- When to start prenatal care
- What happens in a Prenatal consultation
- Prenatal exams
- Where to do prenatal care
- Characteristics of high-risk pregnancy
Prenatal care is the medical monitoring of women during pregnancy, which is also offered by SUS. During the prenatal sessions, the doctor should clarify all the woman's doubts about pregnancy and childbirth, as well as ordering tests to check if everything is fine with the mother and baby.
It is during the prenatal consultation that the doctor must identify the gestational age, the pregnancy risk classification, whether it is low risk or high risk, and inform the likely date of delivery, according to the uterine height and the date of last menstruation.
When to start prenatal care
Prenatal care should start as soon as the woman finds out she is pregnant. These consultations should be carried out once a month until the 28th week of gestation, every 15 days from the 28th to the 36th week and weekly from the 37th week of gestation.
What happens in a Prenatal consultation
During the prenatal consultation, the nurse or doctor usually checks:
- Weight; Blood pressure; Signs of swelling in the legs and feet; Uterine height, vertically measuring the belly; Fetal heartbeat; Observe the breasts and teach what can be done to prepare them for breastfeeding; The bulletin vaccine for women to give vaccines in fata.
In addition, it is important to ask about common pregnancy discomforts, such as heartburn, burning, excess saliva, weakness, abdominal pain, colic, vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids, difficulty breathing, bleeding gums, back pain, varicose veins, cramps and work during pregnancy, clarifying all the pregnant woman's doubts and offering the necessary solutions.
Prenatal exams
The tests that must be performed during the prenatal period, and which are requested by the family doctor or obstetrician, are:
- Ultrasonography; Complete blood count; Proteinuria; Hemoglobin and hematocrit measurement; Coomb test; Stool examination; Bacterioscopy of the vaginal contents; Fasting glycemia; Examination to know the blood type, ABO system and the Rh factor; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; Serology for rubella; Serology for toxoplasmosis; VDRL for syphilis; Serology for hepatitis B and C; Serology for cytomegalovirus; Urine, to know if you have a urinary tract infection.
Prenatal consultations should start as soon as the pregnancy is discovered. The woman should receive important information about the nutritional issue, weight gain and first care for the baby. Find out more details of each exam, how they should be done and their results.
Where to do prenatal care
Prenatal care is the right of every pregnant woman and can be performed at health centers, hospitals or private or public clinics. During these consultations the woman should also seek information about the procedures and preparations for childbirth.
Characteristics of high-risk pregnancy
During prenatal care, the doctor must tell you whether the pregnancy is of high or low risk. Some situations that characterize a high-risk pregnancy are:
- Heart disease; Asthma or other respiratory diseases; Renal failure; Sickle cell anemia or thalassemia; Arterial hypertension before the 20th week of pregnancy; Neurological diseases, such as epilepsy; Leprosy; Autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus; Deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism; Uterine malformation, myoma; Infectious diseases such as hepatitis, toxoplasmosis, HIV infection or syphilis; Use of licit or illicit drugs; Previous abortion; Infertility; Intrauterine growth restriction; Twin pregnancy; Fetal malnutrition; Gestational malnutrition; Gestational diabetes; Suspected breast cancer; Teenage pregnancy.
In this case, prenatal care must contain the necessary tests to check the disease and guidance on the well-being of the mother and baby should be given. Learn all about risky pregnancy and its care.
