Finding out you’re pregnant can bring up approximately seventeen emotions at the same time.
You may feel excited, surprised, peaceful, nervous, overwhelmed or all of the above before you have even finished looking at the test.
Then come the practical questions:
Do I have insurance? Could I qualify for Medicaid? What benefits might be available to me? Which doctor or midwife should I call?
Take a breath. You do not need to plan your entire pregnancy today. Let’s get you onto the steps of finding a provider first.
The easiest place to begin is with your coverage. Once you know what insurance or pregnancy benefits you have, it becomes much easier to find a prenatal provider who accepts your plan and avoid surprise costs.
Here is a simple order to follow.
First, give yourself a minute
Before opening twelve browser tabs and trying to plan the next nine months, give yourself a little time to process what is happening.
There is no correct way to react to a positive pregnancy test. You might feel instantly excited. You may need time. You may not be sure how you feel yet.
Jot your feelings down somewhere! You might want to remember how you’re feeling in the future.
1. Find out what health coverage you currently have
Start by confirming whether you already have active health insurance.
Your coverage may come through:
- Your employer
- Your spouse or partner’s employer
- A parent’s health plan, depending on your age
- Health First Colorado
- Connect for Health Colorado
- Another private insurance plan
Look for your insurance card, sign in to your online account or call the member-services number listed on the card.
Ask when your coverage began, whether it is currently active and whether pregnancy and maternity care are included. Plans sold through Connect for Health Colorado include pregnancy, maternity and newborn care as essential health benefits.
You can say:
“I recently found out I’m pregnant. Can you help me understand my prenatal and maternity benefits?”
Ask about:
- Prenatal appointments
- Ultrasounds
- Laboratory testing
- Hospital and birth-center coverage
- Midwifery care
- Doula benefits or reimbursement
- Lactation support and breast pumps
- Your deductible
- Copays or coinsurance
- Your out-of-pocket maximum
Write down the date, the representative’s name and any reference number they give you.
Insurance has its own language. You are not being difficult by asking someone to slow down or explain something again.
2. See whether you qualify for pregnancy Medicaid or other coverage
If you do not have insurance, your coverage is ending or your current plan feels unaffordable, check whether you qualify for additional support before selecting a prenatal provider.
Colorado’s Medicaid program is called Health First Colorado.
Pregnancy can change which income limits and coverage options apply to you, so do not assume you earn too much without completing an eligibility check or application.
Health First Colorado enrollment is available year-round for people who qualify.
When applying, you may need information about:
- Your identity
- Your Colorado residence
- The people in your household
- Household income
- Your pregnancy
- Your estimated due date
- Any current insurance coverage
Colorado also offers health coverage for qualifying pregnant people regardless of immigration status through Cover All Coloradans.
What if I do not qualify for Medicaid?
You may still have options through Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s official health-insurance marketplace.
Colorado recognizes certification of pregnancy by a healthcare provider as a qualifying event for a Special Enrollment Period, which may allow someone to enroll outside the regular Open Enrollment window.
The important thing is to check rather than assuming you have no options.
3. Look for a prenatal provider who is in network
Once you know which insurance plan or program you will use, begin looking for a prenatal provider who accepts it.
This order matters.
Choosing a provider first and checking coverage later can leave you with an out-of-network office, hospital or laboratory—and unexpected bills.
Use your insurance company’s provider directory or call member services and ask for a current list of in-network:
- OB-GYN practices
- Certified nurse-midwives
- Family medicine providers who offer prenatal care
- Community health centers
- Hospital-based prenatal clinics
- Birth centers, when covered by your plan
Then call the individual office to confirm.
You can say:
“I recently found out I’m pregnant. I have ___ insurance. Are you currently accepting new prenatal patients with this plan?”
Also ask:
- Which hospitals the provider attends
- Whether the hospital is also in network
- When they usually schedule the first visit
- Whether you will see one provider or rotate through a group
- Whether they offer midwifery care
- How they handle urgent concerns after hours
Provider directories can be outdated, so confirm your coverage with both the insurance company and the provider’s office.
4. Schedule your first prenatal appointment
After confirming that the provider is in network, schedule your appointment.
