by Vanessa Cumber

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

I'm a firm believer in the benefits of prenatal care and think that every unborn child should have a right to it. I sought prenatal care from the start and would strongly recommend that all expectant mothers do the same. Why gamble with the well-being of the baby forming inside you? Ensure your unborn child's well-being and your own by making the right choice.

Prenatal care not only monitors your and your baby's health, but also provides you with all of the information you need at each step of your pregnancy. Above all else, prenatal care is essential in that it can help identify potentially dangerous conditions that may jeopardize your pregnancy.

Take my situation, for example. Say I'd not opted for prenatal care and instead remained unaware of a potential problem that would later arise, namely the threat of Rh disease. While this would not threaten my unborn baby, it could possibly wreak havoc on any other children I might have in the future. This was a potential problem since my blood was negative and my husband's blood was positive. If my baby had the positive blood of his father and my body was exposed to that blood, it would begin forming antibodies and attack such a system if ever exposed to it again. Fortunately, my son had my blood type, but the doctor took the necessary steps to ensure safety either way.

Prenatal care also identified an infection that could have posed harm to my baby as he was being born, and the doctor took the necessary steps to ensure my baby's safety. In retrospect, my situation may not seem like a big deal, but just say I hadn't sought proper prenatal care and a life threatening situation occurred. Then consider the fact that prenatal care helped make sure that this didn't happen. Better yet, picture yourself in my place. Wouldn't you much rather have taken the steps towards the safety of you and your child rather than taking chances? A baby's life is not something to gamble with. Care about someone greater than yourself, put that promise of new life first.

Prenatal care was also important because I received the necessary vitamins to help keep my body and my unborn baby healthy. Proper nutrients from healthy eating are essential to a baby's development. I was given a wealth of information in the form of literature and advice from my doctor, and I felt better being informed about my pregnancy. While knowing what to expect at each stage of my pregnancy made it no less amazing, it did help me rest better knowing I was doing everything possible to have a healthy pregnancy.

Hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time is an amazing experience. Seeing your baby on a monitor while having an ultrasound is even more amazing. This is all a part of prenatal care and while you will have to be responsible and make many visits to the doctor, the payoff will be well worth it.

You wouldn't want to look in your child's eyes and know that you could have and should have allowed them proper prenatal care. If it would have made the difference in the health of your child, you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself. Seek prenatal care for your baby. Don't cheat him or her out of a healthy start. Someday she or he will thank you!

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