Today pregnant women need to be consumers and self-advocates. Many childbirth classes are teaching strategies to better these skills - especially out of hospitals offerings. This is not by chance, but rather by the often one-size-fits all packaging and management from pregnancy onset to labor through immediate postpartum in the care provider offices and hospitals of today.
Many routine tests are done prenatally. Though prenatal care and these tests can help further healthy outcomes for moms and babies, too often women can be funnelled into a cycle of unnecessary fear, stress and choice limitation while in reality still healthy and maintaining normal pregnancy.
Below is a listing of common prenatal tests and practices for you to question (what is it for, what does it improve upon, what can it lead to in other tests or interventions, is it for low-risk moms and babies, what will I do with the information), research and decide on are:
