Prenatal Care

As soon as you think you may be pregnant, go see a prenatal care provider. This could be a doctor or a nurse-midwife. As soon as you think or KNOW you are pregnant, you should GO get prenatal care. You should go as early as possible, before you are showing and continue regular visits throughout your entire pregnancy.

Information for patients who are pregnant, thinking about being pregnant:

1. Caring for yourself before you get pregnant
   
2. Understanding how your baby grows
   
3. Not sure what to do with your positive pregnancy test
   
4. Waiting until 39 weeks of pregnancy, don’t deliver early
   
5. Birth is normal and natural

Information for providers caring for pregnant women:

1. Patient Safety and Quality Improvement: Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) works to improve the health of pregnant women, mothers, and infants through perinatal quality improvement initiatives implemented by participating birthing hospitals across the across Illinois. ILPQC provides quality improvement infrastructure, resources, and data management support to over 100 hospitals across the state – helping to make Illinois an even better place to be born. Get involved and make sure your hospital is part of this Collaborative.
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2. EverThrive Illinois, formerly the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, works to improve the health of women, children, and families over the lifespan through community engagement, partnerships, policy analysis, education, and advocacy.
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3. Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Preventing teen and unplanned pregnancy, we can significantly improve other serious social problems including poverty (especially child poverty), child abuse and neglect, father-absence, low birth weight, school failure, and poor preparation for the workforce. Get more information on how you can help.