Prenatal care is the healthcare that women receive while they are pregnant. This includes regular visits that help healthcare providers detect and prevent potential problems.[1] Prenatal care is a vital part of a woman’s pregnancy journey.

In this article, we’ll discuss why prenatal care is important, what you can expect during your appointments, and where you can find affordable prenatal care. Keep reading to learn more.

Why is Prenatal Care Important?

Regular prenatal care supports women’s overall health during pregnancy and increases the chances of a healthy baby and smooth delivery. It helps women[2]:

• Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications
• Reduce the baby’s risk for complications
• Follow a healthy diet and exercise routine that is safe for pregnancy
• Avoid exposure to harmful substances
• Manage any existing conditions (such as diabetes or high blood pressure) that could cause pregnancy complications

What Happens During a Prenatal Care Office Visit?

What happens during prenatal visits varies depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy. Here’s a breakdown:

Your First Prenatal Care Visit

Your first prenatal care visit will probably be the longest, as your healthcare provider will need to ask a lot of questions about your medical history. They will then do a physical exam to assess your health, which may include[3]:

• An early ultrasound, to confirm that you’re pregnant and determine your due date.
• A physical exam, to assess your overall health. Your healthcare provider will check your height and weight to estimate how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy.
• Blood and urine tests, which will detect infections like HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis, and kidney or bladder infections. Routine blood tests are also done to determine your blood type, Rh factor, if you are anemic, or if you are at risk for preeclampsia.
• A pelvic exam and pap, to confirm the health of your vagina, cervix, uterus, tubes and ovaries. Testing for infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia can be done at this time, as well.

Your healthcare provider may also[4]:

• Recommend vaccinations, such as flu, COVID, or tetanus.
• Prescribe a prenatal vitamin, which is a multivitamin made specifically for pregnant women.
• Talk to you about prenatal genetic testing, if desired.

Once your exams are complete, your healthcare provider will set up a schedule for your prenatal visits, which will probably look like this[5]:

• Before 28 weeks: Monthly visits
• Weeks 28-36: Visits every two weeks
• Week 36 to birth: Weekly visits

However, your healthcare provider may want to see you more often if there are any problems with your pregnancy.

Later Prenatal Care Visits

During later prenatal visits, your healthcare provider may do the following[6]:

• Measure your weight gain
• Take your blood pressure
• Check your hands and feet for swelling
• Measure your abdomen to see how much the baby has grown
• Perform routine blood tests
• Perform an ultrasound around 20 weeks to assess the size and anatomy of the baby
• Check the baby’s heart rate
• Examine your abdomen to determine the baby’s position as you get closer to your due date

Between weeks 24 to 28, your doctor will test you for gestational diabetes and syphilis.[7]

The CDC recommends certain vaccinations for pregnant women, such as, pertussis, flu, and COVID. Your provider will discuss whether these recommendations are applicable to you.[8]

Prenatal care visits are your time to ask questions and get answers about your pregnancy. Feel free to write down any questions you may have beforehand so you can discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Where Can I Get Prenatal Care Without Insurance?

Marisol Health is here to help you get the care you need throughout your pregnancy and delivery. We can help you apply for Medicaid. Sliding scale discounts are also available.

Our prenatal care services include:

• Early pregnancy confirmation ultrasound exams
• Education on pregnancy complications (and how to prevent them)
• Referrals to subspecialists for high-risk pregnancies
• Hospital delivery at Denver or Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins
• And more…

Give us a call at our Denver or Northern Colorado office or request an appointment online to get started.

Sources

1. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2024, July 18). Prenatal Care. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/prenatalcare.html
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017, January 31). What is prenatal care and why is it important?. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pregnancy/conditioninfo/prenatal-care
3. Prenatal care: First trimester visits. Mayo Clinic. (2024, July 26). https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20044882
4. Prenatal care checkups. March of Dimes. (2017, June). https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/planning-baby/prenatal-care-checkups
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017, January 31). What happens during prenatal visits?. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preconceptioncare/conditioninfo/prenatal-visits
6. See source #5.
7. See source #5.
8. See source #5.