Health

What Happens During Your First Prenatal Care?

Pregnancy visits ensure that you and your fetus stay healthy up to delivery.  Your first visit may entail several comprehensive services aimed toward your well-being.  You can schedule prenatal care Memorial City visits as soon as you find out you are pregnant.  You and your baby can enjoy the assurance and support you need to achieve a healthy pregnancy.  Prenatal care will ensure high-risk conditions are under control through regular screenings and testing.

Checking for Vital Signs

Your doctor will check the basic signs to establish overall wellness and body functioning, including heartbeat, blood pressure, weight, and height.  Your health can help your doctor determine the ideal weight for your pregnancy.  You may also give information about your menstrual history to help your doctor calculate your due date and birth control methods.

Reproductive History

Your reproductive history will include previous pregnancies, such as abortions and miscarriages.  The details of this history may comprise of delivery method, length of pregnancy, birth weight, and if there were any complications.  The information from your reproductive history can help predict your outcome and develop a birth plan specific to your needs.

Medical History

You can tell your doctor about diseases that may have affected you previously, as the conditions can potentially harm your pregnancy.  The conditions may include diabetes, hypertension, and heart and lung diseases, among other conditions.  Information about these conditions can help your doctor monitor you through your pregnancy to ensure they do not develop further.

Blood Tests

Your first visit will include different blood works to detect any condition in the fetus and the mother that may harm the pregnancy.  You can have testing for STIs like hepatitis and HIV.  Your doctor can also give you a Complete blood count test (CBC) to determine the number of white and red blood cells in your system.  Testing for blood count will help come up with a diagnosis for autoimmune disorders, anemia, and cancer.  Additionally, you may require a blood test to determine your Rhesus factor and blood type.  An Rh-negative mother and an Rh-positive fetus may mean fatal health issues that may eventually result in death for the mother and child.

Pelvic Exam

A pelvic exam checks if your uterus and pelvis are healthy.  Your doctor examines the vulva, vagina, uterus, cervix, and pelvic organs for any unusual symptoms.  During a pelvic smear, your doctor may also administer a pap smear which involves collecting sample cells and examining them in the laboratory.  Your sample will show if any precancerous signs may result in cancer.

Ultrasound

Your doctor may perform an ultrasound, depending on how many weeks you are in your pregnancy, to check the size of the fetus.

You can schedule your appointment for prenatal care at Memorial Women’s Specialists.  They have several evaluation tests that can check the health and status of your pregnancy.  They will create a treatment plan to aid you in staying on track and eliminate any possible pregnancy complications.  Plan your visit today to the facility to start your prenatal visits.  You can also visit the website to make an appointment.