A woman who suspects that she is pregnant should immediately seek out the help of a doctor she trusts and with whom she feels comfortable. It is important for a pregnant woman choose a doctor that she fully trust and she feels comfortable with, since the advice a woman will receive on how to care for herself in preparation for childbirth is just as important as all the medical examinations she will undergo.

First Prenatal Visit: Upon her first prenatal visit, she will be given a thorough physical examination, and a careful medical history will be taken. Blood and urine samples will be taken for laboratory tests, including those to determine blood type and Rh factor, and a red blood cell count, and analysis to test for anemia. If the examination indicates that unusual problems may occur, special prenatal care can be provided.

Succeeding Visits: After the first visit, examinations are usually scheduled for every four weeks up to the 28^th week, every two weeks from the 28^th to the 36^th week, and every week after the 36^th week.

Prenatal Care:

• Normal Routine. Women who are experiencing normal pregnancy should feel free to carry on her normal pattern of work and other activities throughout most of her pregnancy. If her work is light, she may safely work up to full term, but if her work is fairly strenuous, it is usually wise to stop working at 28 weeks. It is important to know that a pregnant woman should rest whenever necessary to avoid excessive fatigue.
• Sexual Intercourse. Itis safe for most women to have intercourse until shortly before they give birth. But those pregnant women who has previously had a miscarriage or delivered a premature baby or is experiencing problems such as pain, bleeding, infection, or leaking of amniotic fluid are advised to limit or avoid intercourse.
• Clothing. Garter, girdles, and other tight clothing, especially over the abdomen, should be avoided.
• Diet. A good nutrition is important for the health of both mother and baby. A high protein diet with vitamins and minerals is important to minimize the risk of complications during pregnancy.

• Weight. Overweight women should not go on stringent weight-reduction diets during pregnancy and should avoid low-salt diets. The average weight gain during a normal pregnancy is 24 to 28 pounds (11-13 kg), but many women gain more weight without apparent ill effects.
• Smoking and Drinking. Pregnant women who smoke tend to bear infants with a lower birth weight than do women who have never smoked or who quit smoking either prior to becoming pregnant or during the first three to four months of pregnancy. In a study it was found that women who stop smoking before they become pregnant deliver babies weighing just as much as those born to women who have never smoked. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can also be harmful, possibly causing fetal alcohol syndrome in the baby. This condition is characterized by various physical and mental handicaps, including heart defects and retarded growth. Although very light alcohol consumption may cause no harm, some physicians still advised pregnant women to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy because the amount of alcohol required to damage the fetus remains uncertain.

• Vaccination. Pregnant women should not be vaccinated for rubella (German measles) for the duration of her pregnancy because the vaccine carries a live virus that could harm the fetus. Diphtheria and tetanus vaccines are considered safe, but hepatitis B, polio, and influenza vaccines are not given unless the patient comes in contact with these infections.
• Drugs and Medications. Pregnant women should avoid taking drugs including over the counter medicines unless she has the approval of her doctor. Almost any drug she takes will enter the circulation of her baby. Even though the drug is harmless to the mother, it may injure the baby, especially in the early stages of its development.
• Vaginal Hygiene. Douches are best avoided during pregnancy, especially forceful douches delivered with a bulb syringe.
• Care of the Nipples. Those womenwho are planning to breastfeed their babies should wash their nipples only with water in late pregnancy, because soap removes secretions that help prepare the nipple for the baby's sucking. Mild emollient creams may be used.
• Travel. In the last six weeks of pregnancy a woman can become tired by travel. When traveling by car, she should stop every two to three hours and walk about a bit, to reduce obstruction of leg veins.Many airlines do not accept passengers in the final month of pregnancy in order to guard against the possibility of an expectant woman going into labor during flight.