Pregnancy is a journey that necessitates the expertise and care of an experienced team of healthcare professionals, including obstetricians, midwives and health care assistants.
Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to various ailments and medical conditions that could prove life-threatening. Therefore, she needs a nutritious diet, regular exercise to stay fit, ample rest and an environment free from stress.
To achieve this goal, she should enroll in an excellent prenatal program and several childbirth education classes to ensure a smooth delivery and subsequent bonding session with her newborn.
Pregnancy and childbirth are milestones for most women. With the right combination of advice and support, pregnancy can be an empowering experience that lasts a lifetime.
Thankfully, most women can find a quality pregnancy and childbirth center within reach. Those that stand out are those that provide comprehensive programs including prenatal care, postpartum care, breastfeeding support and infant care – making them the ideal choice for new moms-to-be.
Pregnancy Care Benefits
Many women struggle to pay for the care they need during pregnancy. But you may qualify for insurance that can help with your costs.
Medicaid, Marketplace health plans and employer-sponsored insurance all offer prenatal care benefits. Learn about these options, including how to get coverage and apply for it.
No co-pay
If you’re covered by a Health Insurance Marketplace plan or Medicaid, you can get preventive services without paying extra out-of-pocket costs like co-pays, deductibles, or premiums. That includes prenatal care, well-baby checkups, breastfeeding support and counseling, and many other pregnancy-related benefits.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that all individual, family, and group plans sold outside the workplace must cover maternity care. Previously, only around 12% of individual plans offered this benefit.
For women who are uninsured, or do not have insurance for their child, the ACA also helps them buy low-cost or free maternity care. They can choose from a number of options including public health department, community health centers, or Planned Parenthood.
For pregnant women who do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility (MPE) provides immediate, temporary coverage. MPE pays for outpatient care, and for 60 days after the baby is born.
Breastfeeding help
Breast milk contains many important nutrients for your baby, and it’s tailor-made for them. It also has antibodies that help protect them from infection and other health problems.
You can make breast milk by suckling your baby, or using a special pump. You can also let your baby drink it straight from your breast or a bottle.
To get started breastfeeding, position your baby tummy to tummy with skin-to-skin contact (holding the baby against your skin). Guide their mouth to your nipple and latch them onto your breast.
For most women, it takes some time to learn how to breastfeed. If you have any problems, talk to your health care provider or lactation consultant.
Breastfeeding is a special relationship between mother and baby. It can be challenging, but it’s also important for both of you. It helps mom lose weight, burns calories, and shrinks the uterus. It also reduces the risks of breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and ovarian cancer.
Preventive care
Getting preventive care helps people stay healthy and avoid or delay the onset of disease. It can also help people live healthier lives and save money by reducing health care costs and avoiding emergency room visits when something is wrong.
Women can get a variety of preventive services during their pregnancy, including screenings for Hepatitis B and Rh incompatibility. They also get tests for gestational diabetes and other conditions that affect the health of the baby, such as preeclampsia.
These services are covered by most Marketplace and other plans, as long as they are delivered by an in-network provider. That means that a woman who visits her doctor for these services doesn’t have to pay a copay, coinsurance or deductible out of pocket.
In addition to these preventive services, the Affordable Care Act requires that most health insurance plans cover women’s healthcare, including maternity and newborn care, without cost sharing as part of Essential Health Benefits. This helps more women get the healthcare they need and reduces health care costs.
High-risk pregnancy care
If you’re pregnant with a condition that increases your risk for complications, you need care that’s more focused on you and your baby. That’s where our high-risk pregnancy specialists come in.
We provide comprehensive obstetric care and advanced maternal-fetal medicine, along with specialized treatment units for both you and your baby. Our experts help you manage the challenges of a high-risk pregnancy and keep you healthy throughout your pregnancy.
For example, if you have a health problem or a genetic disorder that increases your risk for birth defects, we’ll help you find ways to get the testing and treatment you need.
Our experts also work with other adult specialists, such as cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, neurologists and neurosurgeons, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, oncologists, immunologists and others. They will work together to develop a plan for your health and care during and after pregnancy, based on your specific needs.
