When women find out that they are pregnant, especially for the first time, they are usually so thrilled and excited that visiting the doctor is the last thing on their mind. They focus on celebrating the fact that they are going to have a baby and immediately start making plans for the nursery and all the little things that their new bundle of joy is going to need while leaving the doctors for later.
What’s more, a lot of future moms don’t even think that visiting an obstetrician is a must, as they believe that everything is going to be just fine without it. After all, how did their grandmothers and their mothers before them do it?
Although your entire pregnancy may be carried out without a single complication (as we hope it will), visiting an obstetrician should definitely be on top of your to-do list from the moment you learn about your pregnancy because it can definitely reduce all the potential risks and help you have a perfectly healthy journey of nine months. That is exactly why prenatal care is crucial for every mom-to-be, so read on to learn about its great importance and the benefits it can provide you and your baby with.
Importance of prenatal care:
Reduce the risk of any complication
This is absolutely the number one reason why you should find a good obstetrician who will provide you with the best possible care from the moment you find out that you are pregnant. Again, you may not experience any complication at all, with or without a doctor, and everything may go perfectly all the way until the labor.
However, what if, God forbid, something does happen, and you don’t even know it until it is too late? We don’t want to frighten you, but you never know what tomorrow may bring. Regular checkups with your doctor will reduce the risk of any potential complication and give you peace of mind so that you can completely relax and have a healthy pregnancy.
For instance, prenatal care can help you detect anemia, as well as gestational diabetes, so being aware of it early on can help you take all the necessary measures and treat it effectively. Prenatal care includes taking various tests to ensure both you and your baby is perfectly healthy; you should definitely take the opportunity to carry out those tests.
Learn about your baby’s growth
Regular checkups with your chosen obstetrician will help you learn everything about your baby’s growth and development. It will give you an insight into how your baby is doing and how well it develops physically, which will help you know how healthy your baby actually is.
Prenatal care includes measuring your belly in order to get an insight into how quickly your baby is growing. Also, having an ultrasound will help your doctor see what is going on inside your womb and how the new member of your family is doing in there.
What’s more, there is a 3D ultrasound now, so you can see your baby in a way that never before was possible. It is really the most special experience you can have until you have your little baby in your arms.
Get the necessary information for a healthy diet
Your mother, grandmother, and every other woman you know will tell you all about the food you should and should not eat but, although they will certainly provide you with good advice, who knows more about good nutrition during pregnancy than a specialized doctor?
During prenatal care, your doctor will provide you with all the necessary nutritional information for following a healthy diet to ensure both you and your baby are doing absolutely great during your entire pregnancy. Has anyone already told you that you have to eat for two now? You will hear that a lot, but you should ignore it completely because your body actually needs only about 300 extra calories per day in order for both you and your baby to be perfectly healthy. Similarly, when you breastfeed, you need around 500 extra calories are required. If you are thinking about breastfeeding, take a healthy diet and consider buying a nursing bra for a good breastfeeding experience. A hand-free pumping bra can be your best ally when it comes to fulfilling the desire to continue breastfeeding your baby.
Tips for prenatal care:
Start looking for proper medical care and visit your doctor regularly
.Finding a medical expert you find trustworthy and who makes you feel comfortable might be a bit harder than it sounds. Every pregnancy is different, and every woman has a unique body, which is why your future care needs to be carefully adapted to your and your baby’s needs.
Pay close attention to your nutrition (eat healthy, intake)
You need to put an end to your bad habits because continuing them is a risk you mustn’t take. Don’t drink alcohol or smoke. Also, you should satisfy your caffeine needs with a daily cup that’s not too strong. If you’re on some kind of weight-reducing diet, that too needs to stop because the foods you intake need to be healthy and nutritious. You should maybe consider adding a dose of vitamins to your new baby-friendly diet.
Limit yourself from all distractions and negativity
Your list of priorities needs to change. Once you get pregnant, you should definitely notify your family and friends that your life is going to change and that you need to focus on your health. Everyone around you needs to be aware that they need to stop bothering you with irrelevant problems and unnecessary drama that can cause stress, which can’t be healthy for the baby.
Bottom Line:
Hopefully, you can see now how important prenatal care actually is. Not only can it help you make sure that you and the newest member of your family are healthy, but it can also help you learn everything about labor and delivery procedures since your doctor can provide you with professional advice, as well as expert and experienced obstetric care.
Therefore, schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can so that you can receive the best possible prenatal care and answer all the questions you may have about pregnancy.
