Email: "Prenatal Care"
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 4 million American women give birth every year. Nearly one third of them will have some kind of pregnancy-related complication. Those who don’t get adequate prenatal care run the risk that such complications will go unchecked or won’t be dealt with soon enough. That, in turn, can lead to potentially serious consequences for both the mother and her baby.


These statistics aren’t meant to alarm you, but rather to convey the importance of starting prenatal care as early as possible —ideally, before you even get pregnant. Of course, this isn’t always possible or practical. But the sooner in your pregnancy you begin, the better your chances of ensuring your own health and that of your baby.


COMMON CONCERNS


Many women are concerned about pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure, and how they could affect a pregnancy. It’s important to discuss these concerns with your health care provider. He or she may recommend a change in medication or treatment approaches that could ease your concerns.


Whether or not your have a pre-existing condition, you may be concerned about some of the other conditions that can be associated with pregnancy. They include:


    • Gestational diabetes: Roughly 2 percent to 3 percent of women develop this condition during pregnancy. The placenta, which provides the fetus with nutrients and oxygen, also produces hormones, such as estrogen and cortisol, which have an insulin-blocking effect. Gestational diabetes can develop when the woman’s pancreas cannot make enough extra insulin to overcome this. The condition usually develops after the first trimester.


    • Pre-eclampsia (also called toxemia of pregnancy): An abnormal condition that develops after the first six months, it causes high blood pressure, edema (accumulation of fluid in body tissues resulting in swelling of the hands and face), and protein in the urine.


    • Rh-negative mother/Rh-positive fetus: Rh factor is a substance found in the red blood cells of most people. If you don’t have it but your baby does, problems can result when the baby’s blood cells enter your bloodstream. That’s because your body may react by producing antibodies that can pass into the fetus’ bloodstream and destroy red blood cells.


These conditions are serious but manageable, so it’s important to educate yourself about them and discuss them with your health care provider.


Another common concern for pregnant women in weight gain. It’s generally recommended that a woman of normal weight gain approximately 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy — about 2 or 3 pounds each month. Gaining more than 30 to 35 pounds can put a woman at higher risk for prolonged labor, which increases the likelihood of fetal distress and a caesarean delivery.


Any extra weight gained during pregnancy can also have a major effect on a woman’s health after the baby is born if she does not lose the weight. It can put her at increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or stroke. Controlling weight gain is more difficult later in a pregnancy, so try to avoid gaining a lot of weight during the first months. However, not gaining enough weight can cause problems too, such as inadequate fetal growth and premature labor.

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