Pregnancy and maternity care
Prenatal care, pregnancy screenings, postpartum care, and lactation support can help you stay informed and supported before, during, and after pregnancy.
Pregnancy and maternity care
From early prenatal visits to postpartum support, getting the right care at the right time can help you stay informed, monitor your health, and prepare for each stage of pregnancy.
What to focus on during pregnancy and maternity care
The care you need changes throughout pregnancy and after delivery. Staying connected with your provider helps you understand the recommended appointments, screenings, and support services at each stage.
Maternity care also gives you time to ask questions, discuss symptoms, prepare for delivery, and plan for postpartum recovery and support.
Getting recommended maternity care helps you:
- Start care early and build a relationship with your provider
- Stay on track with recommended pregnancy screenings
- Monitor health changes for you and your baby
- Plan ahead for delivery, postpartum care, and lactation support
- Ask questions about symptoms, recovery, and next steps
Start prenatal care early
Early prenatal care helps your provider confirm important details about your pregnancy and plan better care. Regular visits also give you time to ask questions and understand what screenings may be recommended.
Stay on track with pregnancy screenings
Pregnancy screenings such as gestational diabetes screening help your provider identify concerns that may need follow-up. Your provider will explain which screenings are recommended and when they should be completed.
Plan for postpartum support
Care continues after delivery. Postpartum care helps your provider check your recovery, discuss physical and emotional health, and connect you with support for breastfeeding, lactation, and other needs. Planning ahead can make it easier to get support after birth.
Certain preventive care items and services, including immunizations, are provided as specified by applicable law, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), with no cost-sharing to you. These services may be based on your age and other health factors. Other routine services may be covered under your plan, and some plans may require copayments, coinsurance or deductibles for these benefits. Always review your benefit plan documents to determine your specific coverage details.
When maternity care may include additional costs
Maternity care can change when you need additional monitoring, follow-up testing, or higher-acuity care. This may affect the bill you receive for certain services.
Scenario 1: Additional monitoring during pregnancy
During a routine prenatal visit, your provider notices elevated blood pressure, abnormal lab results, or symptoms that need a closer look. Your provider may perform additional monitoring or testing to better understand what’s happening. When care shifts from routine care to evaluating a specific concern, the clinic may bill that portion of care differently.
What’s happening
- Your visit started as routine prenatal care
- Your provider identified a concern that needs closer monitoring
- Additional testing or follow-up may be recommended
What this means for you
- The clinic may bill additional monitoring or testing differently
- Some services may not be considered routine maternity care
- Coverage depends on the services you receive and how they are billed
Consider asking
- “Is this additional monitoring part of routine maternity care?”
- “Will any follow-up testing be billed separately?”
Your plan includes maternity care benefits, but coverage depends on the services you receive and how they are billed. Consider asking how additional monitoring during pregnancy may affect your coverage.
Scenario 2: Follow-up after a pregnancy screening
You complete a pregnancy screening, such as screening for gestational diabetes. After reviewing the result, your provider recommends follow-up testing or additional appointments to better understand the finding. While the original screening may be part of routine maternity care, the clinic may bill follow-up testing focused on evaluating a result differently.
What’s happening
- The original pregnancy screening was part of your maternity care
- Your provider recommended follow-up based on the result
- The goal of follow-up testing is to evaluate a specific concern
What this means for you
- The clinic may bill follow-up testing differently
- Additional appointments or labs may not be considered routine screening
- Coverage depends on the services you receive and how they are billed
Consider asking
- “Is this follow-up considered routine maternity care or diagnostic care?”
- “What should I expect for next steps or costs?”
While some screenings are part of maternity care, follow-up testing evaluates the result and may generate a bill. Before your appointment, consider asking how the clinic will bill follow-up testing.
Scenario 3: Care for pregnancy complications
During pregnancy, your provider may identify a complication or health concern that requires additional care. This could include closer monitoring, more frequent visits, specialist care, or treatment beyond routine maternity care. While regular maternity visits are part of preventive care, the clinic may bill services to manage a complication differently.
What’s happening
- Your care included routine maternity visits
- Your provider identified a pregnancy-related concern or complication
- Your provider recommended additional care, treatment, or monitoring
What this means for you
- The clinic may bill care related to a complication differently
- Specialist visits, additional testing, or treatment may not be considered routine maternity care
- Coverage depends on the services you receive and how they are billed
Consider asking
- “Is this care part of routine maternity care, or is it related to a complication?”
- “Do I need prior authorization or additional approval for this service?”
Your plan includes maternity care benefits, but the clinic may bill additional care related to a complication differently. Consider asking how treatment, specialist care, or added monitoring may affect your coverage.
Scenario 4: Newborn care beyond routine nursery care
After delivery, routine nursery care may be part of the covered portion of the mother’s maternity stay. If your baby needs additional treatment, a longer stay, or specialized care, the newborn may be treated as a patient in their own right. That means regular medical benefits may apply instead of routine maternity benefits.
What’s happening
- Your baby received routine care after delivery
- Your baby needed additional treatment or monitoring
- The newborn’s care may shift beyond routine nursery care
What this means for you
- The clinic may bill newborn care beyond routine nursery care differently
- Additional hospital days, tests, or treatment may use regular medical benefits
- Coverage depends on eligibility, services received, and how care is billed
Consider asking
- “Is my baby’s care considered routine nursery care?”
- “If additional treatment is needed, how will my baby’s care be billed?”
Routine newborn care may be handled differently than treatment or extended care after delivery. Consider asking how newborn care will be billed if your baby needs additional services or a longer stay.
See the care, screenings, and support you may need during pregnancy.
