Is prenatal care necessary?

Danielle - posted on 04/29/2011

Sarah, there are cheaper, cost effective preventative measures that can be taken to prevent pregnancy. I've lived through extreme financial struggle. I was pregnant and the only income my family had was my husband's minimum wage job. We had no health care benefits at that time and I had major complications that required prescription medication that I had to pay full price for. I made sacrifices in other areas in order to take care of my health and my baby's health. I've lived through life throwing me numerous curve balls while still receiving prenatal care..during an unplanned pregnancy at that. My point is simply that if you are able to have sex and fall pregnant, than it is your responsibility to take care of yourself while pregnant. Regardless of finances.

Sylvia - posted on 04/29/2011

Yes, prenatal care is necessary. But is it necessary for a healthy woman with an uneventful pregnancy to see an expensive, highly trained surgical specialist for routine prenatal care? Of course not. For the majority of routine prenatal care to be delivered by OB's is absolutely not the best use of our health-care dollars. Midwifery care and/or prenatal care provided by family practice docs is the way to go, IMO -- save the OB's for the high-risk pregnancies.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 04/29/2011

You are fortunate that you can afford care, and you have the means to get to your appointments. Just remember, when you are about 9 months (sometimes sooner) they are gonna want to check you weekly. You are also fortunate that your appointments are speedy, if they were long appointments, then you should worry.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 04/29/2011

I don't have time to go through all the posts...I am gonna tell it to you straight.....which I am sure others have. You don't know how to read an ultrasound....they take measurements to determine whether all the babies parts are growing properly, looking for heart function, kidneys...everything. They also check urine to look for any peaks in wbc, protein, ketones (and other stuff) to determine any underlying conditions of the mother. They check the size of your belly to make sure that you and the baby are growing properly, and weight checks to see if you are not gaining enough, or to much...this can also be an indicator of hidden issues.



You don't like your ob, find another, or a midwife. Don't give up on pre-natal care just because you don't think the doctor is taking enough time with you and the baby. You should not need another ultrasound....but they should also be taking a Doppler reading of the babies heart when they are checking the height of your fundus. You reading up on being healthy does not dismiss all the "what ifs" that need a professional eye.

Sarah - posted on 04/29/2011

Danielle - sometimes shit happens and you might not be in the best financial position to deal with it but you try and get by and ive known plenty of girls who have fallen pregnant when they couldn't afford a baby because they couldn't afford contraception in the first place and just simply thought "i know my cycle and i know at this time i shouldn't fall pregnant"

Cynthia - posted on 04/29/2011

i have not rufused prenatal care. I was just venting a little. idk where you got that i was refusing care. i went to the doctor yeaterday and i will go again in 2 weeks.

Danielle - posted on 04/29/2011

I still think refusing prenatal care based on cost is irresponsible. Shouldn't of gotten pregnant if you weren't prepared to pay to receive health care...be it from a doctor, a mid wife...whatever. You are not qualified to determine your health whether you believe it or not. You can't put a price on the life of your child or yourself.

Margaret - posted on 04/25/2011

I can understand your frustration Cynthia, but as I minister to many women of all ages in Australia who live on the streets and do not have access to prenatal care, I urge you to continue with your checkups, as I've seen the results of no prenatal care...eg babies born pre-term because of problems with the placenta detaching, babes born with serious problems with their heart and/or lungs to name just two of the problems. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that this is solely because of the lack of vitamins and knowledge...just because a mother does not have a home does not mean she doesn't look after herself. I've had 3 live births, 3 stillbirths and several miscarriages, all of them whilst being under and OB/GYN, and in each of the stillbirths nothing was detected beforehand that could have prepared me for it. It was in the days before sonographs (ultrasounds). Please, for the sake of your unborn child and yourself, do not stop going to your appointments, yes its a hassle, but it's a small price to pay for a healthy birth and child. God bless.

Tracy - posted on 04/25/2011

Sounds like you need to change doctors as this one does not seem to be professional. Prenatal care is important but it needs to be done right. I agree with trying for a midwife or changing doctors to get someone who will take care of you and your child. Good luck!

Tiffany - posted on 04/25/2011

Prenatal care is very important. You need either a new doctor or a midwife.

Melissa - posted on 04/22/2011

It is very important, but if you're looking for more personal, one-on-one time with your care provider, maybe you should look into finding a midwife?

