All About Prenatal Care
Your 9 months of pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. We’ll be spending more time with you as you near the tail end of your third trimester and approach the birth of your baby.
For example, here’s what you might expect during your pregnancy:
- Complete blood count: we’ll order lab tests (no, it won’t hurt much) to make sure that everything is in order for your pregnancy. This will include Rubella, Hepatitis B, and an HIV screen.
- We’ll test for any STD’s,
- We’ll talk with you about good nutrition and health habits during pregnancy
- Frequent prenatal examinations to detect early problems
- Routine ultrasound to check fetal growth and detect possible abnormalities or problems- usually a minimum of 2 or more are needed.
- And of course you can call us for an appointment at any time if you have questions!
The Goals of Prenatal Care
The goals of prenatal care are to:
- Monitor both you and your baby throughout your pregnancy
- Identify anything that could be a potential risk and deal with it immediately
- Help you maintain your overall health through good nutrition and exercise
- And address any complaints or symptoms you might have, such as backache, joint pain, nausea, heartburn, headaches, leg cramps and constipation.
- Do everything we can to help you and your baby stay healthy and fit without medications.
How often will you see us?
We usually recommend that you visit us:
- Once a month during your first 6 months
- Then every two weeks for the next two months
- And then weekly until you give birth