Early Pregnancy Management

This section offers guidance on early pregnancy management, including initial prenatal counseling and care as well as management of miscarriage and abortion. 

Even providers who do not offer full-scope prenatal care can and should offer basic early pregnancy care, encompassing management of urgent complications (such as early pregnancy loss), screening for medication use and other relevant conditions, and education on folic acid use and other time-sensitive topics.  Providers should initiate referrals, ideally with a warm handoff, for any needed services not provided on-site, including prenatal care and planning for birth. High-quality, person-centered care in the earliest phases of pregnancy is crucial for improving maternal and infant health outcomes, and significant disparities in access to this care currently exist.141