Tara - posted on 04/22/2011

I didn't go for prenatal until I was 12 weeks, that is generally when most midwives here will book your first appointment unless you request an earlier one.
And after that I went in about once every 4-6 weeks until about 32 weeks, than I started going every 2-3 weeks until 37 than every 7-10 days.
I wasn't religious about attending my appts. and when I was there I did all my own pee tests, weighing, fundal measurements etc. I missed appointments on occasions sometimes cause I couldn't fit it into my schedule and sometimes cause I just didn't feel the need to go especially at the end, I checked my own bp at home and really didn't want to be going into town every week. Sometimes I would just check in by phone, let them know how I was feeling etc.
I think prenatal care is important but a woman should have control over when and how often and what tests are done etc. as long as everything is presenting as normal from one visit to the next.

Mel - posted on 04/22/2011

I was the same and never rushed into a doctors appointment with second pregnancy anyway. its not important until later then you have to have your appointments with your obstetrician instead of a regular doctor which is not til around 20 something weeks

Erin - posted on 04/22/2011

I agree Becky. First trimester appointments don't involve much more than the blood screen, dating scan (if necessary - I didn't have one) and family history. I see no reason why the bloods and family history can't be done at 12 weeks, at the same time as the NT scan.

Becky - posted on 04/22/2011

I can see not having prenatal care in the first trimester - it's too soon to tell if there is anything wrong with the baby, and if you're going to miscarry, it can't be prevented anyway. I think a lot of doctors don't even want to see women until around the 12th week. But I think that especially in the last trimester it is really important, because things can go from perfect to horribly wrong in an instant.

Veronica - posted on 04/21/2011

I just wanted to quickly add - as prenatal care is very important --Do what is most comfortable to you. I personally have had a few things happen in pregnancies that put me at high-risk- so I wouldnt trust myself to be at home doing my own prental care, no matter how many children I have had. But, if you are comfortable with yourself, a midwife, or another doctor - I would still do prenatal care regardless of which route works best for you.

Veronica - posted on 04/21/2011

I wouldnt skip out on prenatal care entirely. I am on child number 7 right now - I didnt start my prenatal care til close to 16 weeks - it was the same with the last two babies - I just didn't feel that I needed to go in any earlier. When I got in, they did one ultrasound to see how it was all going in there, size of baby, range of how far along I was, etc. Blood work to make sure that was in check, and then off to normal visits the rest of the pregnancy. The appointments are short - but for me, its just right. Its a nice quick check on the baby and me; the doc and I discuss anything necessary, and Im off back home. But i guess the difference for me, is that its a break away from home! I leave the kids at home with their dad - and i get a few hours to myself to run to town, do the appt., treat myself to lunch and a bit of window shopping - so I actually look forward to the appts.
A lot of the tests they do, I dont agree with, and refuse - my main concern is just for our health. You do have rights to what you want screened or not. I think the worst 'test' out of the whole pregnancies is the one for gestational diabetes - with two of my kids, the first test came back a bit elevated, so I had to do the second test - where they have to poke you every hour -- and the drink is just nasty!!! hahaha

Anyways - Find another doctor, or just suck it up -- this is about your baby being ok and healthy.
Prenatal care only lasts until you have the baby anyways -- Maybe space out the prenatal visits if its affecting your finances with all the visits. But dont skip out on it entirely.

Sarah - posted on 04/21/2011

emma - mackay tend to send their labouring women up to townsville...ive gone private now so i get to call ALL the shots up to and including how long my labour goes for and if it goes over we cut the baby out...although looking at the birth centre it looks so nice...like your bedroom only you don't have to clean it all up

Jen - posted on 04/21/2011

"i did get a lot of negitive replys too mostly bc we are programed to think doctors are gods. and that their is only one way to go about child birth and pre care."

Don't be ridiculous and spare me the nonsense you posted right there. You're getting negative answers because you posted something that many people recognize as foolish. YOu may not like being called that but those are the actions we see and the attitude. I personally think routine check ups for healthy children are a waste of time but I do them because I recognize intellectually their necessity.

But no, it must be because we're all brainwashed doctor worshipping zombies who don't have enough holistic chakras in our lives.

