What Is Prenatal Care?

Also known as antenatal care, prenatal care is the health care you get when you are pregnant. It’s an important part of basic maternal health.

Prenatal care makes sure you and the baby are healthy and it helps you go through with the pregnancy safely and smoothly.

Why Is Prenatal Care Important?

Prenatal care is not only for the mamas but for the babies as well. Here’s why it’s really important for you to have quality prenatal care:

• It’s an opportunity to asses your overall health.
• It ensures a positive pregnancy experience.
• It encourages women to seek professional care during childbirth.
• It helps identify and reduce complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
• It helps women get proper care and counseling.
• It will help protect you and your baby’s health.

During prenatal visits, a healthcare worker will check if you are healthy and look for signs of ill health. They’ll check if you are underweight, anemic or if you have any infections which might affect your pregnancy. The first visit usually covers your medical history and a head to toe examination which includes a pelvic exam and a pap smear.

During these visits, they will also be monitoring your future baby’s development and will check and help prevent possible complications.

When should I start getting prenatal check-up?

As soon as you find out that you are pregnant, you should seek prenatal care right away and schedule a visit to your doctor or a healthcare worker.

How often should I get prenatal care check-ups?

It is recommended for pregnant women to get at least four prenatal care visits throughout the whole pregnancy. At least 1 visit during the first 3 months; at least 1 visit during the 4th to 6th months; and at least 2 visits during the 7th to 9th months.

But it will still depend on whether you have a high-risk pregnancy or not. If you do, you’ll probably need to get check-ups more often

Some doctors also recommend the following visits to better monitor you and your baby’s health:

• Weeks 4 to 28: 1 prenatal visit a month
• Week 28 to 36 weeks: 1 prenatal visit every 2 weeks
• Weeks 36 to 40: 1 prenatal visit every week

Just make sure to stick to the schedule that your healthcare provider has given you to ensure you and your baby’s health.

If you need maternal care (prenatal, delivery, postnatal), you can search for doctors, birthing homes and hospitals near you by using our HEALTH FACILITY LOCATOR. Simply input your location, then select “Maternal Care Services”  and click on the search button. The results will show the maternal care clinics within a 10 kilometer radius from your location.