Doctors: Pregnant women should seek care as soon as possible

Pregnancy care doctors urge women to see a medical professional as early as possible for their own health as well as for the baby.

Physicians at WakeMed said when it comes to pregnancy, women should not delay seeking care.

OB-GYN Dr. Amantia Kennedy said the first clues of pregnancy for women could be a missed period or a positive home pregnancy test.

“An early pregnancy care visit is any time before eight weeks of the pregnancy, really any time, the very first time that the woman finds out that she's pregnant,” Kennedy said.

The earliest stages of gestation are a critical time which could determine the baby's health or even survival.

Kennedy said early care is even more crucial now because more women are becoming pregnant later in life with health issues of their own.

“Some women have chronic illnesses that need to be addressed. Pregnancy can exacerbate those illnesses. Or they're on chronic medications that may not be safe in pregnancy,” Kennedy said.

Before two months of pregnancy, doctors can confirm the pregnancy and assess the mother's health risk factors, adjust medications and establish a prenatal care schedule or even offer nutrition advice.

It's a good way for parents to put worries behind them and focus on the joy of a healthy baby.

Mask assures women that early pregnancy care visits, in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, are covered by health insurance.