Stifler's - posted on 04/21/2011

I've heard Mackay is good Sarah hahaha

Sarah - posted on 04/21/2011

Becky - the two OB's that delivered my son were 4th year uni students! and id been at the hospital for 30 hours and i never saw an ob until they thought that it was going to be so much worse than they could imagine mind you he was my ob lucky and he shrugged his shoulders and walked off...but when it came to birthing they were two students...doing a vacuum extraction with about 8 midwives...yeah im going to the birth centre next time...if they let me i wanted to with my son but it was too high risk ohh well maybe next time

Becky - posted on 04/20/2011

I'm glad to hear you're going with a midwife. I don't think it matters so much who does your prenatal care -well, you know, you probably don't want a podiatrist... :) but, I do think it's very important that you get it. I had a perfectly normal, uncomplicated pregnancy with my first - other than severe nausea - until at 37 weeks, my bp suddenly went from 130/80 to 179/112. I had no symptoms at all - no excess swelling, no headache, no blurred vision... Had I not had a prenatal appointment that day, I would have had no idea until things had gotten much worse. As it was, my son was small for gestational age - only 5 lbs. 3 oz, so I think something had been going on undiagnosed for a while prior to that. Who knows what the consequences could have been for either of us had I not been diagnosed when I was!
I don't think it's necessary to see an OB/GYN though. With my first I did, and like I said, I think she was late in diagnosing me. I didn't feel like she took my concerns seriously when I told her I was worried about my baby because I couldn't eat at all or keep anything down when I did. With my second, I went to a low-risk clinic with a team of family practitioners who specialized in maternity care. (I wanted a midwife, but they weren't funded under our provincial health care until half way through my pregnancy, by which point, I never would've gotten one because they are in such high demand.) The clinic was wonderful. They took all the time I needed, they were very compassionate, and they took me seriously. I don't even think the dr. who delivered my second was an OB, but I don't know that for sure - you don't find that much out when you're only in the hospital for 20 minutes before you give birth! :)

Kacy - posted on 04/20/2011

In a way yea, I mean I woulnt have had any time with her if we hadn't found it. With all that when I was pregnant with my second they made sure to check for the same heart defect so we knew he was gonna be all right. I would be lost with out the help of my obgyn

Cynthia - posted on 04/20/2011

@kacy, Thank you for sharing your story. i'm glad you got to be her mom even if for a short time. your doctor must be your hero for helping her to live.

Kacy - posted on 04/20/2011

My first child was born with a heart defect, if we hadnt found it while i was pregnant she would have died soon after birth. But since we knew ahead of time they gave her medicine as soon as she was born and she got to live, she did pass away at 7 months but she got to live for that long at least!!

Cynthia - posted on 04/20/2011

@amanda, yes one would consider the bill before getting pregnant if they planed on getting pregnant. i was suprised by this baby and i'm doing my best to make things work. life is full of suprises. and this can happen to anybody.

Erin - posted on 04/20/2011

@ Cynthia Good! Midwives rock! I think you'll find your experience with them much more suitable.

Amanda - posted on 04/20/2011

@Heather I dont think I ever said it was right that a woman has to pay for any medical care. I am a firm supporter that all G8 countries can afford to have universal healthcare. But the fact is this person knows theres bills that come along with being pregnant (because shes had a child before). You would think this would be something one considers before they get pregnant.

Caitlin - posted on 04/20/2011

If you truly entrust your health to google.. i'd worry..

Low risk pregnancy is VERY different from NO risk pregnancy (which doesn't exist BTW). Any complucation can happen to any one at any time - hence the checkups..

Cynthia - posted on 04/20/2011

@ erin, i dont understand pre e that well. i have google, which helps but i wouldnt trust it with my life. thats the reason why i've spent around 1000 to go to the doc. i agree that i need help. and that it is important to eaither understand everything that can go wrong or get help. i'm going with a midwife for the rest of my pregancy:)

I was probley out of line to debate the topic of pre e but like you said i dont understand high risk pregancys because i'm low risk and i only learned about pre e bc my aunt had it last year. we arnt that close and she was fine.

Erin - posted on 04/20/2011

So everyone who disagrees with you doing your own prenatal care is bowing down to The Almighty White Coat? I happen to think that OBs are unnecessary in normal low-risk pregnancies. I think a hands-off midwife is an excellent option, and certainly what I would choose in future pregnancies. I just happen to think someone who doesn't understand pre-e needs all the help she can get. Do you understand that if the signs of pre-e are missed (or dismissed), the condition can escalate to eclampsia? And that eclampsia can cause a stroke and possibly death?

I understand you don't have pre-e, but the lack of understanding you expressed on what is a common complication is worrying.

Lady Heather - posted on 04/20/2011

Knowing the bills will be there doesn't make them right. As much as I was critical on the idea of reducing care, I am REALLY critical about having to pay ridiculous sums of money just to see a doctor. I pay zip for my pregnancies and deliveries and that's the way it should be.

