Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is the medical care provided for women during pregnancy. Healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurse practitioners or midwifes may offer this care. Prenatal care also educates expectant mothers about healthy self-care practices and provides them with healthcare advice. The purpose of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of the pregnancy and to diagnose potential problems as early as possible.

Women who receive prenatal care have healthier babies, and are less likely to have premature deliveries or miscarriages. Prenatal care also decreases the likelihood of other serious complications such as birth defects or maternal death. Newborns that have not received prenatal care are three times more likely to suffer low birth weight and five times more likely to die. It is important that all expectant mothers seek prenatal care because some habits of diet or behavior that are harmless to the mother can be harmful to the development of the fetus. Women should know how to reduce these risks though appropriate prenatal care.

[Page 1419]A woman who is planning to get pregnant should make a preconception care appointment to get advice on preparing for pregnancy. Such advice might include taking vitamin supplements or getting any necessary immunizations. As soon as a woman believes she is pregnant, regular prenatal visits should be scheduled. The first prenatal visit usually consists of taking a medical history, running blood and urine tests, and doing a complete physical examination, which normally includes checking blood pressure, performing a pelvic exam and pap test, and recording height and weight. This initial prenatal visit is also a time to answer questions, calculate the baby's due date, and discuss health and dietary habits.

After the first visit, a typical appointment schedule is once a month for the first 6 months, then every two weeks, then weekly during the last month. The later visits to the doctor's office are often briefer and usually consist of taking measurements such as blood pressure and the fetal heart rate, performing any necessary tests (blood, urine, etc) and making a general assessment.

Prenatal ultrasound examinations are often performed several times throughout the pregnancy. Ultrasound is a noninvasive technique that provides images of the developing fetus within the mother's uterus. Ultrasound determines the number of fetuses, monitors fetal growth and placental position, and discovers abnormal conditions or complications. Ultrasound can also detect the sex of the baby.

Aside from doctor visits, pregnant women need to pay special attention to their diet and health habits. Expectant mothers should take prenatal vitamins to ensure that they are getting the nutrients they need. However, all medications, including herbs and vitamins, should first be approved by a healthcare professional, because some of these can be harmful to the baby.

In general, women should increase their caloric intake by about 300 calories when they become pregnant. Since this is a relatively small amount, it is important that pregnant women consume foods high in nutrients and low in sodium, fat, sugar, caffeine and calories. In particular women should make sure [Page 1420]to get enough folic acid, iron, protein, and calcium. Pregnant woman should also remain active for about 30 minutes each day—unless advised otherwise by a healthcare professional.

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