If you’re pregnant, you may think that you only need to see the doctor when you’re close to your due date. Your body knows what to do, right? That’s not entirely true. You should see a doctor around eight weeks after your last missed period, which is pretty early in your pregnancy. Some women may not realize that seeing a doctor regularly is important throughout the pregnancy, because we help you understand how best to take care of your and your baby’s health.
We may also help you avoid certain complications, or understand what complications you’re more likely to experience and plan accordingly. Keep reading to learn more about prenatal care and how you can set up your baby’s health.
Good prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy throughout your pregnancy, but also can encourage better health for you and baby after baby is born. Babies of mothers who did not receive prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight, which can indicate other troublesome issues.
We can identify health problems quicker when we see pregnant women on a regular basis. That means we can treat those issues sooner. Early treatment can cure many problems and even prevent others from coming up at all. Take advantage of these visits to learn about things you can do to give your unborn baby a healthy start to life.
You also have some routine tests performed during many of your visits. Some tests are suggested for all women, like blood work to check for anemia, HIV, and other tests that may be tailored to your history. Other tests may be recommended based how old you are, your personal or family health history, your ethnicity, or the results of routine tests you have had.
Have just found out you’re pregnant? We are excited for you as you go on your motherhood journey. If you are looking for a physician to help you and your little one, give us a call at 281.444.3440 to schedule a consultation. We would love to help you and your little one stay healthy through your pregnancy.