Prenatal Medical Care

Once you have a positive pregnancy test, Pregnancy Counseling Center will provide free prenatal care and exams through the first two trimesters of pregnancy, to ensure that you and your baby are well cared for. Regardless of whether you got pregnant last night, or last month, you should understand what is going on inside of you.

Some people get confused about how a pregnancy is dated. Doctors and caregivers begin counting the length of a pregnancy from your last menstrual period, even if you may not actually have been pregnant yet. Therefore, the actual, or gestational age, is two weeks less than the menstrual age. The moment your egg is fertilized by a sperm, the gestational age begins and lasts about 38 weeks, while the baby is actually developing.

Here is a brief description in gestational age:

• Day 1- The moment conception takes place, a fertizilized egg, called an embryo, contains all the details of the baby's development, including eye color, straight or curly hair, height and body type, as well as of course, whether it will be male or female.
• Week 2 - The embryo will float in the uterus for about 48 hours and then implant. The placenta begins to form a complex connection immediately between mother and embryo.
• Week 3 - The brain, spinal cord, and nervous system develop.
• Week 4 - The heart begins to beat and the head, mouth, liver and intestines begin to take shape.
• Week 5 - Eyes begin to develop. Size is approximately 1/3 inch long, about the size of a grain of rice.
• Week 6 - Hands and fingers can be seen, as well as legs with feet and toes. Brain waves can be detected and the embryo is constantly moving.
• Week 8 - Facial features are noticeable. The embryo is approximately an inch long and will continue to grow only in length and size. Internal organs are present and functioning and the nervous system is responsive.
• Week 12 - The embryo now begins to be called a fetus. Muscles are developing and sex organs form, as well as eyelids, and toenails. Each fetus now has a unique set of fingerprints.
• Week 16 - The fetus is now about 5 inches long and weighs about 5 ounces. The skeleton is starting to harden from cartilage to bone, and hair grows on the head and body.
• Week 20 - Sweat glands have developed, and the skin is no longer transparent.
• Week 24 - The fetus would have a 50% chance of surviving uder intensive care if born now. Eyes are completely formed and the tongue has developed taste buds. The child can now inhale, exhale and even cry inside the womb. The child weighs about a pound and a half, and will just continue to grow in size and weight from this point on.
• Week 40 - The end of a normal gestational period.

Our medical clinic is open every Tuesday morning, from 9am-noon, to answer your questions, prescribe prenatal vitamins or medicines needed. You will be seen by a Family Nurse Practioner or MD. You can only be seen with an appointment and it is required that you have a counseling appointment first. We provide all necessary prenatal care up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. If you are more than 24 weeks pregnant, please feel free to call anyway, as we can provide referrals for prenatal care.

We do not charge for any of our medical services, and we do not require that you sign up for any insurance programs. In addition, we will maintain your confidentiality.

If you do not have medical insurance and you are being seen by our prenatal clinic, our knowledgeable staff can help you with the paperwork needed to enroll for emergency Medi-Cal or A.I.M. Almost all of our clients qualify for one of these programs. If you qualify for emergency Medi-Cal, it will cover your medical care for two months, while you are in the application process for long term Medi-Cal.

If you need an application for long term Medi-Cal, please call their office at (707) 565-5200 or pick up an application in person at 520 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday.

Most of our prenatal patients also qualify for W.I.C (Women, Infants, and Children). This is a government program that provides nutrition counseling and food for pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as for children under age 3. You can contact them for an appointment at (707) 565-6590 or 1 (800) 816-3663. They are located at 2400 County Center Drive in Santa Rosa.