Early Prenatal Care: Advice From An Expectant Mother

Three minutes seems like an eternity when you're waiting for something as life changing as the results of a pregnancy test. I sat on the couch with my husband pretending to watch TV. I suspect he was also pretending. I looked at the clock and nervously walked to the bathroom to face the verdict. The digital display on the test read "PREGNANT." Excitement rushed through my body, quickly followed by anxiety. We had hoped for this result, but what would we do next?

More than two years have passed and we expect our second child in May. During a recent visit to my mother's house I paused to glance over a stack of books on pregnancy and childbirth she had laid out for my sister in law who will give birth to her first child this spring. "Maybe you should take some of those for a refresher," she quipped. I smiled, "I already know everything that's in those books. This is old hat."

Indeed, I do know most, if not all that lies ahead of me, and though I find myself no less excited about this pregnancy, I am far less nervous. Armed with the knowledge of what lies ahead, I can calmly enjoy this journey, but for women like my sister-in-law, who are venturing with trepidation into new territory, there are a few things that you need to know.

The most important component of a successful pregnancy is adequate prenatal health care. Adequate prenatal care consists of seeking care as soon as you discover your pregnancy and making enough visits to your care provider before the birth of your baby. The Baby Your Baby organization reminds mothers that in pregnancy thirteen is the lucky number, meaning that mothers should seek care before their thirteenth week of pregnancy and see their care provider at least thirteen times. You may however find yourself making more than thirteen trips to the doctor or midwife if your care provider feels that your pregnancy requires closer monitoring. This type of special attention should not worry expectant mother's too much as it is often simply a precautionary measure. Prenatal care is not adequate if the first visit with a care provider is made after 4 months of gestation, no matter how many visits are made.

Prenatal care includes the monitoring of the mother and baby's health by a maternity care professional, education and preparation of the mother for pregnancy, childbirth, and early childcare, proper nutrition, and moderate physical activity. You may choose either a family practice doctor, an OBGYN, or a midwife as your care professional. Some sources would lead women to believe that they do not need prenatal care by a professional, and that their own care and monitoring is sufficient. However, early and adequate prenatal care results in lower incidences of premature delivery and low birth weight, and cuts infant mortality rates by 40%. In addition, prenatal tests and screenings by those who are competent in the field can catch small problems before they become big ones.

As you have various choices about what type of caregiver you choose for your pregnancy, you also have options to consider in relation to the actual delivery of your child. These options include delivering your baby in a hospital, a birthing center, or in your own home. Birthing centers often offer less intrusive deliveries than some hospitals and usually offer more cozy and homelike atmospheres. Many hospitals have made efforts to make their maternity departments more comfortable for new mothers though and offer more options to reduce the intrusiveness of their procedures. Women who are working with a midwife and want to have a comfortable, non intrusive delivery as well as keep the cost of the birth low often choose home births. When considering a home birth you should keep in mind that one of the advantages of giving birth in a hospital or birthing center is the availability of prompt emergency care.

One of the greatest worries facing expectant mothers is the cost of their prenatal care. Lower income mothers may be eligible for Medicaid or other state funded medical programs. For those who do not qualify for these programs, paying for prenatal care and the care of their baby can be daunting. It provides great comfort to know you have options. For those mothers that do not have insurance or whose insurance provides inadequate prenatal care, medical discount programs such as Maternity Card or Ameriplan can ease your financial burden. These programs are not insurance but offer discounts on medical services and hospital expenses. Ameriplan offers hospital advocacy, which means that after the delivery of the baby a representative contacts the hospital for you and negotiates the lowest possible price. Another action that you should take is to contact your care provider and the hospital or birthing center where you will deliver your child and discuss payment plans that may reduce some of the financial strain. Even if you choose not to use a medical discount program, you can try to negotiate the price of prenatal care with the hospital on your own behalf. The advantage of a medical discount plan is that an individual with experience in the matter of talking down hospital fees will be championing your cause.

Prenatal care is only one of the many issues that expectant mothers have to worry about. However, with a little research and education, there is no reason to be apprehensive about this particular aspect of your pregnancy. Adequate prenatal care is not only important to your health and your the health of your baby, it is also part of the incredible experience that is motherhood. Enjoy your visits with your health care provider, and appreciate the healthy development of your beautiful baby.