Talk to your partner about your reproductive life plan before you get pregnant. There are no right or wrong answers, and your answers may change as you get older. You and your partner may not agree on every answer, so you may need some time to figure things out together.
Birth control (also called contraception or family planning) is part of your reproductive life plan. Birth control helps keep you from getting pregnant. Examples of birth control include intrauterine devices (also called IUDs), implants, the pill and condoms. Ask your health care provider about the best kind of birth control for you and your partner.
Should I eat seafood during pregnancy?
Eating seafood during pregnancy may help your baby's growth. Seafood is a healthy protein source for you during pregnancy and while breastfeeding/ lactating. Choose options lower in methylmercury, like cod, salmon, tilapia, or herring.
You may have different calorie needs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding/ lactating. Get your MyPlate Plan to learn how many calories you may need. Work closely with your healthcare provider to learn the right eating plan for you.
After pregnancy, your need for some vitamins and minerals may decrease. Your doctor may advise you to switch to a multivitamin supplement while breastfeeding/ lactating. Talk to your healthcare provider about what is right for you.
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure during your pregnancy or at the time of delivery, both you and your baby may be at risk for complications. Receive a blood pressure monitor at no cost so you can stay on top of your health and help your chances of living a heart-healthy lifestyle!
If you are enrolled in Apple Health coverage and are pregnant, your coverage will automatically transition to After-Pregnancy Coverage (APC) once your pregnancy ends. APC lasts for 12 months, starting the first day of the month after your pregnancy ends. For example, if your pregnancy ended June 10, your health care coverage would continue through June 30 of the following year.
You may be eligible for APC if you were pregnant in the last 12 months and were not on Apple Health during the pregnancy. After you are enrolled in APC, changes to your income will not affect your APC coverage regardless of how your pregnancy ends.
Note: If you are on Apple Health coverage, report your pregnancy with an estimated due date to receive APC for up to 12 months after your pregnancy ends. We cannot guarantee a smooth transition into the APC program without this information. Learn how to report a change.
If you're accepted, you'll receive a ProviderOne services card in about two weeks. Coverage will begin on the first day of the month in which the application was submitted. You'll have the option to select a managed care plan online or you'll be auto-enrolled into a plan. Learn more about enrollment next steps.
If you are pregnant and on Apple Health without a managed care plan, contact the Health Care Authority to let us know that you are pregnant. This will ensure you receive the most coverage during your pregnancy and for 12 months following the end of the pregnancy.
If you're not eligible for Apple Health, you may qualify for help with your health insurance or for other health services. Visit Washington Healthplanfinder or use the WAPlanfinder app to learn if you qualify.
If you are found eligible, your coverage will last for 12 months after your pregnancy ends. Coverage will end 365 days after your pregnancy ended. Members need to report their pregnancy in order to receive postpartum coverage.
There are four CHP+ MCOs in Colorado: Colorado Access, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Denver Health. The county you live in will determine which MCO you or your child enrolls with. If more than one MCO is available in your county, a health plan will be selected for you, but you can change MCOs for up to 90 days after you qualify for CHP+.
WPSI recommends that the full range of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved, -granted, or -cleared contraceptives, effective family planning practices, and sterilization procedures be available as part of contraceptive care.
WPSI recommends risk assessment and prevention education for HIV infection beginning at age 13 and continuing as determined by risk. A screening test for HIV is recommended for all pregnant women upon initiation of prenatal care with rescreening during pregnancy based on risk factors. Rapid HIV testing is recommended for pregnant women who present in active labor with an undocumented HIV status. Screening during pregnancy enables prevention of vertical transmission.
Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the United States each year. It's the main source of health care coverage for low-income pregnant women. Medicaid coverage for mothers starts during pregnancy and lasts for at least 60 days after giving birth.
State Medicaid health plans include standard benefits. But UnitedHealthcare may also provide extra programs for our female Medicaid members.* Some of these programs help make sure women have a safe and healthy pregnancy. Others help moms take care of their newborns after birth.
*NOTE: Benefits vary by plan and service area. Limitations and exclusions apply. For details about the exact benefits available in Medicaid plans in your area, please search plans using the ZIP code where you live.
This is not a complete list. The benefit information is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan or read the member handbook. Limitations, copays and restrictions may apply. For more information, call UnitedHealthcare Connected Member Services or read the UnitedHealthcare Connected member handbook.
Out-of-network/non-contracted providers are under no obligation to treat UnitedHealthcare plan members, except in emergency situations. Please call our customer service number or see your Evidence of Coverage for more information, including the cost- sharing that applies to out-of-network services.
You also have a greater chance of developing preeclampsia, sometimes called toxemia, which is when you develop high blood pressure and too much protein in your urine during the second half of pregnancy. Preeclampsia can cause serious or life-threatening problems for you and your baby. The only cure for preeclampsia is to give birth. If you have preeclampsia and have reached 37 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor may want to deliver your baby early. Before 37 weeks, you and your doctor may consider other options to help your baby develop as much as possible before he or she is born.
If you have diabetes, keeping your blood glucose as close to normal as possible before and during your pregnancy is important to stay healthy and have a healthy baby. Getting checkups before and during pregnancy, following your diabetes meal plan, being physically active as your health care team advises, and taking diabetes medicines if you need to will help you manage your diabetes. Stopping smoking and taking vitamins as your doctor advises also can help you and your baby stay healthy.
During pregnancy, some women need to make changes in their meal plan, such as adding extra calories, protein, and other nutrients. You will need to see your dietitian every few months during pregnancy as your dietary needs change.
Some medicines are not safe during pregnancy and you should stop taking them before you get pregnant. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, such as those for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Your doctor can tell you which medicines to stop taking, and may prescribe a different medicine that is safe to use during pregnancy.
You can keep track of your blood glucose levels using My Daily Blood Glucose Record (PDF, 44 KB) . You can also use an electronic blood glucose tracking system on your computer or mobile device. Record the results every time you check your blood glucose. Your blood glucose records can help you and your health care team decide whether your diabetes care plan is working. You also can make notes about your insulin and ketones. Take your tracker with you when you visit your health care team.
An unintended pregnancy is one that occurred when a woman wanted to become pregnant in the future but not at the time she became pregnant ("wanted later") or one that occurred when she did not want to become pregnant then or at any time in the future ("unwanted"). In this fact sheet, births resulting from unintended pregnancies are referred to as "unplanned."
All other pregnancies are often termed "intended," including those that were desired at the time they occurred or were wanted sooner than they occurred ("then or sooner"). At the national level, pregnancies to women who were indifferent or unsure about becoming pregnant are typically combined with pregnancies that were wanted then or sooner. It is important to note that women defined as having an "intended" pregnancy have not necessarily expressed an intention or plan to become pregnant.
Understanding demographic differences in unintended pregnancy helps to identify where to focus policy and programmatic interventions, and highlights areas of inequality. These differences do not occur in a vacuum; they reflect differences in social, cultural, structural, economic and political contexts, which influence health behaviors, access to services and outcomes.
Congress enacted the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) in 1978 to make clear that discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).[1] Thus, the PDA extended to pregnancy Title VII's goals of "'[achieving] equality of employment opportunities and remov[ing] barriers that have operated in the past to favor an identifiable group of . . . employees over other employees.'"[2]
In the years since the PDA was enacted, charges alleging pregnancy discrimination have increased substantially. In fiscal year (FY) 1997, more than 3,900 such charges were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies, but in FY 2013, 5,342 charges were filed.
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