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). At this visit, your doctor will talk about nutrition (including taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid), weight gain, and exercise.
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 have healthier babies and are less likely to have pregnancy-related problems.
You should call to schedule a prenatal visit with your doctor as soon as you realize you are pregnant. After speaking with you, the doctor’s office may suggest seeing you soon, or may suggest a first visit around eight weeks after your last menstrual period.
This first visit will also include a physical examination, during which your doctor will weigh you, check your blood pressure, and 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 doctor will also estimate your due date and will likely recommend that you start taking a prenatal vitamins, if you are not already taking them.
After your first prenatal visit, you will schedule one prenatal visit every four weeks until about 28 weeks in your pregnancy. During weeks 28-36, you will schedule visits about every 2-3 weeks, and after week 36, you will probably see your doctor every week. Sometimes there are alternate visits with a clinical provider and with a nurse. The visits are more frequent if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
At these visits, your doctor 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 do blood tests, urine tests, and/or ultrasounds.
At each prenatal visit, you should discuss any questions or concerns you have with your doctor.
The following table describes the most common prenatal tests used to monitor your pregnancy and identify potential problems.
| Test | Description |
| Blood type and antibody screen |
Blood tests used to determine your blood type (A, B, AB, or O), and whether you are Rh positive (ie, your blood has the Rh antigen) or Rh negative (ie, 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 infection on to your baby. . This test is very valuable because of the power of preventive medications to protect the 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 test to check for precancerous cells in your cervix, and swabs to test for the STDs
gonorrhea
and
chlamydia.
|
| Multiple marker screening (Quad screen, Triple screen, AFP test) | A maternal serum screening test that measures the levels of the hormones estriol, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), Inhibin-A, as well as AFP, in your blood; abnormal results can indicate an increased risk of Down’s syndrome. 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 of neural tube defects; if it is low, your baby may be at risk of Down’s syndrome (low levels are interpreted with other three markers) |
| 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 |
| Other tests | Other tests that may be performed include testing the amniotic fluid, examining cells from the placenta, testing your fetus’ genetics, screening for diabetes, testing for streptococcus, and testing for tuberculosis |