Prenatal care is the medical care you receive during pregnancy. It begins with your first visit to an obstetrics provider, and it continues until delivery. During each appointment, your provider checks your health. Regular visits give you a clear schedule for tests and guidance.
Monitoring Your Health
Your obstetrics provider may perform a pelvic exam at your first prenatal visit. This exam checks your uterus, cervix, and pelvis, and it helps your provider confirm the stage of pregnancy. Your provider uses the exam to check the size and shape of your uterus, and they note any concerns. If your provider notes any changes, they explain the findings, and they discuss the next steps with you. This is helpful if you are unsure of your last menstrual period, or if your cycle was irregular.
Your provider records the results in your chart, and they use that information at future visits. Some tests take place early in pregnancy, but others occur in later trimesters. Your provider reviews the results with you, and they explain any follow-up care that you may need. Ask for a copy of your results at any visit. If your iron levels are low, your provider can suggest dietary changes.
Tracking Your Baby’s Growth
Your provider may measure your abdomen at each visit, or they will use an ultrasound for more detail. When your provider measures your abdomen, they record the size of your uterus, and they compare it to past visits. Your provider will tell you when each scan is scheduled. Abdominal measurements are a simple way to track growth between ultrasounds. If the measurement changes in an unexpected way, your provider will explain what it means, and they may schedule an ultrasound to get more information. These scans are scheduled at specific points in pregnancy, and each one gives your provider a detailed look at your baby’s progress.
Supporting Your Nutrition
Since nutritional counseling is part of some prenatal care plans, have an understanding of your current diet. Your provider reviews your current diet and suggests changes based on your health needs. Good nutrition during pregnancy supports both your health and your baby’s development, and your provider can help you build a plan that fits your daily routine. Here is what nutritional counseling may cover:
- Key nutrients: Your provider may recommend foods that contain iron, calcium, and folic acid, and explain how much you need at each stage of pregnancy.
- Healthy weight gain: Your provider can explain the general guidelines for weight gain based on your starting weight and help you understand what is normal from trimester to trimester.
- Limited Foods and Drinks: Your provider gives you a list to keep for reference.
- Needed Hydration: Drinking enough water supports your blood volume and helps your body carry nutrients to your baby.
- New Changes in appetite: These are common during pregnancy, and your provider can help you manage them.
Schedule Your First Obstetrics Visit
Pelvic exams and blood tests track your health, and fetal measurements track your baby’s growth. If you plan to become pregnant, your provider can also offer nutrition guidance. They will recommend prenatal vitamins. Bring a list of your questions and current medications to the visit. Call your obstetric provider when you learn you are pregnant, and ask about scheduling your first appointment.
