What is prenatal care and why is it important? - NICHD Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth Getting early and regular prenatal care improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy This care can begin even before pregnancy with a pre-pregnancy care visit to a health care provider
About Pre-Pregnancy Care and Prenatal Care - NICHD What is prenatal care? Prenatal care is the health care a woman gets during pregnancy Prenatal care should begin as soon as a woman knows or thinks she is pregnant Early and regular prenatal visits are important for the health of both the mother and the fetus Research shows that prenatal care makes a difference for a healthy pregnancy
Pre-Pregnancy Care and Prenatal Care - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver . . . Prenatal care is the health care a woman gets during pregnancy Prenatal care should begin as soon as a woman knows or thinks she is pregnant Early and regular prenatal visits are important for the health of both the mother and the fetus Research shows that prenatal care makes a difference for a healthy pregnancy
Pregnancy - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child . . . Details about studies in the areas of pre-pregnancy care and prenatal care, pregnancy complications, and labor and delivery follow below Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Periods NICHD seeks to increase awareness about the importance of the pre-pregnancy and prenatal periods for promoting a healthy pregnancy and the best outcomes for mothers and babies
Pre-Pregnancy Care and Prenatal Care | NICHD - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy . . . Pre-Pregnancy care is the health care a woman gets before she becomes pregnant Prenatal care is the health care a woman gets during pregnancy Early and regular prenatal visits with a health care provider are important for the health of both the mother and the fetus Pre-Pregnancy care from a health care provider is also important to help a woman have as healthy a pregnancy as possible
What health problems can develop during pregnancy? Regular prenatal visits help the health care provider identify potential health problems early and take steps to manage them, to protect the health of the mother and the developing fetus Being aware of the symptoms of these conditions and getting regular prenatal care can prevent health problems and help you get treatment as early as possible These problems include:1
Pregnancy | NICHD - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute . . . Pregnancy is a period of up to 41 weeks in which a fetus develops inside a woman’s womb NICHD conducts and supports research and training to help promote healthy pregnancies, with a focus on the important events that occur before, during, and after pregnancy
About Pregnancy | NICHD - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National . . . Pregnancy is the term used to describe the period in which a fetus develops inside a woman's womb or uterus Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks, or just over 9 months, as measured from the last menstrual period to delivery Health care providers refer to three segments of pregnancy, called trimesters The major events in each trimester are described below 1
What happens during prenatal visits? | NICHD - NICHD - Eunice Kennedy . . . Your first prenatal visit will probably be scheduled sometime after your eighth week of pregnancy Most health care providers won't schedule a visit any earlier unless you have a medical condition, have had problems with a pregnancy in the past, or have symptoms such as spotting or bleeding, stomach pain, or severe nausea and vomiting 1
What are some common complications of pregnancy? Some infections can pass from mother to infant during delivery when the infant passes through the birth canal; other infections can infect a fetus during the pregnancy 1 Many of these infections can be prevented or treated with appropriate pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum follow-up care