With the aim of preparing women for motherhood, prenatal care provides educational information about childbirth and baby care.
Once a woman discovers she is pregnant, she begins to have frequent consultations with the doctor to be advised about the pregnancy and then undergo the necessary procedures, and this is called prenatal care.
Firstly, prenatal care should not only be done by first-time mothers, in other words, every pregnant woman must undergo medical monitoring throughout her pregnancy.
Basically it is a set of exams that are carried out during pregnancy. It is worth mentioning that the consultations are focused not only on the child’s health, but also on the mother’s.
Prenatal information
Frequency of going to the doctor
The Ministry of Health recommends that women visit the doctor at least six times before giving birth. But the monitoring is even greater, although it varies from doctor to doctor and depends on the needs of each pregnancy, as each one is unique.
See some evaluations that are carried out during this period
- Conversations to find out how your general condition is going, what symptoms you are showing.
- Blood pressure measurement.
- Weight check.
- Measurement of the height of the uterus and abdominal circumference.
- Auscultation of the fetal heartbeat.
- Request for medical examinations (laboratory, imaging and others, if necessary).
Prenatal differences
It is divided into two groups.
The first is usual-risk prenatal care, which is intended for pregnant women who do not have any type of comorbidity (two or more simultaneous diseases) or disease that could worsen during pregnancy.
And the second is called high-risk prenatal care, aimed at women who already have or who will develop some pathological factor during pregnancy that can directly affect the pregnancy, for example, women who are already hypertensive. At this stage they need high-risk monitoring, a specialized look from an obstetrician or other specialists depending on the problem.
Family participation
It is extremely important that the pregnant woman’s family is part of this period. Always try to take someone to appointments, as the involvement of loved ones helps a lot and strengthens bonds.
What exams are performed?
Complete blood count
It indicates in advance all the compounds present in the blood, thus being able to identify anemia. According to experts, pregnant women are more prone to the disease, as there is an increase of 50% in the blood, therefore the iron is diluted. The exam is carried out at the beginning and can be repeated in the second or third trimester, after all, this depends on your doctor.
Glycemia
In order to identify the amount of glucose in the blood and assess whether the patient has diabetes, the test is carried out at the beginning of pregnancy.
ABO system and RH factor
The procedure shows the mother’s blood type, thus helping with possible transfusions. The exam is ordered immediately.
Serology for HIV and VDRL
It identifies whether the mother is a carrier of HIV and whether she is infected with the bacteria that causes syphilis. It is done at the beginning of prenatal care.
Reaction to toxoplasmosis and rubella
It shows whether the pregnant woman has already had contact with the causes of the two diseases. It is also done at the beginning and is repeated in the third trimester.
Serologies for hepatitis B and C and cytomegalovirus
It is done to find out if the mother has these diseases, which can harm the development of the fetus. It is done in the first and third trimester.
Urine and feces
It is done with the purpose of identifying possible infections and/or verminosis. It is also done at the beginning and can be repeated throughout prenatal care.
Ultrasound
Finally, ultrasound is certainly one of the exams most frequently performed by your doctor, as it completely evaluates the fetus and this evaluation must be done frequently, as the fetus is always developing. Here the size of the fetus is assessed, as well as its limbs, heart, nervous system, lungs, kidneys. Later, at the end of pregnancy, the examination is carried out to check the baby’s position.
However, we can conclude that prenatal care is extremely important in preventing diseases and caring for mom and baby. Therefore, if you are pregnant, never stop having this medical follow-up, as it allows for a better development of the pregnancy and thus helps you to prevent major risks.
Read also: Pregnant belly, when does it start to appear?
Sources: My life Ministry of Health
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