What you need to know:

Prenatal care is the care you get while you are pregnant. This care can be provided by a doctor, midwife or other health care professional.

The goal of prenatal care is to monitor the progress of a pregnancy and to identify potential problems before they become serious for either mom or baby.

All mothers-to-be benefit from prenatal care. Women who see a health care provider regularly during pregnancy have healthier babies, are less likely to deliver prematurely, and are less likely to have other serious problems related to pregnancy.

Day 1: Conception occurs. The baby's features, including gender and hair and eye color have been determined. The baby has 23 chromosomes each from the mother and father, but is a separate, unique human being no bigger than a grain of sugar.

3-6 Weeks: The heart is beating. Blood flows in the baby's veins. The baby has his/her own blood type, separate from the mother's. The mouth, eyes, ears, and nose take shape. The brain coordinates the movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun.

7 Weeks: The baby begins to move spontaneously. Brain waves can be recorded. Teeth buds are forming. The eyes have a retina and lens. Fingers and toes are developed. Lips are sensitive to touch. Ears may resemble family patterns.

8 Weeks: The baby is well proportioned. Every organ is present. The heart beats sturdily. The stomach produces digestive juices. The liver makes blood cells. The kidneys begin to function. Taste buds are forming. Fingerprints are being engraved. Eyelids and palms of hands are sensitive to touch.

10-12 Weeks: The heart is completely developed. Twenty tiny baby teeth are forming in the gums. The baby squints, swallows, puckers up brow, frowns, smiles, kicks, turns feet, curls and fans toes, makes a fist, sucks his/her thumb. Breathing is practiced. The brain is fully formed, and [some research indicates that] the baby can feel pain (as early as 9 weeks). Vocal cords are complete, and the baby can silently cry.

14-16 Weeks: The baby blinks, grasps, moves his/her mouth, swims and turns somersaults. The baby's gender can be determined by ultrasound. Hair grows on the head and body. The mother can soon feel movements. At 5 months sleeping habits appear. If a sound is loud or startling, the baby may jump in reaction to it.

A typical prenatal care schedule for a low-risk woman with a normally progressing pregnancy is:

Weeks 4 to 28: 1 visit per month (every 4 weeks)
Weeks 28 to 36: 2 visits per month (every 2 to 3 weeks)
Weeks 36 to birth: 1 visit per week
A woman with a chronic medical condition or a “high-risk” pregnancy may have to see her health care provider more often. Make sure you go to all your prenatal care appointments, even if you’re feeling fine.

At A Safe Harbor, we provide a free pregnancy test and can supply referrals to various groups for assistance, as well as referrals to physicians. You will also be provided with a peer-counselor who will supply information on the major decisions you are facing during this time.

During your pregnancy, make sure you attend all of your prenatal care appointments, even if you’re feeling fine.

Sometimes getting to an appointment may be difficult or it may seem like a waste of time. For the sake of your baby, though, make getting prenatal care a priority.