Pregnancy Specialist

When should you schedule your first prenatal appointment?

Schedule your first appointment as soon as you know you’re pregnant or think you may be pregnant. Getting early medical care is essential to ensure you and your baby are healthy right from the start. It also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and get reliable advice about pregnancy.

Medications: Talk with the doctor about any medications you take to be sure they’re safe to use during pregnancy.

Health conditions: Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, epilepsy, and obesity can all affect you and the baby during pregnancy.

Nutrition: You may need to boost consumption of nutrients that are vital for your baby, such as folic acid and iron. You’ll also need to know about foods you should avoid or limit like high-mercury fish, sushi, raw meat, and raw eggs.

What pregnancy services are available at The Association for Women’s Health Care?

You can count on comprehensive and compassionate care from the experts at The Association for Women’s Health Care as they provide:

Medical care: Throughout pregnancy and during the delivery of your baby.

Support and guidance: From teaching about labor and delivery to advice about exercise and weight or information about specialized services like cord blood banking -- we’re here to help.

Prenatal care: Consists of once-a-month visits until your third trimester. Beginning at week 28, you’ll come in every two weeks, and after 36 weeks, you’ll have weekly appointments.

Ultrasound: To assess the health and development of your baby, on-site ultrasound is usually done between 16-20 weeks, but may be performed at any time during the pregnancy if needed.

Midwife: Midwives and physicians work together at The Association for Women’s Health Care.

Should you consider genetic testing?

During the first and second trimester of pregnancy, a variety of tests -- blood, ultrasound, and amniocentesis -- can be performed to determine the health of your baby. Whether you want or need any of these tests should be discussed at your first appointment.

Testing is an intensely personal decision that depends on factors such as whether there’s a family history of genetic disease, but ultimately it’s your decision. You may choose to have tests that assess your baby’s risk for a birth defect or genetic disorder before getting a diagnostic test.  

If you have any questions or concerns about the health of your baby, please don’t hesitate to call your physician at The Association for Women’s Health Care.