Prenatal Checkups and Tests

What You need to Know

Prenatal care is the care you get while you are pregnant. This care can be provided by a doctor, midwife or other health care professional.

The goal of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of a pregnancy and to identify potential problems before they become serious for either mom or baby.

All mothers-to-be benefit from 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.

During prenatal visits, the health care provider:

Teaches the woman about pregnancy
Monitors any medical conditions she may have such as high blood pressure
Tests for problems with the baby
Tests for health problems in the woman such as gestational diabetes
Refers the woman to services such as support groups, the WIC program or childbirth education classes

General Testing

(From The America Pregnancy Association)

First Trimester

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)

First Trimester Screen

Second Trimester

Amniocentesis