Prenatal Care |

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Every mother-to-be needs prenatal care, which is the regular healthcare you will receive during pregnancy from your doctor, midwife, or other healthcare professional.

Prenatal care should begin as early as possible, ideally even before you become pregnant (a preconception visit).

The goal of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of your pregnancy and check for any problems that may arise. Women who get prenatal care tend to have healthier babies, and are less likely to have pregnancy-related problems.

Your first pregnancy visit

You should schedule a prenatal appointment as soon as you realize you are pregnant. During this first visit, your doctor or midwife will talk to you about your and your partner’s personal and family health history, identify medical problems, and go through each medication you are taking.

This first visit will also include a physical examination, during which you will be weighed and your doctor or midwife will check your blood pressure and may do a pelvic examination/pap smear to check for cervical cancer and vaginal infections. You will provide blood and urine samples for a variety of tests, including tests for infections and anemia.

Your estimated due date will be determined and it will likely be recommended that you start taking a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid, if you are not already.

Subsequent visits

After your first prenatal visit, you will schedule one prenatal visit per month from weeks 4-28 of your pregnancy. During weeks 28-36, you will schedule visits twice per month, and after week 36, you will see your healthcare provider every week.

At these visits, your healthcare provider will weigh you, check your blood pressure, measure and feel your growing abdomen, check for swelling, listen to your baby’s heartbeat (after week 12), and may perform blood tests, urine tests, and/or ultrasounds.

At each prenatal visit, you should bring up any questions or concerns you have.

Diagnostic and screening tests

There are many common prenatal tests that may be used to monitor your pregnancy and identify potential problems:

Blood type and antibody screen: blood tests used to determine your blood type (i.e., A, B, AB, or O), and whether you are Rh-positive (i.e., your blood has the Rh antigen) or Rh-negative (i.e., your blood lacks the Rh antigen); if your blood type and Rh status are incompatible with your baby’s, you may need special care during pregnancy
Hematocrit and hemoglobin: blood tests that check for anemia
Syphilis: a blood test that checks for the sexually transmitted disease (STD) syphilis, which can be treated so that it will not be transmitted to your baby.
Rubella: a blood test to see if you have had rubella (German measles) or a rubella vaccination; if you have not, you will be advised to avoid being exposed to the disease while pregnant.
Hepatitis B virus: A blood test to determine if you have hepatitis B, a viral disease that infects the liver; it can be treated with medications, which must also be given to your baby, along with a vaccine, after birth.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): A blood test to determine if you have been infected with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS; if you have, you will be given medications during pregnancy to reduce the risk that you will pass the virus on to your baby.
Urine tests: a laboratory test to check the levels of sugar and protein in your urine, which can identify diabetes, urinary tract infection, kidney disease, or high blood pressure; urine tests can also check for bladder and kidney infections
Cervical tests: A Pap smear test to check for precancerous cells in your cervix, and swabs to test for the STDs gonorrhea and chlamydia
Alpha-fetoprotein test: a maternal serum screening test to check levels of alpha fetoprotein (AFP), a protein made by the fetus; if your level of AFP is high, your baby may be at risk for neural tube defects; if it is low, your baby may be at risk for Down’s syndrome
Multiple marker screening (triple screen): a maternal serum screening test that measures the levels of the hormones estriol and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as well as AFP, in your blood; abnormal results can indicate an increased risk of Down’s syndrome
Ultrasound: an imaging test that uses sound waves to view your fetus; ultrasounds can help determine the age and sex of the fetus and/or confirm a diagnosis
Gestational Diabetes: A blood test to determine if you are developing gestational diabetes.
Other tests: Other tests that may be performed include testing the amniotic fluid, examining cells from the placenta, testing your fetus’ genetics, testing for streptococcus, and testing for tuberculosis.