- Health
- Safety
How to be your own health advocate while pregnant
• Know your medical history and be able to easily share it with health care providers. Such as:
1. Have you had any recent illnesses, hospitalizations or surgeries?
2. Do you take any prescription drugs?
3. Do you have drug allergies?
4. Do you have exercise routines or diet habits that you think might be important for a provider to know?
• Share anything in your family’s health history that you think could be relevant.
• If you don’t understand a medical term or what’s happening, ask the doctor for an explanation.
• Understand how your health insurance works. What does it cover? What will you need to pay out of pocket?
• Maintain your own billing records. Review them to ensure there are no errors.
• If you feel you need a second medical opinion at any point, check with your insurance to make sure it is covered.
• Develop a birth plan.
• If you need to see a doctor within the first six weeks after giving birth, make sure to tell them you just gave birth. Some medical problems are managed differently because you recently delivered a baby.
• Remember that the Internet is an amazing tool for resources, but it won’t make you a medical expert. If you have concerns or questions about something going on with your pregnancy, contact your doctor. Do not self-diagnosis or come up with treatments on your own.
SOURCE:
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County
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Related resources
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Palm Beach County Medical Society
List of local hospitals
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Palm Beach County Medical Society
Find a Doctor — search by specialty or doctor's name to locate a local doctor (Note: This is not a complete list)
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T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society
A network of minority health-care professionals providing health education programs, youth mentoring programs, speakers, health fairs and screenings in Palm Beach County, focusing on helping the underserved
561-318-0814 Website Email -
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HomeSafe
Healthy Beginnings Entry Agency — provides free child development and social-emotional/behavioral screenings to Palm Beach County children through age 5 to determine if they're eligible for services funded by Children's Services Council
561-383-9800 Website Email -
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Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County
A safety net of local services and support for pregnant women and families with infants, focusing on racial disparities in birth outcomes
561-623-2800 Website