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Prenatal Care
It is very important for every woman to have good care during pregnancy. This can be with a doctor or a midwife. During visits they will check for problems that may be starting. Most women go through pregnancy with no problems at all. Your doctor or midwife will also answer your questions. Most women have lots of questions.
Midwives provide very personal care and always give lots of time for questions. They mostly care for women who are having a normal pregnancy or have very minor concerns.
Family doctors care for women who have a normal pregnancy, those who have some common problems. Not all family doctors do deliveries. Those that do not deliver will refer a woman to another doctor who does deliver. Family doctors who attend deliveries are competent to do both routine and somewhat complicated deliveries. In rural areas family doctors also do Caesarean sections.
Obstetricians are specialists who usually deal with women have more complicated pregnancies. This is what they are trained for. They also may deliver women whose family doctor does not deliver babies.
All of these professional are highly trained. You will see your health care provider once a month for the first months. The two visits a month during the seventh and eighth months. During the last month you will see your health care provider once a week.
They will be checking things like:
- Are you gaining too much or too little weight?
- Is your blood pressure staying at a normal reading?
- Do you show any signs of diabetes of pregnancy?
- Is the baby growing well?
- Is the baby’s heartbeat sounding right?
You will have blood tests done to check for factors that may be a problem.
You will be sent for an ultrasound, that shows that the baby is growing, how old it is, and whether the placenta is in the right place.
Your health care provider will give you advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle:
- Good nutrition
- No alcohol
- No smoking
- Exercise
- And much more
Prenatal care is for all pregnant women.
Sign up for our prenatal classes for your third trimester. For more information on the classes or the schedule visit the prenatal classes page.