Why are prenatal appointments and tests scheduled the way they are? i am a student at purdue and am required to ask this question for an assignment.

Partly just routine: There's an initial visit with blood work, & sometimes an ultrasound to confirm dates. Then you are seen every month through about week 28, then every 2 weeks through week 36, and weekly thereafter. Each visit includes weight, vital signs, listening to heart tones and measuring the fetus. Later visits focus on concerns associated with placental function at end of pregnancy, & fetal growth eval.