Perinatal care is the medical care and support you get around the time of birth: during pregnancy, through labor and delivery, and in the months after your baby arrives. Many care teams also include preconception care, the planning you do before you get pregnant, because it shapes how the pregnancy goes.
"Peri" means "around," so perinatal literally means "around birth." Prenatal care is one part of it. Perinatal care is the whole stretch, from planning through postpartum recovery.
What Does Perinatal Mean?
The word gets used in two ways, which is why definitions online don't always match.
- In everyday care and mental health, perinatal usually means pregnancy plus the first year after birth. The NHS, for example, describes the perinatal period as the time from when you become pregnant up to a year after giving birth, and the National Institute of Mental Health uses perinatal depression to mean depression during pregnancy or in the weeks and months after childbirth.
- In health statistics, the perinatal period is much narrower. The World Health Organization defines it as starting at 22 completed weeks of pregnancy and ending 7 completed days after birth. That window is used to count perinatal deaths. It isn't a description of the care you'll receive.
For parents, the first meaning is the useful one. Perinatal care starts when you're planning a pregnancy or find out you're pregnant, and it continues well past hospital discharge.
Perinatal vs. Prenatal vs. Postpartum
| Term | When | Examples of care |
|---|---|---|
| Preconception | Before pregnancy | Medication review, vaccines, starting folic acid |
| Prenatal (antenatal) | During pregnancy | Checkups, ultrasounds, screening tests |
| Intrapartum | Labor and birth | Monitoring, pain relief, delivery |
| Postpartum (postnatal) | After birth, often up to a year | Recovery checks, feeding help, mood screening |
| Perinatal | All of the above, around birth | The full arc of care for parent and baby |
"Antenatal" is simply the term used in the UK and many other countries for prenatal care.
What Perinatal Care Includes, Stage by Stage
Before Pregnancy: Preconception Care
A prepregnancy visit is a chance to go over your medical and family history, the medications you take, your vaccines, and your diet and lifestyle before they affect a pregnancy. ACOG recommends a daily prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid starting at least 1 month before pregnancy and continuing through the first 12 weeks. Some people, such as those who have had a child with a neural tube defect, are told to take a higher dose, so ask what applies to you (ACOG on prepregnancy care).
If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or take medication every day, this is a good time to review your treatment plan with your clinician.
During Pregnancy: Prenatal Care
For an uncomplicated pregnancy, a common schedule is one visit every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks from 28 to 36 weeks, and then weekly until birth, according to Cleveland Clinic. Pregnancies with twins, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other risk factors usually need more visits.
Routine prenatal care typically includes:
- Blood pressure, weight, and urine checks at most visits
- Measuring your belly to track the baby's growth
- Ultrasounds to confirm your due date and check the baby's development
- Screening tests offered at set points, such as genetic screening, a gestational diabetes test around 24 to 28 weeks, and group B strep testing near the end of pregnancy
- Vaccines, including Tdap in the third trimester
- Screening for depression and anxiety
If a problem comes up, care can expand to extra ultrasounds, fetal monitoring, or a referral to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, an OB-GYN with added training in high-risk pregnancy. That specialist often works alongside your regular OB or midwife rather than replacing them. Our guide to what happens at a prenatal appointment goes visit by visit.
Labor and Birth
Care during labor covers monitoring you and your baby, pain relief options from epidurals to breathing and position changes, and the birth itself, whether vaginal or cesarean. Your team usually includes labor nurses plus an OB-GYN or midwife. Some families add a doula, who doesn't provide medical care but offers continuous physical and emotional support. A childbirth prep class can help you understand your options before the day arrives.
After Birth: Postpartum Care
Postpartum care used to mean a single checkup around six weeks. ACOG now recommends that everyone have contact with their obstetric care provider within the first 3 weeks after birth, ongoing care as needed, and a comprehensive postpartum visit no later than 12 weeks after birth. That visit should cover mood, infant feeding, contraception and birth spacing, sleep, physical recovery, and any chronic conditions (ACOG Committee Opinion 736, reaffirmed 2025).
Your baby's care runs alongside yours: newborn screening, pediatric checkups, and feeding support. These early months are often called the fourth trimester, and it's when many families need the most practical help.
Who Provides Perinatal Care?
