How Often Do I Need Prenatal Visits?

With the many things happening during pregnancy, it feels like there are so many appointments that you may be wondering if it is really important to go to every prenatal appointment. It is, as they are there to not only monitor the health of your baby but also monitor your health during the pregnancy. Prenatal appointments can be very quick in duration, which can also leave expectant mothers wondering why they have them so frequently. Still, with pregnancy, things develop very quickly regarding the baby and any potential pregnancy-related disorders like pregnancy-induced diabetes. During the appointment, the doctor is going to do a urinary test, check your body weight, and blood tests, and also check your heart rate and blood pressure. They may also measure your belly to make sure your body is creating a healthy amount of space for the baby during its development.

It is not recommended to skip your prenatal appointments. If you are having a bad day of morning sickness it is better to reach out to your doctor to reschedule the appointment for another day than completely forgoing it. It has been shown that those who choose to forget their prenatal appointments have babies born with low birth weights which can lead to a hospital stay after birth or after birth complications. Many states have pregnancy assistance programs to help mothers get the prenatal care recommended by doctors and OB-GYNs. It can be stressful knowing all the different appointments that you are going to have or already have booked, but if you skip a prenatal appointment, you could be missing an important test for the baby, or even an ultrasound to monitor development, which can be vital in the baby’s development and your overall health. These appointments are also important as it is your opportunity to discuss any symptoms you have been having with the doctor, and also go over any concerns you have.

There are normally only two ultrasounds done during the pregnancy the first one normally happens around 11-14 weeks and the secondary one happens between 18-20 weeks pregnant. The reason these happen at this time is they are used to monitor the development and check the baby’s heartbeat. For some, they may feel like they want more ultrasounds done, or that they want one done after confirming the pregnancy but these are unnecessary and can add to your overall cost during this time, with many OB-GYNs recommending against extra ultrasounds unless they are being done to monitor potential genetic disorders like a heart murmur in the baby. Not having many ultrasounds done should give you some peace of mind as that means that the doctors have no concerns regarding the pregnancy or you are having a very healthy pregnancy. Doctors also caution against having 3D ultrasounds done that have not been done through the referral of a doctor, as if it is done in a studio there is a chance you may see something that can cause unneeded stress.

Since your health is also tied to the health of your baby prenatal care is considered essential during this time. To make sure you have the best birth situation making sure you follow prenatal care also ties into this, since following exercise recommendations can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, strengthening of the abdominal and pelvic wall muscles, and reducing the risk of complications during the birth. Since prenatal care is also used to monitor the baby during the duration of the pregnancy it can allow doctors to treat any potential illnesses or development issues before the birth which can mean having a healthy baby after birth. Prenatal appointments can also be helpful for women who are trying to get pregnant are have not been successful yet, or women who are planning to be pregnant soon, so they can recommend any lifestyle changes to mitigate any risks that could come during the pregnancy.

Prenatal care is medical care provided during pregnancy, ensuring regular checkups by healthcare providers to monitor the mother and baby, even if the mother is feeling well. For more information, contact us or request an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 5001 East Busch Blvd Tampa, FL 33617. We look forward to meeting you! We serve patients from Tampa FL, Terrace FL, Thonotosassa FL, Lutz FL, Greater Carrollwood FL, Lake Magdalene FL, Westchase FL, and Town ‘N’ Country FL.