Prenatal Care Information and Resources

Prenatal care is the health care that a woman receives before her baby is born. Ideally, it should begin before conception with an evaluation, physical exam and prescription for prenatal vitamins. Prenatal care is an ongoing educational process, which focuses on pregnancy, birth, infant care and parenting skills. Very early in prenatal care you should decide where your baby will be born and whom you want as your health care provider. McKinley does not provide prenatal care.

PRENATAL CARE AT McKINLEY HEALTH CENTER
If you are a University of Illinois student, or the spouse of a University of Illinois student who has paid the Health Center fee, you may get a home pregnancy test kit from McKinley's Health Resource Centers. When you have a positive pregnancy test, you may schedule a preliminary appointment with the Women's Health Nurse. At your appointment, you will receive a packet of information with handouts that will answer many of your questions. Medically appropriate multivitamins will be prescribed for you. You need to make an appointment with a local obstetrical provider as soon as you know you are pregnant. Be sure to make this contact as soon as possible; ideally in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Since the cost of uncomplicated prenatal care is combined into a package; which includes all routine prenatal visits and delivery, seeking early care does not cost more. McKinley Health Center does NOT provide prenatal/obstetrical care. If you are pregnant and need immediate attention you should call your local provider. If you do not have a local provider, go to the emergency department at either Carle Foundation Hospital or Provena Covenant Medical Center.

Appointments for prenatal nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian are available in the Health Education Unit at McKinley Health Center. The staff at SportWell Center is available for consultation about appropriate exercise during your pregnancy and for help to get back into shape after the baby is born.

TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PRENATAL CARE
Good, basic guidelines:

• Stop all alcohol and recreational drug use.

• Stop smoking and avoid consistent or prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke.

• Limit your caffeine intake to the equivalent of one cup of coffee a day.

• Eat a healthy, well balanced diet; maintain a good fluid intake (8 glasses of water daily).

• Participate in moderate exercise regularly.

• Sleep 7-8 hours a night.

• Take your prenatal vitamins daily.

• Acetaminophen use for occasional minor aches or pains is acceptable.

• Otherwise, avoid taking any over-the-counter or prescribed medication unless your health care provider knows you are taking them.

• Avoid contact with noxious chemicals such as household cleaners, paint, varnish and hair dye.

• Avoid changing kitty litter and wear gloves when gardening to decrease exposure to infections that may be present in cat litter and soil.

• All meat, poultry, fish and seafood should be well cooked. Fish may contain high levels of mercury that could cause brain damage in a developing fetus. Limit your intake of fish purchased in stores and restaurants to an average of 12 ounces per week (6 ounces/week if the fish are caught by friends or family). Women who are planning pregnancy or are pregnant and/or nursing should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish.

Report these signs to your obstetrical health care provider:

• Pain or urgency with urination or the sensation of incomplete bladder emptying.

• Blood in the urine.

• Vaginal discharge that changes in color; has an unusual odor or causes external vaginal irritation.

• Fever above 100 degrees.

• Pain anywhere in the body that causes interference with daily activities or sleep, and does not respond to brief rest and/or Acetaminophen.

• Any episode of vaginal bleeding - sudden onset of heavy bleeding (saturating a pad every 1-2 hours) or pain may require evaluation in an emergency department.

YOUR FIRST PRENATAL CARE VISIT
The first prenatal visit will be longer and more involved than other visits. It will include a detailed personal and family medical and genetic history for both you and your partner, a review of your diet and lifestyle, and a complete physical exam. A panel of laboratory tests will be ordered. Screening tests for cystic fibrosis and other genetic conditions may be discussed and/or recommended. A treatment plan will be developed outlining your future visits. Usually prenatal appointments are scheduled once a month for the first seven months, then twice a month in the eighth month of pregnancy, and every week after that until your baby is born. Additional visits or tests are sometimes necessary if special concerns or risks are identified.

McKinley Health Center Laboratory can perform the laboratory tests for you even when ordered by an outside health care provider. If you wish to have the laboratory tests done at McKinley, bring an order from your outside provider to McKinley Health Center Medical Records. There you will sign a release to have the test results sent to your outside provider. You will then go to the Laboratory to have your blood drawn. Your health care provider will be responsible for notifying you of the test results.

LATER VISITS
After your first prenatal visit, successive visits are usually shorter. At each visit your health care provider will check your weight and blood pressure, test your urine for protein and sugar, measure the growth and position of the baby, and monitor the baby's heartbeat. Take this opportunity to ask questions about labor and delivery, childcare and parenting. You will receive information about problems to be alert for and you will have periodic additional testing. It is easy to forget questions that you think of between prenatal visits. Keep a notebook handy to write down your questions as they come up; take the list with you when you see your health care provider.

PRENATAL/PARENTING CLASSES
You and your partner are encouraged to attend classes to prepare for having a baby. Childbirth preparation classes will help you get ready for labor and delivery. Parenting classes can teach you basic skills to care for a baby's needs. Breast-feeding classes, sibling classes, and grand parenting classes may be offered by the hospital. Your health care provider will let you know what classes are offered and provide information about fees.

THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGES OF PREGNANCY
The idea of actually being pregnant and becoming a parent takes some adjustment. Some anxieties and conflicted feelings about your new condition are natural. Share your concerns, feelings and your expectations for the future with your partner or support person. Physically, the first 12 weeks (first trimester) of pregnancy bring about subtle changes in the breasts and skin. Nausea is common during this time and you suddenly find that afternoon naps become very appealing. Throughout pregnancy emotional changes may occur unexpectedly.

During the second trimester you become visibly pregnant and start to feel the baby move, making the pregnancy much more of a reality. This is time for anticipatory planning and problem solving related to the realities of parenting - sharing household tasks, childcare, etc. A problem in any area, whether related to sex, money, issues of responsibility, or respecting personal boundaries, can impact other aspects of life. All problems are best solved sooner rather than later, and communication skills are the key to solving many of them. Sometimes it helps to seek out counseling. In the first months after your baby is born, it will be much harder to find the time and energy to go for counseling. Counseling is available at the Counseling Center (333-3701) or McKinley Health Center (333-2705).

During the third trimester you are pleased to know that the baby will soon be here, but these final three months are physically less comfortable for you. Emotions can be very intense for you and for your partner. It is a time of growing excitement and looming anxiety - the added stress will take a toll on both of you. Now is the time to center yourselves around each other. A frenzy of preparation can cause fatigue and create a wedge between you and your partner that can expand after the baby arrives. As with the first two trimesters, the key is communication and sensitivity to each other's emotions. You can sometimes decrease anxiety by talking with your partner/support person, your health care provider, or a close friend.

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