Once you find out you're pregnant, it's important to find prenatal care near you. Your first prenatal care visit is usually when you're around eight weeks pregnant. From there, you'll have routine prenatal visits throughout your pregnancy to ensure you and your baby stay as healthy as possible.
UPMC's compassionate prenatal care centers on your needs and preferences. We know that pregnancy is an exciting and anxious time. We take the time to educate you on what to expect and reassure you at every prenatal visit.
Prenatal care is expert medical care – led by an obstetrician or midwife – throughout your pregnancy.
Regular prenatal visits are preventive. Prenatal care helps you stay healthy during pregnancy. It also enables you to have a safe birth and a healthy baby.
Regular prenatal care visits throughout your pregnancy can prevent a low-birth-weight baby, premature birth, and other problems. It can also reduce the chance of needing emergency medical interventions during birth.
It is essential to attend all your prenatal visits. If you can't make a prenatal care appointment, reschedule it.
Prenatal care treats health problems that can arise in pregnancy as well as existing health problems that could affect the pregnancy.
Obstetricians work with other doctors, such as heart doctors, endocrinologists, pain doctors, and others, to ensure complete care. That way, we can ensure you get the necessary treatments for the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Conditions we diagnose and treat that may arise in pregnancy include:
We also work with other providers to manage the health problems you had before pregnancy. We work to prevent these problems from worsening during pregnancy and ensure your treatment for other health issues is as safe as possible during your pregnancy. This may mean changes to your medication.
Underlying conditions that we help to manage in pregnancy include:
We offer routine prenatal visits throughout your pregnancy, where you'll get access to tests, treatment, information, and support. Your main obstetrician or midwife will follow you throughout your pregnancy. You'll also meet nurses, ultrasound technicians, childbirth educators, and others throughout your pregnancy journey.
We usually schedule your first routine prenatal visit when you're about eight weeks pregnant, about four weeks after your missed period.
We may need to see you earlier if you have:
If your pregnancy progresses typically, your prenatal visits will happen about once a month. You'll have more frequent visits during the last two months of pregnancy – every week or two.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, you may need more frequent prenatal visits and extra testing. Extra monitoring helps us prevent problems or spot them early.
Prenatal visits allow your provider to share information, support your physical and emotional health, and look for any signs of problems.
At your prenatal care visits, you'll get:
You'll have various prenatal tests throughout your pregnancy. Many of these tests aim to catch health problems early so doctors can prevent them from harming you or your baby. Your care provider will explain the benefits and risks of each test and describe what will happen during the test.
Here are the tests you may have at some point during your pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is when your blood sugar is too high during pregnancy. It can cause your baby to be too large, increasing the risk of labor complications and stillbirth.
The one-hour glucose challenge test is a screening for gestational diabetes. You'll drink a sugary drink and, an hour later, take a blood test to check your sugar levels.
The three-hour glucose tolerance test diagnoses gestational diabetes. If the challenge test showed high blood sugar levels, you'll repeat the test to confirm the results.
You'll fast overnight leading up to the test. Doctors will take a blood sample, and then you'll drink the sugar drink. They'll check your blood sugar one hour, two hours, and three hours after you drink it.
If any two of these readings are too high, you're diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Group B strep is a common bacteria. It's harmless for adults but can cause serious problems in babies. As you near delivery, your doctor will test you for this bacteria with a swab of your vagina and anus. If the test is positive, your doctor will offer antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection before birth.
Testing of your baby to screen for and diagnose congenital conditions includes:
Most people need at least two ultrasounds during their pregnancy. You may have more ultrasounds if your doctor or midwife has concerns about your pregnancy.
If we find any signs of problems with your pregnancy, we will provide the following:
If you have another health condition besides pregnancy, your prenatal care provider will work with your other specialists. They will ensure your treatment plan keeps you safe and reduces risks to your baby. Your obstetrician will also provide extra monitoring to ensure your health problem doesn't worsen during pregnancy.
If you have any warning signs of a severe problem with your pregnancy, don't wait until your next prenatal visit. Head to the emergency department.
Warning signs that require immediate care include:
UPMC is a nationally recognized Center of Excellence in Women's Health. Our commitment to providing the highest quality of care to all has earned us recognition as a Maternal Care Access Hospital.
You'll feel connected, empowered, and informed through our classes, support groups, and the education we share at each prenatal visit. We'll ask about your preferences, listen to your concerns, and discuss your birth plan. This way, we can tailor our care to you.
Should you or your baby need advanced medical care, we host a wide range of experts and state-of-the-art testing and treatment amenities. UPMC's team includes obstetricians who have extra training in high-risk pregnancies. They can expertly manage health conditions in pregnancy, like diabetes and heart problems, to keep you and your baby safe.
When it's time to give birth at UPMC, you'll be admitted to the labor and delivery unit at your chosen hospital. We'll welcome your care team, including your doula, if you have one.
Your care partner can stay overnight in your postpartum room, and your newborn may "room in" with you in a bassinet if you choose. We also offer breastfeeding support and help you with newborn care in your recovery.
UPMC offers high-level neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for babies needing medical care. Our NICU teams, including neonatologists, respirologists, and NICU nurses, support parents in being closely involved in their baby's care.
Are you interested in a video visit with one of our women's health experts? You can now see a prenatal care specialist from anywhere in Pennsylvania through UPMC virtual care.
Last reviewed by a UPMC medical professional on 2024-09-05.
