Help for Your Pregnancy-Related Concerns and Prenatal Care

Every woman is different — and so is every pregnancy. The health of a pregnancy depends on many things, including a woman’s medical background, her history with pregnancy, her current lifestyle and more. It’s normal for your pregnancy-related concerns and prenatal care questions to be different from your fellow expectant mothers’ — and it’s important to address those with your prenatal care physician as early as possible.

Remember: Only your medical practitioner can provide the best answers for your questions about your pregnancy-related concerns and prenatal care. The information in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please contact a local prenatal care provider for help regarding your particular pregnancy.

If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may be more likely to have certain conditions that can complicate your prenatal care. After all, you did not plan on becoming pregnant, and you may not be in the ideal situation to carry a child to term at this point in your life. But, if you choose to parent or place your child for adoption, proper prenatal care will be incredibly important.

If you’re wondering how specific medical conditions may impact your pregnancy-related concerns and prenatal care, find some basic information below.

Prenatal Care for High-Risk Pregnancy

Certain lifestyles and medical conditions can result in high-risk pregnancies. These risky pregnancies can certainly be more common for those facing unplanned pregnancies — especially if they are older or are aware of medical conditions that dissuaded them from becoming pregnant on purpose.

In a high-risk pregnancy, prenatal care is invaluable. Only an experienced obstetrician can evaluate your personal risk factors and determine the best steps to keep you and your unborn child safe and healthy during the next nine months. They will often recommend a certain protocol based on the condition causing your risky pregnancy. Conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and previous complicated pregnancies often require high-risk prenatal care.

While your individual regimen will be determined by your doctor, there are a few recommendations that often apply to high-risk pregnancies:

• More frequent prenatal care visits
• Referrals to prenatal specialists
• Healthy exercise and diet plan
• Refraining from vigorous exercise
• Bed rest
• Monitoring weight gain closely
• Additional tests and scans
• And more

If you wish to learn more about prenatal care for high-risk pregnancy, please speak with your local prenatal care practitioner.

Prenatal Care for Teenage Mothers

The vast majority of teenage pregnancies are unplanned. After all, teenagers are rarely mentally, emotionally or financially ready to raise a child, and their lifestyle is often not conducive to a healthy pregnancy.

But, if you find yourself unexpectedly pregnant as a teenager, you will need to obtain special prenatal care for teenage mothers, whether you will parent or place your child for adoption after birth. Even though you are physically capable of becoming pregnant, your body may not be ready for the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. Having an experienced professional guiding you from the beginning will help prevent additional risks and complications from having a pregnancy at such a young age.

Your teenage pregnancy prenatal care will include the same steps as prenatal care for an older woman, but there may be a few things your doctor recommends because of your age:

• Paying close attention to your nutrition and diet, as your body will be growing at the same time that it is growing another human being.
• Staying physically active to ease discomfort and boost your energy level
• Seeking out teenage pregnancy support groups for the emotions you may feel during this time
• Taking childbirth classes and, if you plan to raise your child, parenting, money-management and other important pre-birth classes

If you have had a lack of prenatal care in your teenage pregnancy, please reach out to local obstetrician as soon as possible to keep yourself and your unborn baby as safe as possible.

Prenatal Care After Miscarriage

Some of the most nerve-wracking pregnancy-related concerns and prenatal care concerns come from a pregnancy following a miscarriage. Whether planned or not, a previous pregnancy that ended in miscarriage can cause all kinds of emotional and physical concerns. If you’re pregnant after suffering a miscarriage, you are likely worried sick about keeping yourself and your baby as healthy as possible during the next nine months.

In most cases, if you have had one or two miscarriages, your prenatal care will be the same. But, if you have had multiple miscarriages, your obstetrician may conduct additional tests as part of your prenatal care after miscarriage. They may monitor your hCG levels or perform an early ultrasound to assess the health of your pregnancy. You may also be referred to a fertility specialist for additional testing.

It’s normal to search for reasons behind your original miscarriage and try to avoid those in your current prenatal care after miscarriage. However, many miscarriages are due to genetic mutations or other factors beyond your control. When it comes to your prenatal care for this pregnancy, it’s important that you just focus on what you would do with any pregnancy. Be cautious and lead a healthy lifestyle to give yourself the best chances of success with this new pregnancy.

More than anything else, relax (we know how difficult it can be!). A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body in providing the most beneficial environment for a developing baby.

Prenatal Care for Twins

If you are wondering about prenatal care for twins, triplets or other multiples, know that your pregnancy will be deemed high-risk from the start. A multiples pregnancy requires more frequent prenatal visits than a singleton pregnancy, and your doctor will likely monitor your pregnancy more closely and conduct tests earlier than they would with another pregnancy. You may have more ultrasounds to evaluate your babies’ development, and your doctor will likely watch you closely for signs of preterm labor and delivery, which you will be at higher risk for in a multiples pregnancy.

In addition, your prenatal care for twins will likely include these recommendations:

• A higher intake of calories and larger weight gain to sustain the multiple babies growing inside of you
• More daily rest, as well as the possibility of bed rest later on in your pregnancy
• Classes and preparation for caring for two babies at the same time
• And more

Again, speak in depth with a trusted obstetrician from as early on in your pregnancy as possible to keep yourself and your babies healthy throughout the next nine months.

Prenatal Care in Spanish

Some women may simply be looking for something different in their prenatal care. Many women in the United States wish for prenatal care in their native language, such as prenatal care in Spanish. Many undocumented immigrants also search for “prenatal care for illegal immigrants,” wondering if they can get the medical support they need when they are still worrying about their legal status in the country.

Even if you are an undocumented immigrant, you still have the right to receive prenatal care. However, without the proper documentation, it can be confusing to enter the healthcare world. Consider seeking out prenatal care at a local low-cost clinic or birthing center instead of a larger obstetrician’s office or hospital. If you are unsure you have the capability to raise your child after birth, you might also consider adoption as a way to receive free prenatal care and provide to your child the opportunities and life you want him or her to have.

Si está buscando atención prenatal en español, pregúntele a sus médicos locales si tienen profesionales bilingües para que lo ayuden.

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It’s normal for any woman to be concerned about receiving the prenatal care she needs during her pregnancy — but especially if her pregnancy is unplanned and certain circumstances in her life may make her journey more complicated. Remember this: There is always support out there for you. For more information on your pregnancy-related concerns and prenatal care questions, please contact a local obstetrician or prenatal care provider.