When you suspect you might be pregnant, your emotions can be overwhelming. You may find yourself feeling joyful one moment and full of anxiety the next. Often, you’re faced with conflicting advice and so many decisions to make.

One decision should be easy: the choice to seek prenatal care. Prenatal care is crucial for your health and your baby’s well-being. With prenatal care, your provider monitors your health throughout pregnancy, watches for complications and implements a healthcare plan to help ensure that the baby develops properly.

Research demonstrates that proper prenatal care reduces the risk of low birth weight, premature birth and other health issues for the mother and the newborn.

How Often Should You See a Provider?

As soon as you learn you are pregnant, work with your healthcare provider to set up prenatal care. For normal pregnancies without major complications, prenatal exams are usually scheduled:

• Every month from the fourth week through the 28th week.

• Every two weeks from the 29th week through the 36th week.

• Weekly from the 37th week until delivery.

The schedule may vary depending on your health and your provider's preference. You may need more prenatal care if you have a preexisting health problem. You may also need more care if problems come up.

Who Provides Prenatal Care?

Prenatal care may be provided by:

• Obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN). This healthcare provider has special training in the care of people during pregnancy, labor and delivery. An OB/GYN also focuses on gynecological health issues.

• Family physician. This healthcare provider has special training in primary care, including obstetrics.

• Nurse practitioner. This provider has special training and can provide healthcare for people assigned female at birth. Nurse practitioners are certified by either the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners or the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

• Certified nurse midwife (CNM). A CNM has training to care for people with low-risk pregnancies. CNMs are certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives.

• Perinatologist. This healthcare provider specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Perinatologists are also called maternal-fetal specialists.

Obstetricians and other healthcare providers who specialize in maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology or infertility are certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Almost 2,000 obstetricians are certified every year.

What Happens During a Visit With Your Provider?

Prenatal care provides the best care for you and your unborn child. It also helps prepare you for the delivery of a healthy baby.

During prenatal visits, you and your baby will have tests to check for any possible risks and to treat any complications. Tests will also be done to keep an eye on your baby's growth and development.

You will also get counseling and guidance on many aspects of pregnancy, including weight gain, exercise, nutrition and overall health. At a typical prenatal visit, you may have any or all of these:

• Weight measurement.

• Blood pressure test.

• Measurement of the uterus to check for correct growth of the fetus.

• Physical exam to find problems or discomforts, like swelling of the hands and feet.

• Urine test to check sugar and protein levels. High levels can be a sign of diabetes or preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that causes high blood pressure, high protein levels and swelling due to fluid retention. But swelling may not always be present. And having swelling does not always mean someone has preeclampsia.

• Fetal heart rate measurement.

• Prenatal screening tests like blood tests to check for anemia.

If you are interested in prenatal care, Aultman Medical Group Women’s Health Services has offices in Carrollton, Doylestown, Massillon and Orrville that are accepting new patients. Call 330-684-4797 to set up an appointment.

Source: The StayWell Company, LLC