| 34% of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before they reach age 20, resulting in more than 820,000 teen pregnancies a year. |
|  | | 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. |
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| Five Ways To Have A Healthy Pregnancy and Baby | | 1. See a doctor or other health care provider from the start of your pregnancy.
2. Don’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take drugs.
3. Eat healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, eggs, cheese, and grains.
4. Take good care of your health and exercise sensibly.
5. Have your baby checked by a doctor or health care provider right after birth and throughout childhood. |
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- As soon as you think you are pregnant, call your health care provider to find out when you should come in for your first prenatal care appointment.
- During your pregnancy, make sure you attend all of your prenatal care appointments, even if you’re feeling fine.
- Sometimes getting to an appointment may be difficult or it may seem like a waste of time. For the sake of your baby, though, make getting prenatal care a priority.
- Ideally, it's best to see your provider before you become pregnant. This is called a preconception visit. This visit can address concerns and issues before you get pregnant.
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| A Typical Prenatal Care Schedule
A typical prenatal care schedule for a low-risk woman with a normally progressing pregnancy is:
Weeks 4 to 28: 1 visit per month (every 4 weeks)
Weeks 28 to 36: 2 visits per month (every 2 to 3 weeks)
Weeks 36 to birth: 1 visit per week
A woman with a chronic medical condition or a “high-risk” pregnancy may have to see her health care provider more often. Make sure you go to all your prenatal care appointments, even if you’re feeling fine. |
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