What To Expect When You Are Pregnant
Prenatal Care
See a doctor as soon as possible after you find out you're pregnant to begin getting prenatal care (medical care during pregnancy). The sooner you start to get medical care, the better your chances that you and your baby will be healthy.
If you can't afford to go to a doctor or clinic for prenatal care, Hoosier Healthwise can help. ISDH Helpline can help you locate resources in your community.All women need prenatal care. Women who see a health care provider regularly during pregnancy have healthier babies, are less likely to deliver prematurely, and are less likely to have other serious problems related to pregnancy.
A typical prenatal care schedule for a low-risk woman with a normally progressing pregnancy is:
- Weeks 4 to 28: 1 visit per month (every 4 weeks)
- Weeks 28 to 36: 2 visits per month (every 2 to 3 weeks)
- Weeks 36 to birth: 1 visit per week
A woman with a chronic medical condition or a “high-risk” pregnancy may have to see her health care provider more often. Make sure you go to all your prenatal care appointments, even if you are feeling fine.During your first visit, the doctor will ask you a series of questions, including the date of your last period. The information you provide helps the doctor estimate the number of weeks you have been pregnant and provide you with an estimated due date.
Doctors measure pregnancies in weeks. A baby's due date is only an estimate, though: Most babies are born between 38 and 42 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period, or 36 to 40 weeks after conception (when the sperm fertilizes the egg). Only a small percentage of women actually deliver exactly on their due dates.
A pregnancy is divided into three phases, or trimesters. The first trimester is from conception to the end of week 13. The second trimester is from week 14 to the end of week 26. The third trimester is from week 27 to the end of the pregnancy (full term is 40 weeks).
The doctor will examine you and perform a pelvic exam. He or she may also perform blood tests, a urine test, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including a test for HIV, which is on the rise in teens. Some STDs can cause serious medical problems in newborns, so it's important to get treatment to protect the baby.)
The doctor will explain the types of physical and emotional changes you can expect during pregnancy. He or she will also teach you to how to recognize the signs of possible problems during pregnancy (called complications). This is especially important because teens are more at risk for certain complications, such as anemia, high blood pressure, and delivering a baby earlier than usual (called premature delivery).
Your doctor will want you to start taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid, calcium, and iron as soon as possible. The doctor may prescribe the vitamins or recommend a brand that you can buy over the counter. These vitamins and minerals help ensure the baby's and mother's health as well as prevent some types of birth defects.
Ideally, you should see your doctor once each month for the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy, then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, then once a week until you deliver the baby. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes that needs careful monitoring during your pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you more often.
During visits, your doctor will check your weight, blood pressure, and urine, and will measure your abdomen to keep track of the baby's growth. Once the baby's heartbeat can be heard with a special device, the doctorwill listen for it at each visit. Your doctor will probably also send you for some other tests during the pregnancy, such as an ultrasound, to make ensure that your baby is developing normally.
One part of prenatal care is attending classes where expectant mothers can learn about having a healthy pregnancy and delivery and the basics of caring for a new baby. These classes may be offered at hospitals, medical centers, schools, and colleges in your area.
Changes to Expect in Your Body
Pregnancy causes lots of physical changes in the body. Here are some common ones:
Breast Growth
An increase in breast size is one of the first signs of pregnancy, and the breasts may continue to grow throughout the pregnancy. You may go up several bra sizes during the course of your pregnancy.
Skin Changes
Don't be surprised if people tell you your skin is "glowing" when you are pregnant — pregnancy causes an increase in blood volume, which can make your cheeks a little pinker than usual. And hormonal changes increase oil gland secretion, which can give your skin a shinier appearance. Acne is also common during pregnancy for the same reason. Other skin changes caused by pregnancy hormones may include brownish or yellowish patches on the face called chloasma and a dark line on the midline of the lower abdomen, known as the linea nigra. Also, moles or freckles that you had prior to pregnancy may become bigger and darker. Stretch marks are thin pink or purplish lines that can appear on your abdomen, breasts, or thighs. These skin changes will usually disappear after you give birth.
Mood Swings
It is very common to have mood swings during pregnancy. Some women may also experience depression during pregnancy or after delivery. If you have symptoms of depression such as sadness, changes in sleep patterns, thoughts of hurting yourself, or bad feelings about yourself or your life, tell your doctor so he or she can help you to get treatment.
Pregnancy Discomforts
Pregnancy can cause some uncomfortable side effects. These include:
- nausea and vomiting (especially early in the pregnancy)
- leg swelling
- varicose veins in the legs and the area around the vaginal opening
- hemorrhoids
- heartburn and constipation
- backache
- fatigue
- sleep loss
If you have one or more of these side effects, keep in mind that you're not alone Ask your doctor for advice on how to deal with these common problems.
If you are pregnant and have bleeding or pain, call the doctor immediately, even if you are not planning to continue the pregnancy.
Pre-term Labor
- Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms:
- Contractions every 10 minutes or more than 5 contractions in one hour
- Backache that does not go away after resting on your side
- Changes in vaginal discharge, “bloody show” or mucus
- Pelvic pressure that feels like the baby is pushing down inside
- Menstrual or period-like cramps
- Abdominal or stomach cramps and diarrhea.