ACOG recommends beginning prenatal care during the first trimester, although the exact timing of the first appointment can depend on when you discovered the pregnancy, your health history and any symptoms you are experiencing.
The office may ask for:
- The first day of your last menstrual period
- Your estimated due date, if known
- Previous pregnancy history
- Current medications
- Health conditions
- Your insurance information
- Whether you are experiencing pain or bleeding
Your first visit may not be scheduled immediately. Many practices plan routine first appointments several weeks into pregnancy.
That does not mean you cannot call now. Getting on the schedule early gives you time to confirm coverage, complete paperwork and ask what to expect.
Do not wait for a routine appointment when something feels urgent
Contact a healthcare professional promptly for concerning symptoms such as heavy bleeding, severe or one-sided pain, fainting, difficulty breathing or symptoms that feel like an emergency.
This blog is general information and cannot determine whether a symptom is normal for your pregnancy.
5. Apply for WIC and other pregnancy support
Once your health coverage and prenatal care are underway, look at the other benefits that may be available to you.
Colorado WIC supports qualifying people who are pregnant, recently pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as infants and children under five.
WIC can provide:
- Healthy food benefits
- Nutrition education
- Breastfeeding education and counseling
- Breast pumps in some circumstances
- Referrals to health and community services
Colorado WIC states that it does not ask for or keep information about citizenship or visa status.
WIC is not only for families receiving Medicaid. Apply or contact your local WIC office even when you are unsure whether you qualify.
6. Check whether your plan includes doula support
Once you understand your coverage, ask whether your plan offers birth or postpartum doula benefits.
Doula support may be available through:
- Health First Colorado
- Private insurance
- An employer family-benefit program
- A reimbursement benefit
- A community or hospital doula program
Call the plan and ask:
“Does my coverage include birth or postpartum doula services?”
Then ask:
- Does the doula need to be an approved provider?
- Is a referral required?
- Is prior authorization required?
- How many prenatal, birth or postpartum visits are included?
- Do I pay the doula and request reimbursement?
You can begin your search for a doula whenever you are ready! It’s never too early to have support.
7. Make one simple place to keep everything
Pregnancy can create a surprising amount of paperwork.
Create one folder, notebook or phone note for:
- Insurance information
- Medicaid or marketplace applications
- Provider names and phone numbers
- Appointment dates
- Your estimated due date
- Current medications
- Questions for your provider
- WIC information
- Doula-benefit details
- Birth and postpartum resources
You do not need a beautiful pregnancy planner unless you genuinely want one.
You just need one reliable place where the important information lives.
Your first pregnancy checklist
Here is the order I recommend:
☐ Confirm your current insurance coverage
☐ See whether you qualify for Health First Colorado or another coverage option
☐ Learn what prenatal, maternity and doula benefits are included
☐ Search for an in-network prenatal provider
☐ Confirm coverage directly with the provider’s office
☐ Schedule your first prenatal appointment
☐ Apply for WIC and other family resources
☐ Start thinking about birth and postpartum support
That is enough to begin.
You do not need to choose a hospital, write a birth plan, buy baby supplies and understand every trimester today.
First, determine what support is already available to you.
Then choose care that works with that coverage.
One step will lead you to the next.
You may have more support available than you realize
Pregnancy benefits can feel hidden behind unfamiliar websites, insurance terms and applications.
But you may have access to:
- Prenatal healthcare
- Medicaid coverage
- Private insurance assistance
- WIC benefits
- Breastfeeding support
- Transportation assistance
- Doula care
- Community pregnancy and parenting programs
Support should not feel like something you have to earn by already knowing how the system works.
Begin with your coverage. Ask questions. Apply when you may qualify. Then build your care team from there.
Take it one step at a time and you’ll feel confident during your pregnancy that you have the support you deserve!
A note from Parent Vortex
Parent Vortex provides calm, practical guidance for pregnancy, birth, postpartum and parentingwith the sweet spot between intuition and information.
I’m Melinda, a birth and postpartum doula and Certified Lactation Educator serving families throughout the Denver metro area. My role is nonmedical and does not replace care from your physician, midwife or another licensed healthcare professional.
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