Persuassive Essay-Encouraging Prenantal Care

Encouraging Prenatal Care

Danielle Adrian

Kaplan University

Encouraging Prenatal Care

It can be an exciting or scary time when a woman finds out she is pregnant. Would one ever think their life would dramatically change after giving birth to a newborn baby? Or worse, to a baby born with preventable conditions if prenatal care was established? Establishing prenatal care early in pregnancy can lower or eliminate risk factors to the unborn baby. Some women feel that they are healthy enough to not seek enough or any prenatal care. Prenatal care should be promoted to prevent, screen, and reduce any potential problems to prevent prematurity and carry babies to term as often as possible.

According to the Office on Women’s Health (2012), babies of mothers who do not receive prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight are five times more likely to die than those babies born to mothers that do receive care. Even before becoming pregnant, although many pregnancies are surprises or unplanned, caring for themselves before conceiving is important. Preparing before becoming pregnant can include starting a prenatal vitamin, get enough folic acid, eating healthy, stop drinking and smoking, make sure any current medical conditions are under control, and avoiding toxic substances or materials if exposed to any. Once a woman becomes pregnant more care should be taken into consideration and are generally discussed and covered in detail at the first prenatal care appointment.

During pregnancy if the woman is considered and not high risk, they will generally be seen for their first prenatal care visit at ten weeks. From there it will be one visit every four weeks through twenty-eight weeks, twice a month for weeks twenty-eight through thirty-six, and weekly for weeks thirty-six up until birth, then seen again at six weeks postpartum. At prenatal care visits it can be expected to go over health history, family health...