Medical Care During Pregnancy (for Parents)

By | January 4, 2022

Prenatal care is health care that a woman gets while pregnant. Going early and regularly for prenatal care can help moms-to-be — and their babies — stay healthy. Regular care lets doctors find and deal with any problems as soon as possible.

It’s important to start prenatal care as early as possible — ideally, before a woman even becomes pregnant.

How Can I Find Prenatal Care?

Pregnant women usually are cared for by:

  • obstetricians: doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth
  • obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs): doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth, as well as women’s health care
  • family practitioners: doctors who provide a range of services for patients of all ages (sometimes, this includes obstetrical care) instead of specializing in one area
  • certified nurse-midwife: an advanced practice nurse specializing in women’s health care needs, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care for pregnancies without problems

Any of these care providers is a good choice if you’re healthy and there’s no reason to expect problems with your pregnancy and delivery. However, nurse-midwives do need to have a doctor available for the delivery in case a C-section has to be done.

Your health care provider may refer you to a doctor with expertise in high-risk pregnancies if you:

  • have a chronic condition like diabetes or heart problems
  • have an increased risk of preterm labor
  • are older than 35
  • are pregnant with more than one fetus
  • have another complicating factor that might put you in a high-risk category

Even if your pregnancy isn’t high-risk, this may still be a good time to make a change in health care providers if you’re not comfortable with your current doctor.

Doctors are feeding kashta pregnant women a lot
Doctors are feeding kashta pregnant women a lot