Questions to Ask an OBGYN Before Getting Pregnant
Questions for a preconception appointment, covering medications and existing conditions, vaccinations, screening, family history, cycles, previous pregnancies, and how the practice handles care once you have a positive test.
20 questions, each with the reason to ask it · includes a conversation guide
The questions
Open any question to see why it works.
- 1
What does a preconception visit cover, and how much time do we have today?
Ask at the start so you can order your list. Some practices book this as a short well visit and some as a full consultation, and knowing which one you are in tells you whether to raise five topics or twenty-five.
- 2
Looking at my history, is there anything you would want addressed before we start trying?
This is the open question that lets the clinician lead with what they saw in your chart rather than answering your list item by item. Whatever they name first is the thing they consider most time-sensitive.
- 3
Which of my medications and supplements should change, and how far in advance?
Bring every bottle, including over the counter products, herbal supplements, and anything prescribed by another doctor. Some medicines are switched rather than stopped, and the timing of a switch is a clinical decision rather than something to arrange on your own.
- 4
Which of my existing conditions should be more stable first, and what number are we aiming for?
Ask for the target as a figure and write it down. A condition described as well controlled in conversation is often defined by a specific reading in the guidance the clinician is working from, and you cannot track progress against an adjective.
- 5
Which vaccinations should be up to date before I conceive, and is there a waiting period after any of them?
Some vaccines are given before pregnancy rather than during, and a few carry a recommended interval before trying. This is also the moment to find out whether your immunity to anything needs checking with bloodwork rather than assumed from records.
- 6
What bloodwork or screening would you do now, and how long do results take?
The turnaround matters for planning. Ask which tests are routine at this visit, which are optional, and which ones would change what you do next rather than simply adding to the file.
- 7
Should either of us have carrier screening, and what would we do with a positive result?
The second half is the harder half and it is easier to think about before the result exists. Ask what the options would be, how long follow-up testing takes, and whether a partner sample is needed to interpret anything.
- 8
My family history includes this: does it change your recommendations?
Bring both sides of the family, not only yours. Clinicians are listening for clotting disorders, early heart disease, diabetes, inherited conditions, pregnancy losses, and stillbirths, and relatives often have not mentioned these unless asked directly.
- 9
Does my partner need to be seen, and by whom?
Half of the picture is routinely left out of preconception appointments. Ask what would be checked, whether their own doctor should handle it, and what history from their side you should bring to your next visit.
- 10
How long would you expect us to try before I come back?
The interval before further evaluation is not the same for everyone and depends on age and history. Getting the number now means you are not deciding in six months whether you are being impatient.
- 11
I have been using birth control: what should I expect after stopping, and does the method change the timing?
Return of cycles differs by method, and some clinicians suggest tracking for a stretch before conclusions are drawn. Ask what a normal adjustment period looks like for the method you are on and what would be worth reporting.
- 12
What should I be recording about my cycles, and what would you want to see?
Ask what data is genuinely useful to them rather than collecting everything. Most want cycle start dates and length before anything else, and arriving with three or four months of those makes a later appointment far more productive.
- 13
How do you weigh weight, exercise, and any recent changes to either?
Ask what they would want rather than assuming a number. Recent rapid loss or gain, and very heavy training loads, are relevant in ways people do not expect, and they are easier to discuss when you have raised the topic yourself.
- 14
What are the current recommendations on alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and cannabis while trying?
Advice on some of these has changed and secondhand versions circulate widely. Ask what the recommendation is while trying, which is a different window from during pregnancy, and ask for the reason so you can apply it sensibly.
- 15
Are there exposures at my work or home worth avoiding now?
Say what you actually do all day. Solvents, anaesthetic gases, radiation, lead, pesticides, heavy lifting, and night shifts all come up, and none of them will be raised unless the clinician knows the job.
- 16
Given what happened in my last pregnancy, what would be different this time?
Bring records if the previous care was elsewhere. Prior loss, preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or a caesarean each change what monitoring is planned, and the plan is usually set before conception rather than after.
- 17
At what point would you want to see me once I have a positive test?
Practices differ on when the first visit happens and what triggers an earlier one. Ask what to do about a positive test on a weekend and what symptoms mean calling immediately rather than waiting for the appointment.
- 18
Who would I actually see through a pregnancy, and who covers when you are away?
Ask about the shape of the practice: solo, group, rotating, midwives, and which hospital you would deliver at. The person you meet at a preconception visit is often not the person on the floor at the time of birth.
- 19
If we have difficulty conceiving, what happens next in your practice?
Find out what evaluation is done in house, what gets referred out, and whether the referral is to a named clinic. Knowing the pathway removes a month of uncertainty at the point you would least like to spend it.
- 20
Between now and then, what would you want me to call about rather than wait?
This closes the visit with a clear threshold. Ask for the after-hours number and how messages are handled, and write the answer next to the number rather than trusting you will remember it.
Preparing for a preconception visit
Practical guidance for the conversation itself.
What to bring
What to bring
- 1Every medication and supplement, in the bottle, including anything taken occasionally and anything prescribed by another clinician.
- 2The dates your last several cycles started, and their length. This is the single most useful thing you can hand over.
- 3Family history from both sides: pregnancy losses, stillbirths, inherited conditions, clotting disorders, diabetes, and early heart disease.
- 4Records from any previous pregnancy, birth, or surgery handled by another practice, requested in advance because they take time to arrive.
- 5Your immunisation record if you have one, and a note of anything you know you have had.
- 6A written list of your questions with the two you care about most at the top.
During the visit
During the visit
- Ask for numbers rather than adjectives, and write them down while you are still in the room.
- If something is recommended, ask what the next step is and who arranges it, since referrals and lab orders often stall on that point.
- Take a partner or a friend if you can. Two people remember an appointment better than one.
- Say if you are unsure about trying at all. A preconception visit is also the place to ask about the timing and the options, not only about preparation.
- Before you leave, ask what happens next and when, and how results will reach you.
If the visit felt rushed
If the visit felt rushed
- Ask whether the remaining questions are better handled at a follow-up appointment or through the patient portal, and which one the practice prefers.
- Request the after-visit summary in writing so you can check what was actually recommended against what you remember.
- A second opinion is a normal request, particularly where there is a history of loss or a chronic condition, and can be asked for without explanation.
- Nothing here is a substitute for the conversation itself. These are questions to bring to the appointment, and the answers depend on your own history.