Talk with your provider early to understand what prenatal care, screenings, delivery planning, and postpartum support may be recommended for you.
Maternity care benefits
Maternity care includes services and support before, during, and after delivery. Your provider will recommend care based on your pregnancy, health history, risk factors, and postpartum needs.
Pregnancy and maternity care may include
- Screening for gestational diabetes
- Prenatal care
- Postpartum care
- Delivery
- Breastfeeding and lactation support, supplies, and counseling for each birth
- Screening and counseling for prenatal and postpartum depression
- In-network certified nurse midwives, home nurse visits, and board-certified lactation specialists during the prenatal and postpartum period, where applicable
- Routine nursery care of the newborn during the covered portion of the mother’s maternity stay
Find pregnancy and maternity care guidance based on your stage of care, and understand how your benefits may apply before, during, and after delivery.
Questions about pregnancy and maternity care
Answers to these questions can help you understand what maternity care includes, what support may be available, when costs may apply, and how to stay on track before, during, and after pregnancy.
When should I start prenatal care?
You should contact your provider early in pregnancy so they can help you begin care planning, confirm next steps, and recommend an appointment schedule.
What to know
- Early care helps your provider understand your health history, medications, and risk factors
- Your provider will recommend screenings and follow-up based on your pregnancy
- Visit timing may vary depending on your health history and pregnancy.
Why this matters
- Early prenatal care supports timely screenings and monitoring
- It helps identify concerns that may need follow-up
- It gives you time to ask questions and prepare for the months ahead
What to ask
- “When should I schedule my first prenatal visit?”
- “What screenings or labs should I expect?”
- “Are there medications or health conditions we should review now?”
What maternity services are covered?
Maternity care includes services before, during, and after delivery. Coverage depends on your plan, provider network, and how services are billed.
Maternity care may include
- Prenatal care
- Screening for gestational diabetes
- Delivery
- Postpartum care
- Breastfeeding and lactation support, supplies, and counseling
- Screening and counseling for prenatal and postpartum depression
- Routine nursery care during the covered portion of the mother’s maternity stay
What to know
- Some services are considered routine maternity care
- The clinic may bill additional testing, treatment, or specialist care differently
- Newborn care beyond routine nursery care may be handled under regular medical benefits
What to ask
- “Which maternity services are covered under my plan?”
- “Are my provider and hospital in-network?”
- “If I need additional testing, how will it be billed?”
What screenings are part of pregnancy care?
Pregnancy screenings help your provider monitor your health and identify concerns that may need follow-up.
Screenings may include
- Gestational diabetes screening
- Prenatal depression screening
- Postpartum depression screening
- Other labs or screenings recommended by your provider
What to know
- Some screenings are routine during pregnancy
- Others depend on your symptoms, health history, risk factors, or prior results
- You may need follow-up testing for further evaluation
Why this matters
- Screenings help identify concerns early
- Follow-up care can help your provider manage risks during pregnancy
- Understanding whether a test is routine or follow-up can help reduce billing confusion
What to ask
- “What screenings should I expect during pregnancy?”
- “When should each screening be completed?”
- “If a screening result needs follow-up, how will that be billed?”
What support is available after delivery?
Postpartum care helps your provider check your recovery and address physical and emotional health after birth.
Postpartum support may include
- Postpartum follow-up care
- Screening and counseling for postpartum depression
- Breastfeeding and lactation support
- Discussion of recovery, symptoms, and warning signs
- Guidance on follow-up care or additional support
Why this matters
- Recovery continues after delivery
- Physical and emotional symptoms should be discussed with your provider
- Postpartum visits help identify concerns and connect you with care
What to ask
- “When should I schedule my postpartum visit?”
- “What symptoms should I call about?”
- “What breastfeeding or lactation support is available?”
Is breastfeeding or lactation support covered?
Maternity care may include breastfeeding and lactation support, supplies, and counseling for each birth.
What to know
- Support may be available before and after delivery
- Coverage may depend on how services or supplies are obtained and billed
- Your provider can help connect you with lactation support, if needed
Why this matters
- Lactation support can help with feeding questions, challenges, and planning
- Getting information before delivery may make support easier to access after birth
What to ask
- “What lactation support is available before or after delivery?”
- “Where should I get breastfeeding supplies?”
- “Do I need to use a specific provider or supplier?”
When might maternity care include additional costs?
Maternity care may include additional costs when care goes beyond routine maternity services or is used to evaluate a concern.
Costs may apply if
- You need additional monitoring for elevated blood pressure or abnormal lab results
- You receive follow-up testing after a pregnancy screening
- You need treatment or specialist care for a complication
- Your hospital stay or your baby’s stay is extended
- Newborn care goes beyond routine nursery care
Important to know
- The clinic may bill routine maternity care and additional medical care differently
- Coverage depends on the services you receive and how they are billed
- Some services may require prior authorization or additional review
What to ask
- “Is this part of routine maternity care?”
- “Will this additional service be billed separately?”
- “Do I need prior authorization?”
How does newborn care work after delivery?
Routine nursery care may be included during the covered portion of the mother’s maternity stay. If your baby needs additional treatment, a longer stay, or specialized care, the newborn may be treated as a patient in their own right.
What to know
- Routine nursery care is different from additional newborn treatment
- Newborn care beyond routine nursery care may use regular medical benefits
- If your baby stays after you are discharged, you may need additional review or approval
Why this matters
- Newborn care can shift depending on your baby’s health
- Understanding this difference can help you ask better questions before discharge
What to ask
- “Is my baby receiving routine nursery care or additional treatment?”
- “Will my baby need to be added to coverage?”
- “If my baby stays longer than I do, how will that be billed?”