(BlackDoctor.org) -- Prenatal care is important for all women because it can help identify conditions in the woman and/or fetus that may jeopardize the pregnancy. It is also a great way for an uninformed mother to attain some much needed information. During pregnancy, a woman may experience many unexpected symptoms. Knowing what’s normal and what isn’t can be a great help.

Prenatal Care and African American Women

Prenatal care is especially important for the African American woman. Did you know that Black women have the highest incidence of pre-term labor, low birth weight babies and other pregnancy-related complications? Did you know that certain diseases and illnesses that are frequent in our community (diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell) can cause significant problems in pregnancy? For these reasons, early and frequent prenatal visits are essential to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and ultimately, a healthy baby.

How Long is a Normal Pregnancy?

On average, the normal pregnancy is 280 days. These days are divided into equal trimesters. The first trimester extends through the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, the second through weeks 15-28 and the third from 28- 42 weeks.

How Far Along Am I?

One of the goals of the first prenatal visit is to calculate how many weeks pregnant you are (gestational age) and to establish an approximate due date. Although the general public uses months to describe how far along the pregnancy is, your health care provider will talk in terms of weeks (weeks from the last menstrual period). Because the gestational age is based off your last period, it is important to know the first day of your last period. If it is unclear when your last period was or if you conceived while on birth control, your doctor may do an ultrasound early in pregnancy (first trimester) to accurately determine the gestational age of the pregnancy.

What Can I Expect on the First Prenatal Visit?

There are several goals of the first prenatal visit:
1. To evaluate the health status of the mother and fetus
2. Determine the gestational age of the pregnancy
3. Plan for continued care

Your provider will ask you many questions about your health, the health of the father of the baby and the health of family members. This is used to help identify potential problems that may develop during the pregnancy.

You will also get a complete physical exam including a Pap smear. Also, if not already done, your provider will order laboratory studies.

What Conditions Should I Report To My Doctor?

There are certain conditions or symptoms that should be reported to your doctor immediately. These symptoms may be a warning sign of serious illnesses that may occur during pregnancy. The following is a list of some of these symptoms:

• Vaginal bleeding or spotting
• Abdominal pain
• Painful urination
• Severe or continuous headache
• Fever or chills
• Blurry vision or dimness
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Decreased fetal movement
• Foul or irritating vaginal discharge
• Persistent nausea or vomiting

What Happens At Each Follow Up Visit?

After the first prenatal visit, each subsequent visit will be scheduled based on your gestational age. Here are some general rules: until you reach 28 weeks you will have appointment every 4 weeks. From 28-36 weeks an appointment will be scheduled every 2 weeks, and from 36 weeks until delivery, weekly. Obviously if you have serious medical conditions, or if a condition develops during pregnancy, your provider may want to see you more frequently.

At each visit, the doctor will listen for the heartbeat of the fetus, evaluate the growth of the fetus by measuring your abdomen, check your blood pressure, and follow the changes in your weight. Also, any concerns or physical symptoms that you are experiencing will be addressed.

By De'Laney Rowland, BDO Staff Writer