your first appointment, and is ideally completed between 10–12 weeks to confirm your due date.

• Second ultrasound (anatomy scan): Performed around 18–20 weeks, this detailed scan assesses your baby’s growth and development, including the brain, heart, spine, limbs, and organs, as well as the placenta, amniotic fluid, and cervix. The baby’s sex may often be identified if desired.

Both ultrasounds require a full bladder. You will be asked to drink approximately 1 litre of fluid and finish one hour before your appointment. During the scan, a sonographer uses a probe with gel on your abdomen to obtain images.

Yes. If you wish to find out the baby’s sex, please let the ultrasound technician know at the time of your anatomy scan. This information may be included in your report and, in some cases, shared with you during the ultrasound appointment. You may also choose to learn the baby’s sex earlier through self-pay non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which can be done from around 10 weeks.

Vaccination during pregnancy is recommended to help protect both you and your baby. Recommended vaccines may include influenza (flu), COVID-19, pertussis (whooping cough/Tdap), and RSV.

Our maternity physicians are experienced in managing many pregnancy-related concerns and complications. When needed, we work closely with local and regional obstetrical specialists to ensure comprehensive care. This may include additional blood tests, ultrasounds, monitoring, or delivery planning, all of which will be discussed with you.

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will be referred to the Vernon Diabetes Clinic. There, you will meet with a dietitian, nurse, and physician and receive education on nutrition, physical activity, and blood sugar monitoring.

In most cases, gestational diabetes can be managed with diet and exercise alone. If medication is required, this will be discussed and managed in collaboration with the Diabetes Clinic team.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a common bacterium found in the vaginal and rectal area of approximately 25–30% of women. It usually does not cause symptoms or health concerns for the pregnant person, but it can pose a risk to the baby during labour or after the membranes rupture.

For this reason, a vaginal-rectal swab is performed around 36 weeks of pregnancy (or sooner, if you're at risk of delivering early). If the test is positive, antibiotics are given intravenously during labour to significantly reduce the risk of infection for the baby. This will be discussed with you at your appointment.

A membrane sweep, sometimes called a “stretch and sweep,” is a procedure that may be offered late in pregnancy to help encourage labour to start naturally. During a vaginal exam, the provider gently sweeps a finger between the cervix and the membranes surrounding the baby, which can stimulate the release of natural hormones (prostaglandins) that may help soften the cervix and trigger labour.

Membrane sweeps are typically offered around or after your due date and are optional. They can cause some discomfort, cramping, or light bleeding afterward. Your provider will discuss the potential benefits and risks with you so you can decide whether this is something you would like.

After 26 weeks of pregnancy, it is important to become familiar with your baby’s usual pattern of movement. Babies have their own unique movement patterns, and regular movement is a reassuring sign of well-being.

If you notice your baby is moving less than usual, or their pattern of movement has changed, take some time to focus on movements. Try having a small snack and something to drink, then lie down in a comfortable position and place your hand on your belly.

If you are still concerned about your baby’s movements, or movement remains reduced or different from normal for your baby, please go to Vernon Jubilee Hospital Women & Children’s Health Services (4th floor) for assessment. Do not wait or delay seeking care if movement feels reduced.

Learn more: Fetal movement awareness

If you experience vaginal bleeding during clinic hours, please contact the clinic where you receive your prenatal care and we will arrange an assessment. If bleeding occurs after hours, go to Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

If you are more than 20 weeks pregnant, please go directly to Women & Children’s Health Services (4th floor) after registering in the Emergency Department. Vaginal bleeding can have many causes, including threatened miscarriage or placental concerns, and should always be assessed.

If your blood type is Rh-negative, you may require an injection following bleeding. This will be discussed with you at the time of assessment.

Many healthy pregnancies continue beyond the due date, and this is very common. If labour does not start on its own, we may recommend additional monitoring to check your baby’s well-being.

For most pregnancies, induction of labour is planned 7–10 days after the due date. This will be discussed with you during your office visits and, if needed, arranged at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

If you need urgent assessment during clinic hours, please call the clinic where you receive your maternity care. We will speak with you directly and arrange to see you in clinic or at Vernon Jubilee Hospital as needed.

• Less than 20 weeks pregnant: Call 8-1-1 (HealthLink BC) to speak with a registered nurse, or visit the emergency department at your nearest hospital.

• 20 weeks pregnant or more: If you have an urgent concern or feel you need to be seen, call Vernon Jubilee Hospital Women & Children’s Health Services at (250) 558-1213 to speak with a triage nurse. They will provide guidance and ask you to come in for assessment if needed.