Prenatal Care for You and Your Baby
Regular medical care during pregnancy helps ensure that mothers and babies are as healthy as possible. Mothers should make a prenatal care appointment as soon as they suspect they are pregnant. Our San Antonio OBGYNs learn a lot about a mother’s medical and family history and her current health at her first prenatal appointment. This information helps them guide pregnant moms through their pregnancies, providing routine care and additional care as needed, especially in the case of high-risk pregnancies.
Medical care during pregnancy starts in the vital first trimester
Our physicians encourage women to schedule their first prenatal appointment as soon as possible in the first trimester. Even though women don’t look pregnant or feel their babies move yet, their babies are rapidly developing and growing during those first 14 weeks. The first prenatal visit is a long appointment that allows our team to gather crucial information. Patients begin their obstetrics care by providing a complete medical and family history.
Here are some other things that happen during the first appointment.
- Discussion about vaccines and current medications
- Questions about work environment and habits, such as smoking, drinking and drug use
- Education about nutrition, exercise and vitamins
- A time to talk about pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, fatigue, appetite and mood changes.
- Bloodwork and other tests as needed
After the initial visit, most patients come into the office to see our San Antonio OBGYNs about once a month during the first trimester.
Second trimester prenatal care makes sure the pregnancy is on track
Most of the medical care during pregnancy in the second trimester is routine. During most monthly visits, our team weighs patients, measures their abdomens, checks their blood pressure, and talks about symptoms or problems. At some visits, physicians may ask for a urine sample. Here are some other routine tests that happen during the second trimester.
- An ultrasound at 20 weeks
- Glucose tolerance testing to check for diabetes
- Antibody screening for mothers who are Rh-negative
During the third trimester, the countdown to labor and birth begins
Prenatal care visits increase during the third trimester. Patients usually see our team every two weeks until week 36, when visits increase to once a week. In addition to checking weight, blood pressure and the baby’s growth, our physicians may perform a pelvic examination. Our team routinely tests for group B strep infection a few weeks before women’s due dates.
Our San Antonio OBGYNs provide highly skilled care for high-risk pregnancies and complications
Women who are older than 35, have diabetes, develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, or have high blood pressure or other medical conditions are considered high-risk and may need extra medical care during pregnancy. Women who develop vaginal bleeding, problems with the placenta or other pregnancy complications are also high-risk, and they need to see our physicians more often. Our highly trained OBGYNs monitor high-risk pregnancies to help ensure that labor and delivery goes as smoothly as possible.
Prenatal care is vital for mothers and babies. Contact us for an appointment and begin the journey to a healthy pregnancy.
