Prenatal care

Kaiser Permanente cared for more than 116,000 parents giving birth last year. We have high standards, and our policies for providing care are created by our own physicians and nurse-midwives. We let medical professionals make important decisions that affect your health, not executives. So if you’re a Kaiser Permanente member with a baby on the way, you’re in very good hands. 

We care for a lot of parents-to-be, but we also make sure that having a baby with us is unique and special. Whether you need an ultrasound or a flu shot, we’ll always treat you like a person, not a patient. We’ll give you all the care and support you need to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

When to schedule your first prenatal visit

Getting started with prenatal care

Call us to schedule an appointment as soon as you know you’re pregnant so we can help you plan for a healthy pregnancy and birth. You can speak to a nurse to ask questions, get important information, and find out when to come in for your first prenatal care appointment.

Members: Get an estimate of how much you’ll pay to have your baby with us*

*Cost calculator may not apply to members with Medi-Cal plan.

Calculating your due date

What to expect during prenatal appointments

If you’re a Kaiser Permanente member, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few months! You’ll have 8 to 10 prenatal appointments, which go along with important milestones in your baby’s development. Each prenatal visit serves a specific purpose and helps us do everything we can to keep you and your baby healthy. 

Everything that happens at your appointments is captured in your electronic health record, so anyone who cares for you for any reason during your pregnancy can access important information about you and your baby’s health. If you’re a Kaiser Permanente member and you’re registered at kp.org, you can keep track of your appointments, see information from past visits, email your care team , and more — online, anytime.

Vaccinations during pregnancy

Your first prenatal care appointment will most likely be between weeks 7 and 12. After that, as long as your pregnancy is going normally, you’ll have prenatal visits — either in person, online, or by phone — at about:

• 16 to 20 weeks
• 21 to 27 weeks
• 28 to 31 weeks
• 32 weeks
• 36 weeks
• 38 weeks
• 40 weeks

If any problems come up along the way, we’ll see you a little more often.

We encourage you to have your support person actively involved in as much of your care as you want and is possible, and can help connect you both to the right care for your needs. We like to care for the whole family whenever we can.

High-risk pregnancy

Find out what happens at each prenatal visit

Your first trimester appointment
Second trimester appointments
Third trimester appointments

Get to know your prenatal care team