Understanding the Newborn Prenatal Visit: What Parents Need To Know

It takes nine months for a child to form, which is a pivotal time in both the development of the child and the mother's health. Therefore, expectant parents should ensure the child and mother are healthy throughout the process. That's why it's essential to incorporate prenatal visits along with newborn care in San Ramon & Pleasanton, CA. The medical staff at TRI-Valley Pediatrics are there for you throughout the entire process, from pregnancy through birth and your child's development into adulthood.

What Is a Prenatal Visit?

A prenatal visit is a medical visit an expectant mother makes to check the health of the unborn child. Prenatal care is vital to ensure the baby is developing as it should. However, it's just as important for checking the mother's while pregnant. Women can also get sick and develop gestational diabetes, water retention, back pain, and more. These visits also help build a relationship with pediatric professionals before the child is born. Parents should have a pediatrician they can trust. Therefore, having one available before the child is born helps ease the transition after birth.

What Does It Matter?

These visits matter, as they put both doctors and expectant parents at ease. It can be nerve-racking to wait until birth to see whether the child is healthy. Prenatal newborn care in San Ramon & Pleasanton, CA, can also determine if the mother has an unsafe pregnancy. Sometimes, mothers may need to be put on bedrest to carry the child to term and to avoid lingering health issues. A decision to do a cesarean, natural birth, home delivery, or hospital delivery can be determined based on the parent's beliefs, the health of the mother, and advice from an OBGYN. Overall, these visits help everyone prepare for the arrival of a healthy baby.

What Happens at These Visits?

The medical staff at TRI-Valley Pediatrics use these visits to monitor the mother's and the baby's vital signs. Pediatricians will monitor the baby's position inside the mother's womb to see if the baby's heartbeat is functioning and if the baby is moving. They assess if the child is growing at the rate it should. They'll also check the mother's blood pressure and urine and answer any questions she may have. This is the time to ask your pediatrician any questions and be honest about any lingering issues you have during pregnancy.

The medical staff at TRI-Valley Pediatrics welcome expectant parents for prenatal visits as they ease into newborn care in San Ramon & Pleasanton, CA. Schedule your first visit by calling the Pleasanton office at (925) 460-8444 or the San Ramon office at (925) 380-6230.