Amanda - posted on 04/20/2011

@Cynthia Ramey - I dont think doctors are gods, but I do know how a healthy pregnancy can fastly turn into a still born.

"my frustration is that i pay about $80 each time i go to the doc. "

Shakes head, I dont even know where to start on that statement. Id say ignorance is bliss but you already have a child so these bills arent a suprise.

Lady Heather - posted on 04/20/2011

Well I certainly don't think doctors are gods. I see a midwife and have hated approximately 75% of the doctors I've seen in my life. Less money is good. You shouldn't have to pay bugger all as far as I'm concerned.

Cynthia - posted on 04/20/2011

my frustration is that i pay about $80 each time i go to the doc. that is with no test or anything except the visit add the test and WOW! but even with that i've had all my test and i havent missed any appoiments. i'm not going to stop pre natal care. i just dont have the money to waste since now all my test are done and they r just check on me. i wanted to find out about other ways to take care of my baby. i only seemed childish to you because we dont agree. i've gotten a lot of really good ideas from this. but most are in my inbox becausse no one wants to be criticized for the way they did their self care. i did get a lot of negitive replys too mostly bc we are programed to think doctors are gods. and that their is only one way to go about child birth and pre care. i know that isnt the case now. and my new plan is going to be way less money for about the same schedule.i will still go every 2 weeks and the visits will be short, but i wont feel like its such a waste bc it is a resonable cost to me. i'm not here to defend whether or not i have a 6 year old or if i'm whinning or being childish. i'm too pregnant to care about how i come across to you. i have bigger fish to fry. i will say that i am a good mom and i do care for my baby.

Stifler's - posted on 04/20/2011

I have to say I saw an obstetrician yesterday because the midwives were all busy and all the pregnant ladies were banked up so he did the antenatal apps, they are quick. and love to give out referrals for stuff. 36 week scan FTW.

Sarah - posted on 04/20/2011

It's most definitely important! however if you're not going through a high risk pregnancy then seeing an OB/GYN really isn't necessary i suggest switching to a midwife...at least then you know she will be there all the way through the birth my OB/GYN came probably in the last hour...i had multiple midwives none of whom i knew. If i could've with my pregnancy I would of gone to something we called WOMBATT (i have no idea what it stands for so don't ask but theyre a team of about 10 midwives) will defs be looking into them the next time around if im allowed because im never EVER going back to that god awful hospital even if im classed as high risk again

Erin - posted on 04/19/2011

It seems like you've already made your decision to skip out on the rest of your prenatal care, so I'm not sure what the purpose of this thread was? The suggestion of a midwife is a good one. She will be less interventionalist while still keeping an eye on you.



And quite frankly, your question about pre-e shows you are in no position to be doing your own care. Those who do self pre-natal care successfully are well-versed in all the possible complication, and know precisely when to seek medical attention.

Bridget - posted on 04/19/2011

It is important..however I know lots of moms who opted for minimal PNC..they had a midwife visit them etc..my doctor always spent alot more time with me 15-20 minutes at least..it sounds like your OB isnt doing a very thorough job..I'm glad that I had the check that I did because without the monitoring that I had during my pregnancy I would not have known that I had Polyhydramnios..I was able to be prescreened to see if my son would have any troubles right after he was born that would need to be addressed..etc..and my doc was able to schedule me to be induced..so that my sons umbilical cord would not get pinched..my doc also always check even before I had my hydro problem to make sure that my cervix was holding well because if it wasnt I would need to go on bedrest etc..I did end up going into labor at 33 weeks but thankfully I went in soon enough that they could stop it :) Hang in there..see if you can find a new doc because this one is skipping out on doing what she should be doing..

Bridget - posted on 04/19/2011

It is important..however I know lots of moms who opted for minimal PNC..they had a midwife visit them etc..my doctor always spent alot more time with me 15-20 minutes at least..it sounds like your OB isnt doing a very thorough job..I'm glad that I had the check that I did because without the monitoring that I had during my pregnancy I would not have known that I had Polyhydramnios..I was able to be prescreened to see if my son would have any troubles right after he was born that would need to be addressed..etc..and my doc was able to schedule me to be induced..so that my sons umbilical cord would not get pinched..my doc also always check even before I had my hydro problem to make sure that my cervix was holding well because if it wasnt I would need to go on bedrest etc..I did end up going into labor at 33 weeks but thankfully I went in soon enough that they could stop it :) Hang in there..see if you can find a new doc because this one is skipping out on doing what she should be doing..

