Prenatal Care Summary Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. It includes your checkups and prenatal testing. Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. It lets your health care provider spot health problems early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others. Your doctor or midwife will give you a schedule for your prenatal visits. If you are over 35 years old or your pregnancy is high risk because of health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor or midwife will probably want to see you more often. You can also expect to see your health care provider more often as your due date gets closer. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Bringing in Baby Statistics and Research Child Health USA 2013: Barriers to Prenatal Care Health Resources and Services Administration Child Health USA 2013: Prenatal Care Utilization Health Resources and Services Administration PeriStats: Perinatal Statistics March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Pregnancy and Healthy Weight National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Routine Prenatal Care Visits by Provider Specialty in the United States, 2009-2010 National Center for Health Statistics Related Issues Choosing Your Prenatal Care Provider March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation MedlinePlus: Pregnancy and Nutrition National Library of Medicine Midwives Nemours Foundation Why Take a Prenatal Supplement? Department of Agriculture Women of Size and Pregnancy American College of Nurse-Midwives Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Prenatal Care National Institutes of Health Start Here Have a Healthy Pregnancy Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Later Prenatal Checkups March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Medical Care during Pregnancy Nemours Foundation Preconception Care and Prenatal Care National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Prenatal Care Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Taking Care of You and Your Baby While You’re Pregnant American Academy of Family Physicians What Can I Do to Promote a Healthy Pregnancy? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Your First Prenatal Care Checkup March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Find an Expert March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development womenshealth.gov Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Array Pregnancy care Prenatal care in your first trimester Prenatal care in your second trimester Prenatal care in your third trimester Specifics Prenatal Care: First Trimester Visits Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Prenatal Care: Second Trimester Visits Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Prenatal Care: Third Trimester Visits Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Happens during Prenatal Visits? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Journal Articles Prenatal Care