Pregnant in Canada? What to Do First — Pregnancy Preparation Guide, Part 1 (Prenatal Care in BC)

If you are pregnant — or planning to be — in Canada, the first steps are simpler than they look: confirm your health coverage, choose one primary maternity care provider as early as you can, and follow a regular schedule of prenatal visits and tests. In British Columbia, medically necessary pregnancy and birth care is covered by MSP (the provincial health plan) for people who are enrolled, and registered midwives are fully covered too. This first part of our series walks you through preparation before pregnancy, what to do right after a positive test, and a trimester-by-trimester checklist so nothing important gets missed.

📚 Pregnancy in Canada — 3-Part Series

• Part 1 (Preparation): Part 1 (Preparation)
• Part 2 (Hospital & Birth): Part 2 (Hospital & Birth)
• Part 3 (Maternity Benefits): Part 3 (Maternity Benefits)

What should you do before you get pregnant?

A little preparation before conception can make the whole pregnancy calmer. Health Canada recommends that women who could become pregnant take a daily multivitamin containing 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid, starting at least two to three months before pregnancy. Folic acid matters most in the very first weeks, often before you even know you are pregnant, which is why starting early is the point. Always check your own situation with a health care provider, because some people need a different dose or a different plan.

A general health check is the other smart pre-pregnancy step. Book a visit with your family doctor or another primary care provider to review your overall health, any medications you take, and any vaccinations or screening that may be due. This is also a good moment to ask questions about your personal risk factors, so your prenatal care can be planned around you rather than around a generic checklist.

Finally, confirm your coverage and sketch out a budget. If you live in BC, check that your MSP enrolment is active and up to date. New residents of BC may face a waiting period before MSP coverage begins — generally the rest of the month you arrive plus two months — so if you have recently moved, confirm your exact start date rather than assuming you are covered. People holding a work permit valid for six months or more are generally eligible to enrol in MSP. On the money side, pregnancy itself is covered for MSP members, but it helps to budget early for the things that are not part of insured medical care, such as baby gear, a car seat, and time away from work. Part 3 of this series explains maternity and parental benefits in detail, including the 2026 amounts.

What should you do first after a positive pregnancy test?

Once you have a positive test, your most time-sensitive job is choosing your one primary maternity care provider — and in BC you choose just one. You have three main options, and the right choice depends on your health, your preferences, and, frankly, how quickly you call, because some options fill up fast.

Family doctor (who provides prenatal care)

• How you access them: Contact your own doctor's office directly
• Good to know: Provides prenatal care and delivers babies, if they offer maternity care

Registered midwife

• How you access them: Contact the midwifery practice directly — no referral needed
• Good to know: Fully covered by MSP; can support birth in hospital or at home; cares for you until six weeks after the birth; very popular, so book as soon as your test is positive

Obstetrician

• How you access them: Usually by referral from a family doctor
• Good to know: A specialist, typically involved when a pregnancy is higher risk

Registered midwives deserve a special note: they book up fast. Because no referral is required, you can call a midwifery practice yourself as soon as you know you are pregnant — do not wait for a first doctor's appointment to start that conversation. If you prefer a midwife and the first practice is full, try another. If you start with one type of provider and your pregnancy later needs specialist care, your provider can refer you onward; choosing your first provider is not a locked door.

What does the prenatal visit and test schedule look like?

Prenatal care in BC follows a regular rhythm. As a general pattern, visits are about every four to five weeks until 28 weeks, then every two to three weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, and then weekly after 36 weeks. Your own schedule may differ, and that is normal — your provider adjusts the plan to you and your baby.

When	What usually happens
Early pregnancy	Initial blood work and your first prenatal visits begin
About 8–12 weeks	Dating ultrasound (first-trimester ultrasound to confirm timing)
18–20 weeks	Detailed anatomy ultrasound
24–28 weeks	Glucose screening for gestational diabetes
28–36 weeks	Visits every two to three weeks
After 36 weeks	Weekly visits until the birth

Think of this table as a map, not a contract. Tests can shift by a week or two, extra scans can be added, and some appointments may be combined. If you are ever unsure why a test is being offered, ask your provider to explain what it checks and what the results would change — that is exactly what they are there for. And if something feels wrong between visits, you do not have to wait for the next appointment: HealthLink BC's 8-1-1 line offers 24-hour nurse advice, with translation support available.

What should you prepare in each trimester?

First trimester (weeks 1–12). Start or continue your folic acid multivitamin, book your primary maternity care provider right away, confirm your MSP status, and have your dating ultrasound and early blood work. Tell your provider about any medications you take before changing anything on your own.

Second trimester (weeks 13–27). Have your anatomy ultrasound at 18–20 weeks and glucose screening at 24–28 weeks. This is a comfortable window to start thinking ahead: read Part 2 of this series on choosing your hospital and packing your hospital bag, and start a simple baby-gear list so costs are spread out rather than piled into the final month.

Third trimester (weeks 28–birth). Visits become more frequent, then weekly after 36 weeks. Finalize your hospital bag, make sure an infant car seat is ready (you will need one by law to drive your baby home, as Part 2 explains), and review your leave and benefits timing using Part 3, so paperwork deadlines do not collide with your due date.

Are you new to Canada or here on a work permit?

Newcomers should double-check three things early. First, the MSP waiting period: new BC residents may wait the rest of their arrival month plus two months before coverage starts, so plan for how you would handle care needs in that gap and confirm your dates with MSP. Second, your permit expiry: your status in Canada affects both your health coverage and your benefits, so look at the expiry date now, not in your third trimester. Third, money programs have their own clocks — for example, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) has an 18-month residence rule for temporary residents, which we preview here and explain in Part 3: temporary residents generally become eligible only after 18 months living in Canada, with a valid permit in the 19th month. Many people in their first year on a work permit will not qualify yet, and it is better to know that early than to count on money that is not coming.

What comes next in this series?

Part 2 takes you to the hospital: how your birth hospital is decided, what to pack, when to go in, and what happens after your baby is born — including the combined online birth registration that lets you apply for your baby's SIN, the CCB, and MSP coverage in one place. Part 3 is the money guide: job-protected leave in BC, EI maternity and parental benefits, exactly how much you could receive in 2026, and a step-by-step application walkthrough. If finances are your biggest worry, you do not have to wait — jump straight to Part 3 and come back.

Continue the series: Next → Part 2 (Hospital & Birth): Part 2 (Hospital & Birth) · Part 3 (Maternity Benefits): Part 3 (Maternity Benefits)

Sources

• Health Canada — folic acid and pregnancy guidance (Canada.ca)
• HealthLink BC — pregnancy care and the 8-1-1 nurse advice line
• Government of British Columbia — MSP enrolment and pregnancy care information
• Canada.ca — Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits (overview; full details in Part 3)
• Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Child Benefit (overview; full details in Part 3)

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not medical, legal, or financial advice. Figures and program details are for 2026 and must be re-checked on Canada.ca and with Service Canada before you rely on them. Every pregnancy and every personal situation is different — please confirm your own circumstances with your care provider and with Service Canada.