Becoming a parent is a life-altering event. There is no right or wrong time to have a baby-it's up to you and your partner. Before you get pregnant, you may want to prepare for the emotional and lifestyle changes you will face as a new mother and father. Proper prenatal care is essential to catch any potential problems early on so they can be monitored and treated.

The objective of prenatal care is to monitor the health of the pregnant mother and fetus. It is important to visit the doctor as soon as you suspect you are pregnant. At each visit the doctor will examine you. This examination includes: monitoring weight gain or loss, blood pressure, circumference of the abdomen, position of the fetus and fetal heartbeat. Such variables are going to be closely followed during the course of your pregnancy. Other tests your doctor may recommend are: Ultrasound and Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring.