What are the types of prenatal care?

At present, prenatal care commonly used in obstetrics clinics in China is mainly divided into three categories: basic physiological monitoring, special care for high-risk pregnancy, and humanistic and psychological support. It covers the needs of the entire gestation period from confirmation of pregnancy to delivery. Pregnant women can choose appropriate programs based on their physical conditions and needs.

What we usually come into contact with most often is basic physiological monitoring care, such as the folic acid supplement precautions taught by nurses when setting up a pregnancy card at 12 weeks of pregnancy, the blood pressure, weight, and fetal heart rate tests that must be done at every prenatal check-up, the pregnancy diet and rest guidance regularly pushed in the community, and the method of counting fetal movements that you need to learn after 28 weeks, all fall into this category. Xiao Wu, who lives in Gongshu District, Hangzhou, was pregnant with her first child last year. At first, she couldn't remember the time of fetal movement. The nurse at the community hospital specially sent her a small program with a reminder, and also called her weekly to follow up on her fetal movement. This kind of universal care is a basic service that almost all pregnant mothers can enjoy.

If you have underlying diseases, are an advanced maternal age, are pregnant with multiples, or are at risk of premature birth or pregnancy complications during prenatal check-ups, you will receive specialized care for high-risk pregnancies. I have previously been in contact with Sister Chen, a 37-year-old pregnant mother who has a history of type 2 diabetes and is pregnant with twins. She was included in high-risk management on the day the card was established. The nurse specially customized a daily blood sugar monitoring ledger for her, followed up her blood sugar and weight data every week, and worked with the nutrition department to give her an exclusive sugar control meal menu. She was taught to identify signs of premature birth 8 weeks in advance. These targeted risk interventions are all part of specialized care. Of course, there are still some controversies in this area, such as whether to make remote fetal heart rate monitoring standard for high-risk pregnant women. Some hospitals believe that home monitoring can detect abnormalities in time and reduce unnecessary trips to the emergency department. Some clinical experts also point out that many pregnant women rely too much on the equipment and become anxious to the point of insomnia at the slightest fluctuation. This is not conducive to the state of pregnancy. Whether to configure it should be judged based on the individual's anxiety level.

In addition to care directly linked to physical health, prenatal care with humanistic and psychological support has also become more and more accepted in recent years. Many hospital obstetrics departments offer prenatal yoga, Lamaze breathing classes, psychological counseling clinics specifically for anxiety during pregnancy, as well as delivery rehearsals, doula connections, and birthing training for expectant fathers, all of which fall into this category. Last month, I met a little girl born in 1995 at the obstetrics clinic. She was afraid of having her first baby so much that she cried while watching birth videos every day. The nurse made her two appointments for psychological counseling, and also asked her to go to the delivery room in advance to familiarize herself with the environment. She also taught her a few tricks to relieve uterine contraction pain. She was in a very stable state during the final delivery, more than two hours faster than expected. Of course, there are now many high-end prenatal care packages on the market that cost tens of thousands of yuan. They include door-to-door prenatal check-ups and full one-on-one accompaniment. Some people think that it can greatly improve the comfort during pregnancy, but many people who have experienced it think that the premium is too high. Many services are add-ons that are not strictly needed. Ordinary families do not need to follow the trend, just choose what they really need.

In fact, in the final analysis, there is no unified "optimal configuration" for prenatal care. If you are not sure what you need, talk to the nurse in charge during your next prenatal checkup. They know your situation best and often give the most practical suggestions.