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How To Stay Healthy During Pregnancy?

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How To Stay Healthy During Pregnancy?

Free women’s clinic, affordable health clinic

If you are pregnant, taking care of your health is very important. Many women do not know how to stay
healthy during pregnancy and therefore, experts in our free women’s clinic share the details of keeping
your baby as healthy as possible.

Prenatal Care

Getting routine prenatal care is essential to safeguarding your child’s health. Call your doctor to set up
your first prenatal checkup if you suspect you’re pregnant. However, unless there is an issue, many
medical professionals won’t arrange the initial appointment before the patient is eight weeks pregnant.
Your doctor will likely do a pregnancy test during this initial visit, and based on a physical examination
and the timing of your last period, she or he will determine how many weeks along you are.
Additionally, he or she will use this information to forecast the day of your delivery; an ultrasound
performed later in the course of your pregnancy will help to confirm that date.
If you’re in good health and don’t have any aggravating risk factors most healthcare professionals will
wish to see you:
 every four weeks up to week 28
 then every two weeks up to week 36
 then once each week up until delivery.

Your doctor will monitor your weight, blood pressure, and fetal growth and development throughout
your pregnancy (by, for example, measuring your tummy, feeling your abdomen, and beginning in the
second trimester, listening for the fetal heartbeat). You will also undergo prenatal tests during the
course of your pregnancy, including blood, urine, and cervical tests as well as at least one ultrasound.

You have a few options when choosing a medical professional to guide and treat you throughout your
pregnancy:

 Obstetricians and gynecologists, commonly referred to as OB/GYNs, are medical professionals
who focus on pregnancy and delivery.
 Doctors who offer a variety of treatments to patients of various ages, sometimes including
obstetrical care.
 Prenatal treatment, labor and delivery, and postpartum care for uncomplicated pregnancies are
all provided by midwives, advanced practice nurses who specialize in women’s health care.
There are various different types of midwives as well, but you should seek one who has received
formal training and is certified in the area. You can also visit an affordable health clinic in your
area to ensure proper pregnancy care.

If you’re in good health and don’t foresee any issues with your pregnancy or birth, any of these are wise
choices. However, in case an issue emerges or a cesarean section (C-section) is necessary, nurse-
midwives must have a doctor on hand for the birth.

About the Author

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Dr. Ghassan M. Al-Jazayrly, MD

A graduate of University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Al-Jazayrly or, as he is colloquially known: Dr. AJ, is an oncologist and hematologist of a Complete Care Community Health Center (CCCHC) with more than 36 years of experience. In recent years, he’s been involved with a non profit organization known as Every Woman Counts (EWC) which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations in order to eliminate health disparities for low-income individuals.