Prenatal care during pregnancy is essential for your and your baby’s health. Skipping it can lead to poor health outcomes and significant risks.
We’ll outline some of the risks below. The bottom line is that prenatal care is for every woman, regardless of finances or any other factors. If you’re concerned about costs, contact us. The Open Door can help you receive these vital services so you can have the best possible pregnancy outcome for you and your baby.
Skipping Prenatal Care Means Not Knowing Facts
If you skip prenatal care, you will not know facts about your health, such as whether or not you have high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or symptoms that are actually signs of something more serious. You could also have a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, which is only determined with an ultrasound scan.
If you have an undiagnosed STD, you’re at risk for developing serious complications and jeopardizing your baby. That’s why STD testing is included in all prenatal care. A medical team can make a pregnancy-safe treatment or management plan if you have one.
Additionally, if you’ve never had your blood tested to know your blood type, you could be Rh negative (A-, B-, AB-, or O- blood types) and miss receiving a RhoGAM shot, which is essential for protecting yourself from developing Rh sensitization and future pregnancy complications.
What the Data Says
Data says that women who do not seek prenatal care have a greater chance of preterm birth and are three times more likely to have a low birth weight infant (infants under 5 lbs 8 ounces).
Babies born at a low birth weight experience a number of issues, such as an inability to stay warm, jaundice, a brain bleed, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and others. There are also long-term risks, like developmental delays.
Additionally, without prenatal care, there’s a higher risk of infant death.
It’s Risky to Avoid Prenatal Care
Your and your baby’s health depend on prenatal care. During regular prenatal care, your medical team will measure your blood pressure, listen to your baby’s heartbeat, and administer critical tests at different points, such as initial blood testing, STD testing, and the glucose challenge test.
Your provider will also conduct ultrasounds at key times, such as your initial ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and a 20-week anatomy scan. You may be prescribed more ultrasounds if there’s a potential issue or a need to monitor the baby’s growth and development more closely.
You will also have a chance to discuss your current medications, lifestyle choices, and any necessary treatment plans for conditions discovered during testing.
With this level of oversight and protection for you and the baby, it’s dangerous to skip prenatal care. While maybe everything turns out to be okay, you could be missing essential actions you can take to ensure the healthiest outcome for you and your baby.
Ask The Open Door About How We Can Help
The Open Door offers support for pregnant and parenting women and families in Breckenridge and Cisco, Texas. We also offer help in attaining prenatal care and essential resources.
Contact us today so we can determine the best way to serve you during this time. All of our services are free and confidential.
