When you are pregnant or expecting it can be a very joyous time but also a very nervous time. You may worry if you are eating correctly, if your baby growing alright and if all the little aches, pains and symptoms you are feeling is normal. It is impossible not to worry sometimes while you are pregnant, but you shouldn’t be the only one worrying if everything is alright with your pregnancy. Your obstetrician (OB), nurse midwife, nurse practitioner or primary care physician should be monitoring you for any potential problems during your pregnancy. If not, they may be held accountable for prenatal care negligence for not protecting you or your developing baby from injury or harm.
Once your pregnancy is confirmed you will most likely visit your OB or midwife once a month until you are about 30 weeks gestation. After that, you will have biweekly visits until your 9th month when you will be seen every week until birth. However, there may be times where you will be monitored more closely or referred to a maternal/fetal specialist, genetic counselor, perinatologist or neonatologist if your pregnancy is considered high risk.
During the first and second trimesters, or until you are about 6 months pregnant, competent prenatal care typically includes:
After your second trimester, your baby is reaching an age of viability or able to survive if born prematurely. However, severely premature babies or micro-preemies are at a higher risk for sepsis, cerebral palsy, blindness, pulmonary hemorrhages and other long term or chronic medical conditions. Your OB or nurse midwife should be looking for problems that could cause you to go into premature labor. During the last 3 months of your pregnancy your prenatal care provider may do the following:
Doctors, obstetricians, nurse practitioners or nurse midwives should do everything they can to prevent or treat pregnancy complications. If not, your baby can be born with breathing problems, an intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or bleeding on the brain, intestinal problems, organ damage, sepsis, infection, a high bilirubin, jaundice, kernicterus, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or blindness, deafness from antibiotics such as Gentamycin, hyaline membrane disease (HMD), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), brain damage, mental retardation, low glucose or blood sugar levels, developmental delays, neurologic injuries, developmental delays, learning disabilities, milestone delays or cerebral palsy.
If you had difficulties during your pregnancy that were not properly treated and your baby now has permanent injuries, brain damage, cerebral palsy or developmental delays, please feel free to contact one of our experienced birth injury lawyers, doctors, or nurses. Our experienced fetal distress law firm has a team of attorneys, physicians, labor and delivery nurses, emergency room nurses and neonatal intensive care (NICU) nurses who have actually cared for and treated pregnant women and premature babies. Our medical experience and knowledge has led to us obtaining two of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Pennsylvania history.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.