Prenatal Care

Here's some helpful information for a healthy pregnancy.

• What is Prenatal Care?
• Types of Providers
• What Happens During Your Prenatal Visit
• Warning Signs During Pregnancy

What is Prenatal Care?

Prenatal care is medical care that a woman gets when she is pregnant. This helps to keep both the mom and baby healthy.

You should begin prenatal care as soon as you know you are pregnant, and maintain regular prenatal check-ups until your baby is born.

Note: Good prenatal care includes not only medical care but also counseling and education. During your pregnancy you may also see nurses, prenatal care coordinators, nutritionists, breastfeeding consultants, social workers, or other medical specialists (for example, a cardiologist, etc.).

Types of Providers

Many different types of professionals provide complete prenatal care.
These include: obstetricians, family practice physicians, certified nurse-midwives and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Other providers such as nurse practitioners may provide care during pregnancy, but do not deliver babies.

Obstetrician Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn)
An Obstetrician Gynecologist (ob-gyn) is trained in the health care of a woman throughout her lifetime. Ob-gyns help prevent disease, care for you during pregnancy and childbirth, and take care of medical and surgical reproductive-related problems. Ob-gyns may serve as your primary provider or may provide expert advice to your family practice physician or certified nurse-midwife if there are questions or problems.

Family Practice Physician
Family practice physicians provide total health care for the individual and the family. Family practice physicians treat all ages, sexes and all sicknesses. A family practice doctor may refer you to a specialist if there are further problems or questions.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
The Certified Nurse-Midwife is a registered nurse who has extra training in the health care of women. This training focuses mainly on pregnancy-related care and the reproductive-related needs of women and also the primary health care of women. CNMs provide care to healthy women and must work together with a physician, or group of physicians. The CNM talks with the family physician as needed, the ob-gyn, or the maternal fetal medicine specialist.

Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM)
A Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) (or Perinatologist) is an obstetrician doctor who has additional special training and provides care for both a mother and her unborn baby in a difficult pregnancy. Not all difficult pregnancies need to be cared for by a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, but they offer expert advice and may help manage your pregnancy both before you become pregnant (preconception counseling) and during your pregnancy. The relationship between the prenatal provider and the MFM will depend on how severe the condition is and the type of care available in your community.

Source: http://www.indianaperinatal.org

What Happens During Your Prenatal Visit

Your healthcare provider will:

What you should talk about with your healthcare provider:

Click here to view the Partners for Healthy Babies Pregnancy Calendar.