Pregnant in Denmark: 3rd Trimester

As I write this, our due date is only a few days away!! I figured I’d go ahead and post the third and final installment of the series I’ve been calling What to Expect When You’re Expecting in Denmark before baby makes his appearance. I started this series because when I found out I was pregnant, I was able to find an overload of information about pregnancy in general and especially from a US/UK perspective, but I had no idea what to expect from the Danish health care system specifically. I just wanted a breakdown of what would happen at each appointment!! Of course, even though things are pretty standardized here, individual experiences definitely vary — but here is mine, in the hopes that it will help some other expecting moms who have as many questions as I did!

(You can read my first trimester and second trimester posts here!)

For context, I have had a fairly typical pregnancy with no significant complications or concerns. I have hypothyroidism, so I have been getting monthly blood tests to check my thyroid levels (I wrote more about this in my first trimester post), and I have a Rhesus-negative blood type (which I mentioned in my second trimester post). All of my prenatal care has been within the public system (no private clinics).

28 week midwife appointment

As mentioned before, I have an Rh-negative blood type. After my 25 week GP appointment, I got a blood test that showed that the baby’s blood is Rh-positive (aka: we are ~incompatible~). So at this midwife appointment, I had to get a shot in my thigh to prevent any adverse effects on the baby. I will also have to get a second shot after birth (I think this helps prevent the condition from affecting future babies? #notadoctor). The shot was not pleasant, but the pain didn’t last long.

At this appointment, I also tested my own urine for sugar and protein (warning signs for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia). Our midwife also checked for the baby’s position, measured my fundal height (size of my uterus from the outside), checked my blood pressure, and checked the baby’s heartbeat. These checks were pretty much the standard at all the remaining appointments, both with my GP and midwife. There was also time for us to ask questions at the end of the appointment.

One difference between the US and Denmark that I learned at this appointment has to do with glucose screening. In the US, it seems like it is very standard to test all pregnant women for gestational diabetes with a glucose test around 25-28 weeks. I asked my midwife about this, and she said that they only do this in Denmark for women with clear warning signs, like family history of diabetes or elevated sugar levels on their urine tests. Since I didn’t have any of the warning signs, I did not have to do the glucose test at all.

32 week GP appointment

This appointment followed a very similar structure to my midwife appointments. Urine test (done by my GP instead of myself), blood pressure, fundal height, baby’s heartbeat, time for questions. My GP also took my weight (which my midwife did not), but did not feel for baby’s position (which my midwife did).

This reminded me of another difference I’ve noticed between the US and Denmark: It seems like providers in the US are really concerned with mom’s weight during pregnancy. I am constantly reading about pregnant women whose doctors tell them they are gaining too much weight, or not enough. Although my GP recorded my weight, and I have been asked about it at other appointments, neither my midwives nor GP ever commented on whether I was gaining the “right amount” of weight. I am obviously not a medical professional, but everything I’ve read during pregnancy indicates that the mother’s weight gain is usually not an indicator of fetal health, and there’s no reason to fuss over it unless there is a specific concern, like gestational diabetes. (I recommend the book Expecting Better by Emily Oster for more information on this!). There’s already enough to worry about while pregnant, so I am really relieved that my providers didn’t add this to my list of things to stress about!!

36 week midwife appointment

Surpriiiiise — we got a new midwife! Our previous midwife, whom we liked a lot, went on maternity leave (lol). I was a little annoyed that we didn’t get a heads up about this, but our new midwife has also turned out to be very sweet and helpful and supportive. So, all good.

Aside from that surprise, this appointment followed a similar pattern. Urine test, my blood pressure, fundal height, baby’s heartbeat, baby’s position, and baby’s estimated weight.

Aside from the routine checks, the focus of this appointment was about my birth preferences. By this time, I had a pretty good idea of what I was hoping for, so I shared those preferences with our midwife. She made notes about these in the computer system, so that whichever midwives are present at the birth will be able to see them.

Last, she answered all of our questions, a few of which might be relevant for others. I asked when they typically induce labor, and she said they do this at 41 weeks + 4 days, or 11 days after the due date. I know women here who were not induced until 42 weeks, so this might vary by hospital.

I also asked about Group B strep testing, which is another standard part of prenatal care in the US. As with the glucose screening, our midwife said they only test for Group B strep if there are warning signs. The TDAP vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) is also not a standard part of prenatal care here, as it is in the US. (So this is when I tell myself that if my medical providers aren’t worried, then I shouldn’t worry either, right?!)

38 week midwife appointment

You know the drill by now… Urine test, my blood pressure, fundal height, baby’s heartbeat, baby’s position, and baby’s estimated weight. By this point, I had also typed out my birth preferences to bring to the hospital, so I also showed that document to our midwife. She looked it over and said that it looked good and would probably be doable as long as there were no significant complications. Finally, she took the time to answer our questions at the end of the appointment… which is hopefully our last one!

40 week midwife appointment

As I’m writing this, I’m 39 weeks + 4 days, and this appointment is scheduled for 40 weeks + 2 days (2 days after our due date). So I have not actually had this appointment yet! But if baby has not arrived by then, our midwife said she would do a cervical check at this appointment (which she has not done thus far), presumably in addition to all the other routine checks. She did say that she would probably not do a membrane sweep or anything else that would potentially induce labor at this point. If needed, we would go back at 41 weeks and potentially talk about induction.

And that pretty much brings us to… birth?! I can’t believe we’re this close!!

As always, feel free to leave your questions or experiences in the comments!