Find a trusted partner for your growing family
Congratulations! You’re having a baby. Few family life experiences are as memorable and exciting as bringing a new baby into the world. Now, it’s time to find a maternity care team dedicated to helping you during your pregnancy.
Throughout the nine months of your pregnancy, your body will change, you will have many questions and you will need the support and expertise of a caring team. Thousands of babies have been delivered at Baylor Scott & White hospitals, and many of our maternity hospitals have been designated as High-Performing by U.S. News & World Report, demonstrating our commitment to safe, healthy deliveries.
You can trust that Baylor Scott & White’s maternity care teams will guide you from that first prenatal visit through labor and delivery and beyond.
Prenatal care focused on your growing family
Prenatal care is the healthcare you receive throughout your pregnancy. Vital to the health of you and your baby, regular prenatal care helps prevent health problems during pregnancy and gives you the opportunity to ask questions about symptoms, discomfort and other concerns you may have.
Your obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and nurses want you to have a healthy pregnancy, and we’re dedicated to helping you however we can. Your partner is welcome and encouraged to attend each visit. After all, your pregnancy is a partnership, and your partner and family can share the excitement of the newest addition.
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Prenatal visits
Prenatal visits
During prenatal visits, you will meet with an OBGYN or nurse who will perform a physical exam and check your and your baby’s health.
In addition to a physical, your first maternity appointment may include:
- A review of your personal and family medical history
- Discussions about lifestyle habits, such as your diet and exercise routine, stress levels, whether you smoke, and whether you drink alcohol
- Prenatal tests, such as blood and urine tests to check for certain diseases and infections
- Ultrasounds
After that first visit, your maternity checkups typically focus on your health and your baby’s growth and development. Your OBGYN may also discuss genetic testing based on age, family history and other factors.
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Your maternity checkup schedule
Your maternity checkup schedule
You will receive a schedule of appointments for the remainder of your pregnancy. Although timelines vary, these visits generally occur:
- Once every four weeks until week 28 of your pregnancy
- Once every two weeks from weeks 28 to 36
- Once a week from week 36 until you have your baby
Visits generally increase in frequency as your due date gets closer so your OBGYN can monitor you more closely. Everyone on your care team wants you to have a healthy birth, and these visits help ensure that.
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Creating a birth plan
Creating a birth plan
During your prenatal visits, your OBGYN can help you develop a birth plan and discuss options for your delivery.
A birth plan lists your preferences for what happens when you’re delivering your baby. Not all people want to create a birth plan, and whether you create one or not is your choice. If you do not, you can still learn about the choices available to you on the day.
Your OBGYN can discuss considerations, such as whether you want:
- A natural birth with as few interventions as possible
- Anesthesia or pain medications
- Delivery aids, such as a birthing ball or stool
- The ability to walk around during labor
Prenatal visits
During prenatal visits, you will meet with an OBGYN or nurse who will perform a physical exam and check your and your baby’s health.
In addition to a physical, your first maternity appointment may include:
- A review of your personal and family medical history
- Discussions about lifestyle habits, such as your diet and exercise routine, stress levels, whether you smoke, and whether you drink alcohol
- Prenatal tests, such as blood and urine tests to check for certain diseases and infections
- Ultrasounds
After that first visit, your maternity checkups typically focus on your health and your baby’s growth and development. Your OBGYN may also discuss genetic testing based on age, family history and other factors.
Your maternity checkup schedule
You will receive a schedule of appointments for the remainder of your pregnancy. Although timelines vary, these visits generally occur:
- Once every four weeks until week 28 of your pregnancy
- Once every two weeks from weeks 28 to 36
- Once a week from week 36 until you have your baby
Visits generally increase in frequency as your due date gets closer so your OBGYN can monitor you more closely. Everyone on your care team wants you to have a healthy birth, and these visits help ensure that.
Creating a birth plan
During your prenatal visits, your OBGYN can help you develop a birth plan and discuss options for your delivery.
A birth plan lists your preferences for what happens when you’re delivering your baby. Not all people want to create a birth plan, and whether you create one or not is your choice. If you do not, you can still learn about the choices available to you on the day.
Your OBGYN can discuss considerations, such as whether you want:
- A natural birth with as few interventions as possible
- Anesthesia or pain medications
- Delivery aids, such as a birthing ball or stool
- The ability to walk around during labor
Pregnancy conditions we treat
Your OBGYN will do everything possible to keep you and your baby healthy. Your team at Baylor Scott & White has experience in diagnosing and treating a range of conditions that can occur during pregnancy, including:
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy)
- Hemorrhoids
- Hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness)
- Preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
- Miscarriage
Early maternal and prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies
Early treatment can cure many conditions that occur during pregnancy, but in some cases, these conditions can lead to a high-risk pregnancy.
If you have a preexisting condition or a complication, you can trust that our team of maternal-fetal medicine specialists can help you navigate your options for treatment.
Your specialist has access to tests and technologies to monitor your and your baby’s health. You will also have access to social workers, dietitians and physical therapists, among other specialists, to ensure you get the care you need throughout your pregnancy.
As your due date approaches, your OBGYN and maternal-fetal medicine physician will coordinate with the specialists in our neonatal intensive care units to make sure your baby has the necessary treatments or procedures arranged.
Maternity classes to help you prepare
Pregnancy books, blogs and websites offer a wealth of information about what to expect during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the first weeks and months with your newborn. Still, there’s no substitute for the trusted expertise of childbirth educators and the first-hand advice of other moms who’ve been through the experience.
Our parent education classes are available at all our maternity hospitals. They are led by experts who give you the knowledge and skills to help you feel confident during your pregnancy journey.
Classes include:
- Prenatal wellness
- Prepared childbirth
- Breastfeeding basics
- Pumping for working moms
- Infant and child CPR
- Newborn care
- Family support classes for dads, siblings and LGBTQ+ families at select locations
We understand the importance of flexibility and accessibility. That's why some of our classes, including prepared childbirth and breastfeeding basics, have online options. Certain maternity classes are also free of charge to ensure everyone can benefit.
Maternity hospital tours
Choosing where to deliver your baby is as important as choosing your OBGYN and your baby's pediatrician. Tours are included in some of our parent education classes.
You're welcome to tour any Baylor Scott & White maternity hospital near you. These in-person, guided tours allow you to learn what to expect during labor and delivery, see the amenities available to you and your family during your stay, and ask any questions. It's a chance to familiarize yourself with the environment, which can help reduce anxiety on the day of delivery.
In addition to learning what each hospital offers, maternity tours can give you an idea of how long it takes to get to the hospital from your house, which route is easiest and where to park and enter.
Find a maternity hospital near you
You can find comprehensive prenatal and maternity care at our many locations in North and Central Texas. Having access to our entire network of care centers also connects you to specialized care, whether you need maternal-fetal medicine or your baby needs to spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit. We’re here to help you from the moment you learn you’re pregnant to celebrating the arrival of your new baby.