Prenatal Care

Aid to Women Center offers comprehensive prenatal care. Getting prenatal care is an essential part of pregnancy.

At your prenatal visits, our medical provider will make sure you and your developing baby are healthy and strong. During these regular visits, you will also learn how to handle the discomforts of pregnancy, have standard prenatal lab work performed, understand warning signs of early labor, and have any of your questions answered.

Our prenatal package provides complete care during pregnancy at a low cost. The package includes:

  • Prenatal education
  • All standard obstetric labs
    • including a Pap smear, a urine culture, a swab checking for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and blood works that includes CBC, antibody screen, RBC, blood type, Syphilis, Hep B immunity, Rubella immunity, and HIV testing.
    • Genetic testing is available upon request at additional costs.
  • Glucose screening
  • Beta Strep culture
  • Every visit you will see a physician or an appropriate medical provider at Aid to Women Center

Additional costs may be incurred, depending on necessary testing, treatment, or medications, and will be discussed prior to any such service.

 

Our prenatal package does not include labor and delivery charges. These fees vary depending on the hospital and delivering provider. We can provide referrals for doctors who deliver.

What to Expect at Your Prenatal Appointments

At your consultation appointment you will be asked questions about the current status of your health and your health history. All information is confidential so we ask that you be completely honest about your health history, especially about previous pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions or any surgery on your cervix or uterus. This will help our medical staff give you and your baby the best care. Please feel free to bring a notebook with your questions to ask our medical staff at your appointments.

Other health information will be collected, such as:

  • Height
  • Weight
  • Blood Pressure
  • Eating, exercise and sleeping habits
  • Discussing prenatal vitamins
  • After 10 weeks, your health care professional will listen to your baby’s heartbeat at each visit.

At your second appointment, you can expect:

  • A full head-to-toe assessment, breast exam, pelvic exam and laboratory studies, such as a PAP Smear, blood tests and a urine culture.
  • Additional laboratory tests will be done throughout the pregnancy

At your follow up prenatal checks, you can expect:

  • Weight
  • Blood Pressure
  • Urine Collection
  • Hearing your baby’s heartbeat
  • Assessing baby’s growth
  • Continue education on your pregnancy and upcoming delivery
  • Reviewing laboratory test or ultrasound results
  • Addressing any concerns
  • Answering any questions
  • Scheduling any laboratory tests and/or prenatal check-ups

Typical Prenatal Appointments are scheduled:

  • Every 4 weeks until 32 weeks pregnant
  • Every two weeks until 36 weeks
  • Weekly after 36 weeks until delivery

Our Prenatal Package is $385. Payments may be made in installments over the course of your pregnancy.

A standard diagnostic ultrasound is not included in our Prenatal Package. It is recommended at approximately 20 weeks. Aid to Women Center will give you an order at the appropriate time and a referral for a low-cost ultrasound facility.

Post-Partum Exam

It is important that after having your baby, you come in for a post-partum exam to ensure your uterus has returned to normal size and you are healing correctly.

If you delivered by C-Section you need to schedule an appointment 2 weeks after delivery so our provider can check your incision. You should also come in 6-8 weeks after delivery for a follow-up exam regardless if you had a C-Section or a vaginal delivery.

What should I expect during my postpartum exam?

During your physical exam, our medical providers will check your weight, blood pressure and other signs that your body is returning to its pre-pregnancy state. They will also:

  • Check your abdomen for tenderness and incision (if you had a C-section) for healing.
  • Inspect your breasts for any lumps, signs of infection, or complications from breastfeeding.
  • Assess your external genitalia, especially if you had an episiotomy or any tearing to ensure it has healed properly.
  • Examine your vagina and cervix internally for proper healing, and assess vaginal and rectal muscle tone. Another pap smear may be performed at this time if necessary.
  • Feel your ovaries and uterus to ensure it has shrunk properly.