What is prenatal care?
Prenatal care is the support you receive throughout your pregnancy to ensure that you and your unborn baby stay healthy and happy.
This means visiting your OB/GYN for regular checkups, ultrasound scans, blood tests, and more during your pregnancy.
Every appointment is important to the health and growth of your baby, and the team at the center works with you to help you determine your appointment schedule and other lifestyle modifications you can make as you prepare for baby.
Why is prenatal care important during pregnancy?
Prenatal care keeps you and your baby healthy. Routine checkups and ultrasound scans help your OB/GYN assess your baby’s progress, your health, and figure out if any changes need to be made to your lifestyle.
Proper prenatal care can help optimize your health and your baby’s health so that you’re both ready when the delivery date rolls around
It also allows your doctor to prevent future problems, so it’s crucial to book your first appointment early on and stay up to date with your routine checkups.
Good prenatal care can even help you make healthy habits that prepare you for your new life at home after your baby is born.
How often should I have prenatal care visits?
How often you go into the office for prenatal care visits depends on your age, how far along you are in your pregnancy, and your risk for complications.
For healthy women between the ages of 18 and 35, the typical prenatal schedule is:
- Once every 4 to 6 weeks for the first 32 weeks
- Once every 2 to 3 weeks from the 32nd through the 37th week
- Once a week from the 37th week until delivery
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, such as multiples, your OB/GYN may ask you to come in more frequently throughout your pregnancy.
What can I do to keep my baby healthy during pregnancy?
Prenatal care involves a lot more than checkups, ultrasound scans, and blood tests. There are plenty of pregnancy preparations the team at Dr. Gigi Kroll and Dr. Zhanna Pinkuscan help advise you on, including:
- Taking a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin
- Increasing your folic acid intake
- Medications you can and cannot take
- Getting a flu shot
- Avoiding x-rays, if possible
- Dietary modifications
- Eliminating alcohol and tobacco
- Reducing your caffeine intake
- Refraining from hot tubs or overly hot baths
To get the best prenatal care Newport Beach, California, has to offer, call or book an appointment online with Dr. Gigi Kroll and Dr. Zhanna Pinkus.
