Prenatal care refers to the health care you receive before you deliver. Prenatal care visits to a doctor normally begin sometime during the first 10 to 12 weeks of a woman's pregnancy. Prenatal care is effective when it is a combination of regular visits to your doctor and appropriate self-care during your pregnancy.

Facts about prenatal care:

• Women who receive good prenatal care will have healthier babies.
• Women who receive good prenatal care are less likely to have pregnancy complications.
• Even if you do have a complication, good prenatal care increases the doctor's ability to detect the condition early.
• Finding and treating problems early is the best way to increase your chances of having a healthy baby.

Additional evaluations include:

• Routine prenatal checkups
• Prenatal risk evaluation
• Downs syndrome screening
• Monitoring for decreased fetal movement