How to take a prenatal history
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
The first prenatal history sets the due date and finds the risks for this pregnancy.
Step by step
Introduce yourself and get consent
Ask if they want a partner present. [1]
Dates
First day of the last period, cycle regularity, early ultrasound; estimated due date. [2]
Obstetric history
Gravida (pregnancies) and para (births), past miscarriages, cesareans, complications. [2]
Current symptoms
Bleeding, pain, nausea, fetal movements. [2]
Medical history
High blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, epilepsy, clots, mental health. [3]
Medicines and habits
All medicines, folic acid, smoking, alcohol, drugs. [3]
Social and safety
Support, housing, work, intimate partner violence. [3]
Common errors
- Wrong due date.
- Not asking about past cesareans.
- Skipping safety questions.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes
- Intimate partner violence in pregnancy
- Preeclampsia with magnesium toxicity
- Eclampsia
- Third-trimester bleeding
31 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library
Sources
- AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
- OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (reference)
- NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
- NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations
Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.