13/08/2026
Sometimes I hear mothers say, “I never had prenatal checkups, and my baby turned out perfectly fine!” (Wala akong regular check-up pero ok naman ang baby ko!)…as if it were something to be proud of.🤦🏻♀️
But having no prenatal care is not something we should encourage or normalize. You were fortunate that everything turned out well, but it’s not the same case for everyone. Pregnancy can be unpredictable, and many important conditions can develop silently, without any symptoms.
Prenatal checkups are not just about checking whether the baby is growing. They allow us to monitor the mother’s blood pressure, screen for anemia, infections and other conditions, assess the baby’s growth and well-being, identify potential complications early, and provide important advice throughout pregnancy.
And if you have missed several checkups, please don’t be afraid to go back to your doctor. Some patients are afraid that their doctor will get angry or judge them because they have been absent for a while, or because they are already in their third trimester without having had proper prenatal care (I’ve had these in the clinic and nakangiti ka pa rin pero dumudugo na ang puso ko😭😩).
I am not one to get angry or judge. What matters to me is that you come in, so we can assess you and your baby and make sure you are as well-informed as possible moving forward. It is never too late to start taking better care of your pregnancy.💪🏻☺️
Some may feel that going to a doctor is simply an unnecessary expense. But if finances are a concern, please visit your local health center. Many health centers offer free prenatal consultations, and there are doctors, midwives, and nurses ready to help.👍🏻☺️ You don’t need to have a lot of money to deserve proper prenatal care.
A healthy baby at the end of pregnancy is wonderful…but we also want a healthy mother, and we want both of them to get there safely. ❤️