I Am Pregnant...What do I do Now?

Finding out your pregnant brings around bountiful emotions. Once the feelings settle down, it's time to figure out what the next steps are.

Preparing for Baby: How to Start

Decide what kind of birthing experience you'd like
Find an OB/GYN or Midwife
Figure our where you would like to deliver
Take a childbirth education class
Schedule a tour of hospital where you'll deliver
Choosing a provider for your baby
Visit our Maternity FAQ page

Decide what kind of birthing experience you'd like

You don't have to figure out what kind of birthing experience you'd prefer to have, but knowing how you'd like your pregnancy and delivery to proceed can help shape your expectations of a provider. Pinpoint your priorities for your pregnancy - this may be experience, credentials, medical background/training, referrals, views on pain medication, or location.

Find an OB/GYN or Midwife

You have lots of decisions to make now that you're expecting a baby, and one of the first things you'll need to consider is who will care for you during your pregnancy - an obstetrician, a family practice physician, or a certified nurse-midwife. Each has different qualifications, philosophies, practice guidelines, and areas of expertise. Your choice will depend on your health and the type of pregnancy and birth experience you want.

Find an OB/GYN or Midwife in the Des Moines metro area. With offices located throughout Des Moines, you can schedule appointments close to home or work.

Figure out where you'd like to deliver

Once you have chosen a provider, you can chose where to deliver your baby. Choosing a maternity center can be an exciting or anxious experience. Good maternity centers offer tours of their facilities and help you understand all that will take place during your experience in the maternity center during and after delivery.

Iowa Health - Des Moines' family of hospitals provides you with multiple maternity center options in Des Moines. You can choose based on location (with maternity centers on the east side of Des Moines, downtown Des Moines, or in West Des Moines), referral preference, distance from a children's hospital (Iowa Methodist is the only maternity center in Iowa with a Children's Hospital located in the same facility), or any other preference you may have.

Take a Childbirth Education Class

Learn what to expect during delivery, tips on comfort measures during childbirth, prepare yourself for breastfeeding, learn how to bathe your baby and so much more! Register online and view upcoming class times and locations.

Schedule a tour of the hospital where you'd like to deliver

Good maternity centers offer tours of their facilities and help you understand all that will take place during your experience in the maternity center during and after delivery. Schedule your tour of a maternity center online now.

Choosing a Provider for your baby

When you pre-register for your delivery, you will be asked the name of the baby's provider. This person is different than your OB provider and will be caring for your child after he/she is born. First time mothers, often do not realize that in choosing their own doctor for their pregnancy, they must also decide on a pediatrician or family physician for their new baby.

We have several providers throughout Des Moines and its suburbs for you to choose from. Read this document to learn more about choosing a provider for your baby.

Visit Our Maternity fAQ page

Expectant parents usually have a lot of questions about their upcoming delivery and hospital stay and we are OK with that. We encourage you to ask questions and learn as much as you can about welcoming a new baby into your family. To help answer some of your frequently asked questions, we have created the Maternity FAQ page. Please visit this page to see some of the common questions. Feel free to also use our Submit a Question form if you're unable to find the answer to your question.