Prenatal care – what is it?
May 23, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Women's Health
We hear about prenatal care, but what exactly is it?
Ideally, women who plan on getting pregnant should see a doctor to ensure that she is as healthy as possible. Because you don’t know that you’re pregnant until you’ve been pregnant for a few weeks, it’s smart to adopt the “pregnancy lifestyle” before you actually conceive. If that’s not possible, prenatal care should begin as soon as you realize that you’re pregnant. 
How important is prenatal care?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year approximately 4 million women in the United States give birth. Of these 4 million, nearly one third will experience a pregnancy-related complication. Prenatal care may help detect those problems before they become serious, preventing consequences to either the baby and mother – or both.
Your initial doctor or midwife visit should include a basic medical history, checking to see if you have any medical issues or a family history of disorders that could affect you during your pregnancy. Your weight and blood pressure should be taken so you have a baseline for throughout your pregnancy. Blood tests will show if you have any issues that may need to be looked into further, such as diabetes.
At this point, you should also learn about proper nutrition and if you should be taking vitamins. If you are taking any medications, you should be told if you can/should continue to take them or if you should stop. However, never stop taking your medications unless your doctor knows you are doing so.
We’ll discuss specific prenatal visits and tests in future posts.
Image: iStock
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