Prenatal checkups are designed to help the woman care for her and her baby's health during pregnancy. Usually, the woman enjoys her first checkups in the first trimester of pregnancy. She will need to go to the doctor once a month for the next six months if the pregnancy is going along smoothly. She may need to go as often as possible or when the doctor demands it if there is risk to the pregnancy. The last trimester, the woman may have to go every two or three weeks, more often as the due date gets nearer.

There are several tests which need to be taken on the first visit. Blood types, Rh factors, anaemia, vaccines taken for protection against certain diseases, urinalysis for sugar and protein levels. Sometimes a Pap smear test will need to be performed if the woman has had multiple partners in her history and to check for possible signs of cancer. These will all need to be done, but not in one visit. The tests will determine if the pregnancy is low risk or high risk and will help the doctor determine what is the best course of action to take in any case.

It is very important to have prenatal checkups because the careful monitoring will determine the health or illness of both the mother and the child. With careful monitoring, any adverse events can be prevented or treated accordingly.

Also important is the position of the child, the heartbeat and the general overall picture of the health of the child. There are some conditions like low birth weight which can be immediately corrected with diet changes and dosage changes on the prenatal vitamins. The doctor will check the size and the positioning of the uterus and the fetus. IF there are any foetal conditions that can be treated in-utero it can be done immediately.

In short, the prenatal checkups is a very important factor to consider if you want the pregnancy to be healthy and without complications. Neglect on the prenatal care can mean the life and death of both the mother and the child.