Prenatal care

Every journey to starting a family is unique. We know you may need some help conceiving your baby, so our preconception counselors are here to help.

We begin by evaluating any risk factors you might have, such as underlying health conditions or previous pregnancy complications that could affect your baby.

Additionally, our fertility doctors can help determine if infertility is prohibiting conception. If we find that infertility is a factor, we will address the issue at its core and search for options to help you. For example, we offer minimally invasive surgery, ovulation induction and male-factor fertility services.

Maintaining your health throughout your pregnancy is incredibly important for both your long-term health and the health of your baby. Our hospitals provide maternity services to help you stay healthy and care for yourself and your newborn with confidence.

Some of our services include:

• Birth center tours: We offer guided tours of our maternity units, so you know what to expect and can ask questions ahead of time.
• Genetic counseling: We offer diagnostic services to determine your chance of having genetic issues that may lead to a complicated pregnancy or affect your family-planning options.
• High-risk pregnancy care: Our maternal-fetal medicine doctors specialize in high-risk pregnancies. They provide personalized care if you are pregnant with multiples, have certain medical conditions or have a history of pregnancy or delivery difficulties. They will closely monitor you and your baby for potential complications.
• Maternal addiction programs: We want to set you up for success. We provide maternal addiction programs to address substance use and help you manage your pregnancy. During the day-treatment programs, you will receive behavioral counseling throughout the day and be able to return to your own home during the evening.
• Maternity classes: We offer a wide range of maternity classes to help you get ready for your baby. Some of the topics we will discuss to help you prepare for your new baby’s arrival include labor and delivery, breastfeeding, nutrition and baby care.
• Midwifery care: In addition to our OB/GYN's, some of our hospitals offer midwives for delivery. Midwifery can be a good option if you are interested in a low-intervention pregnancy and birth experience.
• Personalized birth planning: We want to help you have a pregnancy and birth experience that aligns with your expectations as much as possible. We will tailor a birth plan to your needs at our hospitals. This includes birth options such as alternative pain management, wireless fetal monitoring and delayed umbilical cord clamping.

Prenatal screenings

We offer a wide range of prenatal screenings that help us assess the health and development of your baby. Some of these screenings include:

• Amniocentesis
• Chorionic villus sampling
• Genetic counseling
• Nuchal translucency screening
• Prenatal ultrasounds

Getting proper prenatal care is vital for maintaining the health of you and your baby throughout and after your pregnancy. Regular visits with your prenatal care doctor allows your physician to monitor for development milestones and watch out for signs of complications. These appointments also give you a chance to ask questions to help you prepare for labor and delivery.

During your visits, your weight and blood pressure will be checked, and a urine sample will be taken. Your baby’s heart rate may also be checked. Your doctor will discuss the baby's development and your health, and will then tell you what changes to expect before your next visit.

Additionally, at specific points during your pregnancy, a blood sample will be taken for analysis. Your OB/GYN will also sometimes perform ultrasounds to get a better sense of how your baby is developing.

As your due date gets closer, you will need more frequent prenatal appointments. The recommended schedule of prenatal appointments is:

• Weeks four-28: once per month
• Weeks 29-36: every two weeks
• Weeks 36-40: every week