Antenatal care
Prenatal care is when you get checkups from a doctor, nurse, or midwife throughout your pregnancy. It helps keep you and your future baby healthy.
renatal care is an important part of staying healthy during pregnancy. Your doctor, nurse, or midwife will monitor your future baby’s development and do routine testing to help find and prevent possible problems. These regular checkups are also a great time to learn how to ease any discomfort you may be having, and ask any other questions about your pregnancy and the birth of your future baby.
How often will I have prenatal care visits?
How often you’ll get prenatal care depends on how far along your pregnancy is and how high your risk is for complications. The typical prenatal care schedule for someone who’s 18-35 years old and healthy is:
- Every 4 or 6 weeks for the first 32 weeks
- Every 2 or 3 weeks for the 32nd-37th weeks
- Every week from the 37th week until giving birth
- Your doctor might ask you to come in for check-ups more often if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
The antenatal care you get throughout your pregnancy depends on:
Antenatal appointments will allow your GP, midwife and other people on your healthcare team to help both you and your baby stay healthy. Even if your pregnancy is going well and you’re feeling well, it’s important for you to attend your appointments so that any potential risks can be identified and prevented, or reduced.
- When the baby is due, what trimester you are in and what this means for you and your baby
- Finding out about your medical history, general health and how any previous pregnancies were
- Making sure your mental health is OK, and supporting you if you have depression or anxiety
- Checking your blood pressure and weight and testing your urine
- Providing advice on healthy eating and lifestyle changes