Bridget - posted on 04/19/2011

It is important..however I know lots of moms who opted for minimal PNC..they had a midwife visit them etc..my doctor always spent alot more time with me 15-20 minutes at least..it sounds like your OB isnt doing a very thorough job..I'm glad that I had the check that I did because without the monitoring that I had during my pregnancy I would not have known that I had Polyhydramnios..I was able to be prescreened to see if my son would have any troubles right after he was born that would need to be addressed..etc..and my doc was able to schedule me to be induced..so that my sons umbilical cord would not get pinched..my doc also always check even before I had my hydro problem to make sure that my cervix was holding well because if it wasnt I would need to go on bedrest etc..I did end up going into labor at 33 weeks but thankfully I went in soon enough that they could stop it :) Hang in there..see if you can find a new doc because this one is skipping out on doing what she should be doing..

Bridget - posted on 04/19/2011

It is important..however I know lots of moms who opted for minimal PNC..they had a midwife visit them etc..my doctor always spent alot more time with me 15-20 minutes at least..it sounds like your OB isnt doing a very thorough job..I'm glad that I had the check that I did because without the monitoring that I had during my pregnancy I would not have known that I had Polyhydramnios..I was able to be prescreened to see if my son would have any troubles right after he was born that would need to be addressed..etc..and my doc was able to schedule me to be induced..so that my sons umbilical cord would not get pinched..my doc also always check even before I had my hydro problem to make sure that my cervix was holding well because if it wasnt I would need to go on bedrest etc..I did end up going into labor at 33 weeks but thankfully I went in soon enough that they could stop it :) Hang in there..see if you can find a new doc because this one is skipping out on doing what she should be doing..

Danielle - posted on 04/19/2011

Pregnancy can be going incredibly smoothly and then in a matter of moments anything can happen. I think mothers should be monitored by their doctors/health care providers to help prevent consequences of certain complications. Remember, nothing is predictable when having a baby! Not the pregnancy, not the labour, not the delivery. Your prenatal vitamins and reading will not prevent you from developing gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, or other conditions of pregnancy that can be harmful to mom or baby.



There is in fact a cure for pre-eclampsia...it's delivery. If the baby is not delivered, the mother's blood pressure will eventually go high enough to cause her to have a stroke and die. That's why they call high blood pressure "the silent killer." As mentioned above, there are certain precautions that can be taken in the event that you develop pre-eclampsia to buy your baby more time in the womb. If you were unaware of what was going on inside of your body you wouldn't be taking the necessary steps to help yourself. I had gestational diabetes AND pre-eclampsia and I never would have known if my doctor hadn't done routine tests to check me out. You don't always get the "obvious" symptoms people talk about. And there is a huge possibility you wouldn't know you had a complication until it was too late. It's somewhat insulting that you would imply we should have automatically known something was wrong. I had no swelling or anything...yet my blood pressure was 160/110 and my kidneys and liver were showing signs of failure. I was taken into delivery immediately. Also bare in mind these types of complications can progress VERY rapidly! My blood pressure was fine at one weekly visit and sky rocketing at the next weekly visit! It doesn't matter if you don't have pre-eclampsia NOW. The point people are trying to make to you is that you could end up having it, amongst other things.



Not to be rude, but you sound incredibly ignorant on this topic. It seems like all you want to do is argue with women about why you shouldn't receive prenatal care. Many women here have provided you with valid reasons of why you should continue to see a health professional. These women are informed and speaking from experience, as am I. Do the right thing. Best of luck whichever route you take.



If you do not like your doctor I would suggest you look into switching doctors or getting a midwife for a more personal experience. If you do end up with complications, a midwife would still end up directing you towards a doctor.

Vegemite - posted on 04/19/2011

Here in Australia I did what's called share care. You just go to you GP every 4weeks except for when you see an OB/GYN. The GP checks your weight, blood pressure, odema, has a feel of the baby, measures your tummy, listens to baby's heart beat and orders blood tests and dating and 20 week ultrasounds. Then you go to the hospital to see OB/GYN at the beginning of pregnancy, the end of 1st and 2nd trimester and then at 36,38, 39,40 and 40+ weeks. This is in the public health system and you can opt for this in the private as well if you want to save yourself from paying too much GAP.

From what I've heard about prenatal care in the US it seems to be way over done but prenatal care is necessary and very important.

