Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. Take care of yourself and your baby .Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy.
PRENATAL CARE
Prenatal care refers to the medical care recommended for women before and during pregnancy.
The aim of good prenatal care is to detect any potential problems early, to prevent them if possible (through recommendations on adequate nutrition, exercise, vitamin intake etc), and to direct the woman to appropriate specialists, hospitals, etc. if necessary.
The availability of routine prenatal care has played a part in reducing maternal death rates and miscarriages as well as birth defects, low birth weight, and other preventable infant problems in the developed world.
While availability of prenatal care has considerable personal health and social benefits, socioeconomic problems prevent its universal adoption in many developed as well as developing nations.
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Prenatal care generally consists of:
monthly visits during the first two trimesters (from
week 1-28)
biweekly from 28 to week 36 of pregnancy
weekly after week 36 (delivery at week 38-40)
Physical Examinations
Physical Examinations generally consist of:
collection of (mother''s) medical history
checking (mother''s) blood pressure -Blood pressure should also be monitored, and may be up to 140/90 in normal pregnancies.
(mother''s) height and weight
pelvic exam - A pelvic exam to check the size and shape of your uterus (womb) and a Pap smear to check for signs of cancer of the cervix (the opening of the uterus).
5. Blood And
Urine Tests - Urine and blood tests may be done on the first visit and again later. Urine tests are done to check for bacteria in your urine, high sugar levels (which can be a sign of diabetes) and high protein levels (which can put you at risk for preeclampsia, a type of high blood pressure in pregnancy). Blood tests are done to check for low iron levels (anemia).
discussion with caregiver
Ultrasound
Obstetric ultrasounds may be performed during the second trimester at week 20. The ultrasound determines, among the other things, the gender of the baby, number of fetuses, due date, health of the baby, and expected weight. Ultrasounds are considered relatively safe and have been used for over 35 years for monitoring pregnancy.
Ultrasounds are used to:
Diagnose pregnancy (uncommon)
Assess a likely miscarriage, blighted ovum, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy conditions. Each can be a threat to the mother if left untreated.
determine if an intrauterine growth retardation condition exists
Determine due date
Check for fetal malformation
Check for multiple fetuses
Determine sex of infant
Generally an Ultrasound is ordered whenever an abnormality is suspected or along the schedule of:
7 weeks - confirm pregnancy, ensure its neither molar or ectopic, determine due date.
13-14 weeks (some areas) - evaluate Down Syndrome
18-20 weeks - determine number of babies, diagnose any malformations, monitor growth, verify due date.
34 weeks (some areas) - evaluate size, verify placental position
Other tests may be needed if you or your baby are at risk for any problems