Prenatal Care Specialist

What is prenatal care?

Prenatal care is all of the testing, guidance, and procedures you receive from an obstetrician while you’re pregnant up until the time you give birth. It’s important that you keep up with your prenatal care not only to maintain your own health throughout pregnancy but to ensure that your baby stays as healthy as possible as they grow. 

Regularly throughout your pregnancy, you’ll come in for checkups with the team at Modern OBGYN Care. You should schedule your first visit as soon as you suspect or know that you’re pregnant so that the team can start routine tests as early as possible. If you’re planning on becoming pregnant soon, you may book a preconception planning visit first. 

During your prenatal care visits, you can ask as many questions as you have about pregnancy and what to expect when you give birth. The team educates you about each stage of pregnancy and can ease some of the discomfort you might experience. 

What does prenatal care involve?

During your prenatal care visits at Modern OBGYN Care, you get physical exams to assess your overall health as well as several other tests according to how far along you are in your pregnancy.

The first prenatal care visit is usually the longest and involves a pelvic exam, Pap test, STD testing, and breast exam. It’s very similar to a typical well woman visit. The team talks to you about your general health and tells you about the lifestyle and dietary modifications you’ll need to make to accommodate your growing baby. They also start you on prenatal vitamins. 

During prenatal visits throughout your pregnancy, the team updates your medical history and performs a few other simple tests. They measure your belly, take a urine sample, look for any swelling, and listen to the fetal heartbeat. You also have the option of getting genetic testing for your baby. 

How often should I visit for prenatal care?

Prenatal care visits happen regularly and become more frequent as you approach the end of your pregnancy. You should follow this general schedule for your visits to Modern OBGYN Care for prenatal care:

• Every 4-6 weeks for the first 32 weeks
• Every 2-3 weeks for weeks 32-37
• Weekly from week 37 until your delivery

During early prenatal visits, the team at Modern OBGYN Care can determine if your pregnancy is high-risk due to an underlying health condition affecting you or your baby, your age, or having multiple births. High-risk pregnancies require more frequent prenatal care visits. 

To schedule a prenatal care visit with the obstetric team at Modern OBGYN Care, call the office or use the online booking tool today.