Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is the health care a woman receives while she is pregnant. It includes checkups and prenatal testing. Prenatal care can help keep mothers and babies healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are 3 times more likely to have a low birth weight and 5 times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care.

Prenatal care also lets health care providers spot health problems early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others. Doctors can also talk to pregnant women about things they can do to give their unborn babies a healthy start to life.

Most experts suggest that women see their doctors about once each month for weeks 4 through 28 of pregnancy, twice a month for weeks 28 through 36, and weekly for weeks 36 to birth. Women should expect to see their health care providers more often as the due date gets closer. If a mother is over 35 years old or her pregnancy is high risk because of health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, the doctor will probably want to see her more often than the normal schedule recommends.

Ideally, you should start taking care of yourself before you start trying to get pregnant. This is called preconception health. It means knowing how health conditions and risk factors could affect you or your unborn baby if you become pregnant. For example, some foods, habits, and medicines can harm your baby — even before he or she is conceived. Some health problems also can affect pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor before pregnancy to learn what you can do to prepare your body. Women should prepare for pregnancy before becoming sexually active. Ideally, women should give themselves at least 3 months to prepare before getting pregnant.

Several important things women can do before becoming pregnant include:

• Taking 400 to 800 micrograms (400 to 800 mcg or 0.4 to 0.8 mg) of folic acid every day for at least 3 months before getting pregnant to lower your risk of some birth defects of the brain and spine.
• Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
• If you have a medical condition, such as asthma, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, thyroid disease, or epilepsy, be sure it is under control. Be sure your vaccinations are up to date.
• Talk to your doctor about any over-the-counter and prescription medicines you are using. These include dietary or herbal supplements. Some medicines are not safe during pregnancy. Do not start or stop any medications without talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Avoid contact with toxic substances or materials at work and at home that could be harmful. Stay away from chemicals and cat or rodent feces.

Begin prenatal visits as soon as you know you are pregnant and attend all scheduled check-ups. Contact your provider promptly for bleeding, severe headache, swelling, fever, or decreased fetal movement.