Spending 3 min with you is not proper prenatal care. Seeing an OB/GYN does not mean proper care. I would suggest finding an alternative like a midwife or a different OB/GYN

Carol - posted on 04/19/2011

There are many kids born in poorer nations that have virtually NO prenatal care and yet, still many babies are born every day, no problem. I would not have gone to my prenatal appointments if they weren't included under my insurance. I knew that myself and my baby were fine. A sonogram is unnecessary, unless you are at higher risk like you are older (over 35). I say, save your money. Healthcare in this county is riddled with inconsistencies and problems. The U.S. has a higher infant mortality rate than 46 other countries including Cuba, Singapore and Chile.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html

Frances - posted on 04/19/2011

You are not getting the care you need. For insurance reasons, I had to do my own prenatal care with my third pregnancy until I was seven months along. I kept track of my weight and blood pressure and I took my prenatal vitamins. When I finally did go to the doctor, he was pleased with my records. I just could not do blood work. My husband even heard the heartbeat at home with a stethoscope. We actually heard it earlier with that pregnancy than with my first one. My husband was able to hear the heartbeat when I was 26 weeks along.

Veronique - posted on 04/19/2011

Prenatal car is very important, if you feel like your doctor is wasting your time and money find another one.

Casey - posted on 04/19/2011

Pre-natal care is important regardless of weather it is your 1st, 2nd or 50th child, I know it's frustrating when they rush you in and out like that but before you go in to see the doctor you need to make a list of questions you want to ask and take your time if you feel like the doctor is rushing you then say something your the one paying for the consultation so you need to make the most of your time with your doctor.
I'm having my baby in 2 weeks and this is my second baby during my first pregnancy I found out that I had high blood pressure and anemia which I would have never known if it wasn't for my doctor both of these conditions could have cause major complications if left untreated, during this pregnancy I have found out that I have anemia again and I am also borderline with gestaional diabetes so I have to monitor my bsl both of which would have gone undetected if I hadn't been seeing my doctor.
If I were you I would stick with the doctor and if you're already 7 months pregnant then your nearly there anyways and towards the end of the pregnancy is the most important time cause thats when everything starts to happen and it is very important to see you doctor regulary.

Jane - posted on 04/18/2011

If you have an ideal pregnancy, then you could get away without any prenatal care. But, and this is a big one, what if you DON'T have an ideal pregnancy? What if something goes wrong and you have no clue? The prenatal visits are to try to catch things going wrong at the earliest point so they can be made to go right again. Imagine how you would feel if you chose not to have prenatal care but then developed a condition that damaged or, God forbid, even killed your child in utero. Or that killed you?

However, if your OB is too busy to deal with your concerns then you need to find another one to whom you can talk to. This can sometimes be difficult because a lot of OBs have retired rather than live with the skyrocketing malpractice insurance costs, and other docs have chosen other, less litigious specialties. However, for your sake and that of your baby you need to find someone with whom you feel comfortable. This could be a midwife if you want, or a doula, in place of an MD. However, you do need to check with your insurance to see what it will and will not cover, and what the expenses are liable to be.

A normal pregnancy is not a medical "condition" that needs to be treated. However, when a pregnancy goes awry you do indeed need treatment. Prenatal visits are supposed to guard against things going wrong as well as set your mind at ease. Go find a doctor who will do that.

Shannon - posted on 04/18/2011

Just some random thoughts on this since i kinda skipped around when reading some of the comments.... My first child i was 20 weeks pregnant before i started with prenatal care, due to my young age and just not wanting to "face the music" of telling my mother, however i did follow thru with the prenatal care and my daughter was perfectly fine, i had prenatal care the entire time with the other 3 children and i am glad i did,daughter #2 had no complications, my son, however, ended up needing to be born by emergency c-section 5 weeks early, my youngest ( another girl, my poor husband) during one of those "mudane" visits was found to have an elevated heart rate and was going into some distress so we had to get me into the hospital and take some precautions, and move her surgery date up 3 days. Those are my personal experiences, Now my younger sister is quite a different story, she had my nephew when she was just a mere 27 weeks along and if she hadn't been going to her prenatal appts and getting those mundane things taken care of she would have died while her husband was at work. her protein levels in her urine went from normal to over 600 within a days time and she skipped all of the "normal" pre eclampsia signs and went straight to eclampsia, she was rushed to the hospital and then later to a university hospital where they put her on magnesium and monitored her constantly until they were able to give her the surfactant needed for my nephews lungs to be a bit more developed. So IMO, prenatal care is 100% necessary, not only for your health but that of your baby, rather be safe than sorry.