When does prenatal care refer to

The current common clinical definition is that prenatal care officially begins when intrauterine pregnancy is clinically confirmed, that is, when fetal heart rate and fetal buds are detected by B-ultrasound at 6-8 weeks after menopause, and covers the entire stage before the onset of labor. However, in recent years, more and more obstetrics and gynecology experts have suggested that targeted conditioning during pregnancy preparation be included in the scope of prenatal care.

I used to work as a volunteer in a community pregnancy and childbirth clinic for half a year. I met many little sisters who had just tested positive and asked in a panic whether they had to wait until 12 weeks to set up their profile before starting prenatal care. In fact, this is not the case. In fact, prenatal care is like being a dedicated gardener for the little fetus in your belly. If you think you have to wait for the seeds to germinate before you start taking care of it, then it starts with confirming pregnancy. If you think loosening the soil and fertilizing in advance is also part of the care, then you can count it during the pregnancy preparation period. There is no absolute right or wrong. Last month, a girl with a history of two miscarriages came to consult. She started to have immunity and progesterone supplements in the reproductive department three months before she was planning to become pregnant. She also went for blood level monitoring and miscarriage guidance as soon as she became pregnant. Finally, she gave birth to a healthy little girl at 39 weeks. According to the standard of "it must be considered after pregnancy", her conditioning in the pregnancy preparation period does not seem to count, but from the perspective of ensuring a smooth pregnancy, those preparations are actually the preparatory part of prenatal care.

Of course, there are different voices in the industry. Some scholars believe that "prenatal" as the name suggests means after pregnancy, so prenatal care in a strict sense can only be counted after confirmation of pregnancy. Conditioning during the pregnancy preparation period belongs to the category of pregnancy preparation management and cannot be confused. Both views are actually reasonable, but they come from different angles.

In fact, for ordinary pregnant mothers, there is no need to worry about the boundaries of this definition. As long as they plan to become pregnant, they can start to adjust their work and rest in advance, take folic acid supplements, quit smoking, drinking and staying up late, and other bad habits. After confirming pregnancy, they should follow the doctor's instructions and have check-ups on time. They should count fetal movements at home, control sugar and sugar, and don't take supplements or exercise strenuously. These are all part of prenatal care. Don’t think that prenatal care just means going to the hospital for B-ultrasounds and routine blood tests. For example, in the third trimester of pregnancy, the doctor will teach you how to distinguish between true and false contractions, practice the Lamaze breathing method, and even teach you how to prepare a delivery bag and learn the correct posture for breastfeeding in advance. These are also part of prenatal care. Until you have regular contractions every 5 minutes and pack up your things and enter the delivery room, relevant nursing guidance is included in this category.