When You Should Seek Prenatal Care
Prenatal care should begin before you miss your second menstrual period. You will see a doctor 10 to 14 times during your pregnancy and have at least one checkup six weeks after the baby is born.

Most healthcare providers charge a set fee that includes all of your prenatal visits, the birth and aftercare. That means that delaying care will not save money—you will be charged the same fee regardless of when in your pregnancy you start receiving care. One or two prenatal care visits may cost the same amount as 14 and, in the long run, you may wind up paying even more if you have health complications that result from not receiving adequate prenatal care.

Your healthcare provider’s fee can be covered by your medical insurance plan. If you do not have health insurance, don’t give up—the “How to get prenatal care” section will tell you how to get the early prenatal care you and your baby need, including prenatal testing.

Factors That Increase the Incidence of Low Birth Weight Babies: Here are some of the factors that can increase the incidence of low birth weight babies.

• Medical
• Previous pregnancy loss (miscarriage or stillbirth)
• Family history of genetic disease or chromosomal or congenital abnormalities
• Previous low birth weight baby
• Mother’s medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, infection, untreated sexually transmitted diseases or heart or kidney problems
• Social / economic and geographic
• Poverty/inadequate finances
• Severe social problems
• Teen pregnancy
• Minority status
• Housing difficulties—residence in rural or isolated location
• Maternal habits and attitudes
• Poor nutrition
• Lack of prenatal care
• Substance abuse

Risks You Can Avoid for Your Baby’s Health
Here are ways you can help your baby get off to a healthy start.

• Avoid taking medications. It is wise to avoid taking any medications at all during your pregnancy, especially during the first 12 weeks. This includes prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and laxatives. If you have the flu, a cold or a more complicated illness, your doctor will tell you which medications are safe to take.
• Avoid X-rays. Avoid having routine dental X-rays or any other type of X-ray taken, if at all possible. Make sure your doctor or dentist knows you are pregnant, and if an X-ray must be made, insist that your uterus is shielded.
• Stop smoking. When a pregnant woman smokes, she reduces the oxygen flow to her baby. The chemicals present in cigarette smoke reduce the blood flow through the placenta, which deprives your baby of nutrients. For that reason, smoking is directly linked to low birth weight. Smoking also has been linked to stillbirths and a higher incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Quitting smoking has immediate health benefits for you and your baby—the sooner you quit, the better off you both will be.
• Avoid drug use. Taking drugs while you are pregnant is the same as giving drugs directly to an infant. Using drugs such as marijuana, PCP, cocaine or heroin during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, birth defects and mental retardation. If you use cocaine, PCP or heroin, your baby will be born addicted to these drugs and will have to go through withdrawal during the first weeks of life. There is no better time than now to seek help if you have a drug problem.
• Avoid drinking alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism warns that more than two drinks a day may harm unborn children. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk that your baby will born with serious physical problems. If you drink heavily, your baby could be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS babies can be mentally retarded and have abnormal facial features. Even if you are only an occasional drinker, you have a slightly higher risk of miscarriage than a non-drinker. It is best to give up alcohol altogether when you are pregnant.

How to Get Prenatal Care
Getting prenatal care can be a problem for some women in the East Tennessee region for any number of reasons, including the following.

• Poverty
• Lack of healthcare insurance
• Inadequate education or information about the importance of prenatal care

Recently, federal regulations have made it easier and faster for women who cannot afford prenatal care to get the medical coverage they need. Under this system, women who meet certain financial guidelines are automatically considered eligible for 45 days of care, starting from the first clinic visit. If your eligibility is confirmed after the first 45 days, care will continue throughout your pregnancy.

The WIC program
WIC is a supplemental food program for pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants and children to help them get enough nutritious food during the most critical growing periods of their lives. Through this program, you can get vouchers for foods that are high in protein and iron—the vouchers can be used at most grocery stores. Foods covered under the WIC program include juice, milk, eggs, cheese, cereals and iron-fortified infant formula. You also will receive nutritional counseling to help you have the nutrition you need. To find out if you qualify for the WIC program, call your county’s health department.