When you’re pregnant, taking care of yourself has never been so important. If you think you might be pregnant, call your doctor right away to make your first prenatal appointment.
Your doctor will confirm the pregnancy, provide a complete medical history, perform an examination and answer all questions. You probably have your first prenatal visit in the 8th or 10th week of pregnancy. Many health care providers do not schedule their first visit until the eighth week of pregnancy when there are problems.
Pregnancy Part is Great Time for taking Prenatal Care Classes
This pregnancy part is a great time to check your health insurance for your birth and sign up for prenatal care classes, breastfeeding, and birth classes. During your regular (monthly) visits, you can discuss your concerns with your doctor during this time. An ultrasound will check your baby’s growth, and you may be able to find out the of the baby if you wish.
Our certified nurses and midwives guide mothers through the low-risk pregnancy and birth process. Our doctors and midwives offer competent prenatal care with flexible appointment options to help you learn what to expect during pregnancy and childbirth. The prenatal care includes appointments in early pregnancy with your doctor to track the baby’s growth and guide nutrition, sleep, exercise, and any questions you might have.
If you choose to be a midwife during your pregnancy, they can help you, your partner, and your family with different birth plans, including water birth, hypnobirthing, and natural birth. GPs care for women with low-risk pregnancies and coordinate with our team of OB / GYNs if necessary. This is a great option if you want your treatment to be performed by one person or if you want a doctor to visit your whole family.
Important to Ensure the Health
Regular appointments with your doctor during pregnancy are important to ensure the health of you and your baby. Partnering with a Cone Health physician or certified midwife for prenatal care can meet your needs and preferences. In addition to medical care, prenatal care includes education about pregnancy and childbirth, counseling, and support.
Frequent visits to your healthcare provider allow you to track the progress of your baby’s development. Plan your prenatal visits depending on the particular circumstances and risk factors you have. You can have your weight and blood pressure checked and samples tested for sugar and protein during prenatal examinations.
At your first prenatal appointment, your doctor will perform a pregnancy test to determine how many weeks you are pregnant, based on a physical exam and the date of your last period. You may also suggest a blood test for detecting infections such as hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and ***, a virus that causes AIDS. The fetal heartbeat is monitored from the 10th or 12th week of pregnancy.
Samples can be examined for signs of bladder and urinary tract infections. If you have any questions about exercising during your pregnancy, talk to your doctor. Your healthcare providers can offer various prenatal genetic screening tests, including ultrasounds and blood tests, to investigate certain genetic abnormalities in the fetus, such as Down syndrome.
If you are taking medication during your pregnancy, it is important to inform your doctor. If you are pregnant and taking medication, health clinics like Planned Parenthood recommend that health care providers help you break the habit of a healthier pregnancy at little or no cost. Many health insurers offer specialized programs for pregnant women, such as free nursing and pregnancy courses.
Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services (DHS) in Rhode Island is working on a program that offers pregnant women temporary financial support for health care, child care, and help in finding a job or education.
The Women’s Health Resource Center and the Great Expectations Pregnancy Program offer various courses to help expectant mothers and their partners learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and parenthood. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provide medical and social referrals and controls for healthy foods to families eligible for breastfeeding support.
Face to Face Courses
In addition to face-to-face courses, expecting parents can also receive prenatal education through web-based programs such as Gift of Motherhood and e-learning. Many prenatal education courses are held face-to-face or in small groups with healthcare professionals such as nurses and midwives.
If you’re looking for a more medical approach to childbirth and breastfeeding, check out John Hopkins’ online obstetrics education courses ($50), run through his Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Big brothers, big sisters, and their families are invited to take part in information courses and guided tours to prepare for the arrival of their new babies. Interactive demonstrations of infant CPR and first aid to suffocate infants offer parents the opportunity to learn and practice life-saving skills with their infants under one year of age.
The demonstrations are conducted by professional health care providers trained and certified by the State of California in various roles in emergency medical services. We recommend pregnant parents for the first time attending a late pregnancy course or a hospital visit.
Information Course and Guidance
The information course and guidance designed to prepare them for the arrival of the new babies will help you and your partner prepare for work and childbirth. Tinyhood was founded by two engineering mothers frustrated by the lack of clear parental guidance for expectant parents. If you find out what to expect before you are due or the day before, online child education courses can at least help you feel prepared to welcome your little one into the world.
The launch of Tinyhood is a curated collection of online courses that focus on basic topics you need to know as a new mother or father and are taught by certified experts. Sub-topics important for the vast majority of participants (70% or more) are:
- First aid counselors.
- Guidelines on baby care.
- Support for safe infant sleep.
- Knowledge of measures for comfort at birth.
- Coping with contractions and labor pains.
This suggests that expectant parents should consider safety and knowledge of childbirth as important to address in prenatal education.
A group of parents can ask questions, support each other and make new friends in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Many couples experience stress and conflict in their relationships when they bring their newborns home. These pregnancy care classes can help to strengthen the skills needed to maintain your relationship with your partner and help you become a more effective parent.