Most people have one main clinician for pregnancy and birth, then add other support as needed.
| Provider | What they do |
|---|---|
| OB-GYN | Physician who manages pregnancies at any risk level and performs cesarean births. |
| Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) | Advanced practice nurse who provides prenatal, birth, and postpartum care, mainly for lower-risk pregnancies. Most attend births in hospitals; some work in birth centers or at home births. |
| Family medicine physician | Some provide prenatal care and attend births, which can be convenient if you want one doctor for the whole family. |
| Maternal-fetal medicine specialist | OB-GYN subspecialist for high-risk pregnancies, often working alongside your main provider. |
| Doula | Nonmedical support before, during, and after birth: comfort measures, information, and advocacy. |
| Lactation consultant | Helps with latch, milk supply, pain, pumping, and slow weight gain. |
| Perinatal mental health therapist | Treats depression, anxiety, and birth trauma during pregnancy and after birth. |
| Pelvic floor physical therapist | Helps with leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, and core recovery. |
If you're weighing your main provider, our comparison of a midwife vs. an OB-GYN covers the tradeoffs. For feeding support, see what a lactation consultant does.
Perinatal Mental Health
Mental health is part of perinatal care, not an extra. About 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth report symptoms of postpartum depression, according to the CDC, and anxiety is common too. ACOG recommends that everyone be screened for depression and anxiety with a standardized questionnaire at the first prenatal visit, later in pregnancy, and at postpartum visits.
The "baby blues," a few days of weepiness and feeling overwhelmed after birth, are common and pass on their own. NIMH notes that mood changes, anxiety, or unhappiness that are severe or last longer than 2 weeks after childbirth may be signs of postpartum depression. Treatment usually involves therapy, medication, or both. Our list of postpartum depression warning signs can help you or your partner spot it.
If you're struggling, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) is free, confidential, and available 24/7 by call or text, in English and Spanish. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 988 or call 911.
Warning Signs That Need Care Right Away
The CDC's Hear Her campaign lists urgent maternal warning signs that apply during pregnancy and in the year after delivery. Seek medical care immediately if you have any of these, and tell the staff that you're pregnant or were pregnant within the last year:
- A headache that won't go away or gets worse, or changes in your vision
- Dizziness or fainting
- A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
- Extreme swelling of your hands or face
- Trouble breathing, chest pain, or a fast-beating heart
- Severe belly pain that doesn't go away
- Severe nausea and vomiting
- Your baby moving less or stopping moving during pregnancy
- Vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid during pregnancy, or heavy bleeding after birth (soaking a pad in an hour or passing clots bigger than an egg)
- Severe swelling, redness, or pain in a leg or arm
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
- Overwhelming tiredness
How to Choose Your Perinatal Care Team
Start with your health history. If your pregnancy is higher risk, an OB-GYN, possibly working with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, is usually the right lead. If it's lower risk, a midwife or an OB-GYN can both be good fits, depending on the kind of birth and relationship you want.
Before you commit, ask:
- Where do you deliver, and who covers when you're not on call?
- How do you handle care if my pregnancy becomes higher risk? What does a transfer look like?
- When will I hear from you after birth, and what does postpartum follow-up include?
- How do you screen for depression and anxiety, and where do you refer patients?
- Can you refer me to lactation support or pelvic floor therapy if I need it?
- What is covered by my insurance, and what will I pay out of pocket?
On coverage: all Health Insurance Marketplace plans must cover pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care, both before and after birth, plus breastfeeding coverage. Doula and lactation coverage varies by plan and state, so call your insurer to confirm. If midwifery care appeals to you, our guide on how to find a midwife walks through your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is perinatal the same as prenatal?
No. Prenatal care covers pregnancy only. Perinatal care includes prenatal care plus labor and birth and the months after, and often the planning before pregnancy too. Postpartum blood pressure checks and depression screening are perinatal care but not prenatal care.
What is the difference between antenatal and perinatal?
Antenatal means "before birth" and is another word for prenatal. Perinatal means "around birth," so it includes the antenatal period plus birth and the postpartum months.
When does the perinatal period start and end?
In clinical care and mental health, it usually runs from the start of pregnancy until about one year after birth. In WHO statistics, it runs from 22 weeks of pregnancy to 7 days after birth.
Is postpartum care part of perinatal care?
Yes. Postpartum care, including physical recovery, feeding support, contraception, and mental health screening, is a core part of perinatal care.
When should perinatal care start?
Ideally before pregnancy, with a preconception visit. If you're already pregnant, schedule your first prenatal visit as soon as you can so screening and support can begin early.
If you'd like support beyond your medical team, you can compare doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants near you on Bornbir, read their reviews, and message them directly.