What are maternity services?

Maternity services embody several different types of exams, treatments, and delivery preparation that you’re going to need throughout your pregnancy, or while you’re planning to become pregnant.

Initially, maternity services can include preconception counseling or infertility care. Once you become pregnant, your maternity service plan can include:

• Midwifery care
• High-risk pregnancy care
• Prenatal visits
• Ultrasounds and blood testing
• Non-stress testing

After you deliver, your body continues to heal for at least six weeks. It’s crucial to schedule postpartum care exams to ensure you’re improving and recovering healthfully.

How often do I need a prenatal exam?

Prenatal visits are preventive exams to ensure your baby is developing healthfully. These personalized exams also give your practitioner a chance to evaluate your overall health and check for signs of acute conditions that can grow during pregnancy, like preeclampsia. Even if your pregnancy is progressing normally, you still need regular prenatal exams.

Throughout weeks 4-28, plan on scheduling a prenatal exam monthly. After that and up through week 36, you need prenatal visits every two weeks. During your last few weeks and through week 40, your medical team wants to see you every week as you prepare for delivery.

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, or if your practitioner wants to monitor you more regularly, you might need additional prenatal exams. Plus, you can always schedule visits between routine prenatal exams if you get sick or have a concern.

Should I choose a midwife or an OB/GYN?

With a team of leading OB/GYNs and midwives, you have options when it comes to your prenatal care and delivery at Susquehanna OB/GYN and Nurse Midwifery.

A midwife is a registered nurse who has an advanced graduate education. They are indeed the experts in the natural process of pregnancy, labor, and birth. You might want to choose a midwife if you:

• Want to experience natural childbirth
• Desire minimal medical intervention
• Wish to have a traditional and healthy pregnancy

Midwives can prescribe medications, provide epidurals, and offer intravenous (IV) pain medication as needed. As long as you’re in good health and are having a healthy pregnancy, you can choose either a midwife or an OB/GYN.

But if you have a high-risk pregnancy or if your midwife is concerned about your baby’s development, they collaborate closely with the clinic’s OB/GYN.

If you’re pregnant, book an evaluation at Susquehanna OB/GYN and Nurse Midwifery to learn more about maternity services. Book either online or over the phone at our Bel Air or Havre de Grace office.