Prenatal Care-pregnancy

In the first trimester your first task is to decidecan choose between an obstetrician and a family
who you want to look after you during yourpractitioner who specializes in pregnancy care.
pregnancy and to deliver your baby. This is a bigMidwife care Midwives view pregnancy and birth
decision and is linked with the type of birth youas an uncomplicated fact of everyday life. Usually
want to have. There are several options forthey only look after low risk patients, but most
choosing a care provider, whether you want amidwives will not consider you to be high risk just
physician or a midwife.because you are over the age of 35. If you are
Choosing A Care Providerhaving more than one baby, have a significant
One of the most popular strategies for choosing amedical problem, or have had a prior cesarean
care provider is to ask friends who have haddelivery you may not be a good candidate for
babies in the last couple of years. Anothermidwife care. Many midwives work with physician
approach is to decide where you want to deliver:groups. Regardless of where you deliver, it is
a hospital, a free standing birthing center, or atimportant that your midwife has easily available
home. Hospitals and birthing centers will usuallyphysician backup in case you do need it cesarean
have a list of care providers that deliver withdelivery, especially because cesarean deliveries are
them. Other options include asking a physician youmore common in women over 35.
know for a referral or finding a care providerBirthing center or home birth
through professional organizations with internetIf you are having a normal, healthy pregnancy,
sites.the risk to you and your baby of delivering in an
In the US, most prenatal care is provided byalternative setting is low. For women who have
physicians, midwives deliver about 10 percent ofstrong preferences about the use of oxytocin or
babies. In low risk women, choosing between acontinuous fetal monitoring delivery at a birthing
physician and a midwife is a personal decisioncenter may increase their chances of avoiding
rather than a medical one.these interventions, In addition, because epidural
Physician care Physicians may view birth asanalgesia is not usually available you are likely to
uncomplicated for most women, but are morereceive more intensive labor support for your
likely than midwives to be sensitized to thepain. While some believe that delivering in a frec
development of potential medical problems, thisstanding birthing center will reduce your likelihood
focus on the medical aspects of pregnancy hasof a cesarean delivery or episiotomy, your care
pros and cons for women over the age of 35. Ifgiver's practice style is probably a more important
you prefer to be cared for by a physician, youdeterminant than where you deliver.