How To Prepare for Your First Prenatal Counseling Appointment
posted: Aug. 09, 2024.
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Children's Health Center, with Dr. Elizabeth Yakubu and Dr. Alrick Drummond, understands how to prepare mothers for their upcoming childbirth. Few experiences are as wonderful and stressful, so we make sure to provide prenatal counseling for all our Tampa, and Riverview, FL, clients. Understanding his powerful procedure can make it easier for you to prepare for it properly.
Know Your Medical History
Before visiting us, you must know your medical history, including previous major illnesses, serious surgeries, drug allergies, immunization processes, and other care options you’ve received. Our team needs this information to gauge your overall well-being and to avoid taking any steps that might put you at risk, such as giving you a medicine to which you’re allergic.
Discuss Your Mental Health History
Pregnancy can be a very emotional experience, so we need to know about your history of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. This information helps us plan multiple elements of your treatment. At Children's Health Center, Dr. Yakubu and Dr. Drummond will use this information to make your prenatal counseling in Tampa, and Riverview, FL, smoother.
Get Ready for The Visit Itself
Now that you understand a few basic prep steps for your visit, knowing what happens during it is critical. It’s a process that might seem scary to many women at first. We understand that concern, but we want you to understand that it’s not scary. It includes steps like:
- A general checkup to gauge your heart, lung, breast, and abdomen health
- Blood pressure checks, pelvic exams, and the uterus and pelvis examinations
- Pregnancy confirmation (sometimes a formality but always a good idea)
- Official likely conception and delivery dates (always subject to change)
- Discussions about yourself and your baby to get an idea of your preparation
- Multiple routine tests, such as urine, blood, genetic carrier, and STD exams
- Blood sugar checkups to make sure you’re healthy
Protect Your New Child
At Children's Health Center, Dr. Yakubu and Dr. Drummond can provide the prenatal counseling that Tampa, Riverview, FL, parents need for their first child and everyone after that. When you call our Tampa office at (813) 914-7772 or our Riverview facility at (813) 677-2222, you can get the hands-on support needed to keep your family safe. We’re here to help.