Prenatal care

• Prenatal care is the care you get while you’re pregnant.
• Regular prenatal care helps keep you and baby healthy.
• A doctor, midwife or other health provider gives this care.

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You’re having a baby! It’s important to take very good care of yourself so that both you and baby are healthy. Taking good care of yourself includes getting prenatal care. You can see an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) for prenatal care, or a family practice doctor, a certified-nurse midwife or other health professional.

Regular prenatal care helps you and your health provider monitor how your pregnancy is going. It also helps spot any potential health problems before they become serious. Some pregnant women may experience complications like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. But with regular prenatal care, you’ll be better able to manage any health issues that may come up.

During your prenatal care visits, your provider will calculate your due date and check if there are any vaccinations you need. You’ll also get to experience the exciting moment of seeing your baby for the first time with an ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves to show a picture of the baby on a screen. Many providers offer an ultrasound examination to all pregnant women.

Your provider will perform prenatal tests to ensure baby is growing healthy. Some of these tests include:

• amniocentesis (test for certain birth defects)
• chorionic virus sampling or CVS (test for certain birth defects)
• glucose screening (monitor blood sugar)
• cystic fibrosis carrier screening (check for cystic fibrosis gene)
• maternal blood screening (check for neural tube defects)