Pregnancy Care

Whether your pregnancy is routine or high-risk, you'll find providers who care about your growing baby as much as you do.

Request an Appointment

For requests:

1-800-777-8442

For Family Medicine related requests:: 1-319-384-7222

For Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) related requests:: 1-319-356-2294

When you're pregnant, taking care of yourself has a new meaning. You'll do everything you can to make sure you and your baby are healthy—and so will we.

University of Iowa Health Care offers all the prenatal services you could possibly need throughout your pregnancy.

We're here to provide:

Ongoing ultrasounds and other exams to monitor how your baby is developing.
Regular check-ups, including blood and urine test, to screen you for pregnancy-related conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
Education on topics such as normal and abnormal pregnancy symptoms, early signs of labor, and more.
Advice about things like nutrition, exercise, and medications safety during pregnancy.
Discussions about your birth plan, such as your preferences on managing labor pain.
Referrals to specialists should you want or need advanced prenatal testing or treatment, such as genetic testing.

A collaborative approach

From the moment you find out you're pregnant until you give birth, you'll have a team supporting you. Each team member has special expertise in areas such as prenatal health, genetics, and fetal development.

Routine and high-risk pregnancy specialists

In early pregnancy, you'll select a provider to manage the majority of your prenatal care. For example, if you're healthy and expected to have a routine pregnancy, you can choose one of the following:

An obstetrician (OB) who specializes in prenatal care and oversees (or performs) both vaginal and cesarean births.
A certified nurse midwife (CNM) who can also provide prenatal care, plus assist during labor and oversee vaginal births. Our midwives are known for their holistic approach to pregnancy and birth. They often assist patients who want a natural childbirth with little or no medical intervention.
Our Family Medicine physicians also provide pregnancy care, including prenatal, delivery, postpartum, and newborn care, plus breastfeeding support.

If your age or overall health makes pregnancy risky—or you develop complications during pregnancy—you may need additional care. In this case, you'll see a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (MFM) instead of (or in addition to) your OB or midwife.

Our MFM's are obstetricians with advanced training in complex pregnancies and deliveries. They'll provide or coordinate any extra testing, monitoring, or treatment you or your baby may need to stay safe and healthy.

Additional team members

Throughout your pregnancy you may also see other UI Health Care specialists, such as:

Ultrasound technicians: These professionals, also known as sonographers, use ultrasound imaging to take pictures of your baby inside the womb. We were first in Iowa to earn accreditation in detailed obstetrics ultrasound from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Prenatal genetic counselors: We can help you understand your baby's risk of developing certain genetic conditions. These include Down syndrome, trisomy 18, and cystic fibrosis. Our prenatal genetic counseling service is the only one of its kind in Iowa.
Fetal diagnostic specialists: We offer special tests to check for various medical problems, such as spina bifida and heart abnormalities. These tests include fetal echocardiogram, amniocentesis, and chorionic villus sampling.

The comprehensive care you expect and deserve

We know that no two pregnancies are alike—and pregnancy doesn't always go as planned. That's why we're ready and able to provide any type of care you need to feel safe, supported, and prepared.

Our medical services and other resources include:

Educational classes: We offer virtual classes on topics such as labor and delivery, breastfeeding, infant CPR, and taking care of a newborn.
Mental health care: Depression is common during and soon after pregnancy, but when left untreated it can affect you and your baby. Our Women's Wellness and Counseling Service—the only program of its kind in Iowa—can help. Our clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, and other team members understand how hormonal changes can trigger mood disorders. And they can prescribe treatments that are safe to use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Inpatient pregnancy care: If you or your baby need around-the-clock monitoring or treatment during your pregnancy, we'll admit you to the hospital. During your stay, you'll have access to recreational therapy, television, free Wi-Fi, and virtual childbirth classes. And if you need help managing stress or obtaining baby supplies, we can take care of that, too.
Substance use treatment: We know it's not easy to quit using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. But with the right support you can succeed. Our Maternal Substance Use Disorder Clinic offers both prenatal care and substance use treatment—in a safe, judgement-free environment. Together, we'll find solutions that keep you and your baby as health as possible.

Getting ready for labor and delivery

Wether this is your first pregnancy or your fourth, you're probably feeling both excited and nervous about the upcoming birth. We know how you feel. And we're here to make sure your experience is as smooth and seamless as it is meaningful and memorable.

When you give birth here, you can count on:

Our extensive experience:

Our labor and delivery team delivers around 3,000 babies every year. We have experience managing every type of delivery, from vaginal births and C-sections to vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

Personalized care:

We aim to support all your preferences, from using a doula to having an epidural.

Our ability to handle any situation:

Whether you're scheduled to have a C-section or unexpectedly need one, you're in good hands. We have obstetric operating rooms, anesthesiology care, and a blood bank available 24/7.

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Need help choosing a pregnancy care provider?

Whether you're looking for an obstetrician or midwife, or need a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, give us a call. We'll help you find the provider who's right for you.

Call 1-800-777-8442 1-319-356-2294