Prenatal care is generally the most prolonged and sustained component of pregnancy care. Such care is often delivered by a single provider who will follow the course of the pregnancy with nearly as much interest as the pregnant patient. Although the prenatal period is often filled with anxiety, it is generally more relaxed and almost always less pressured than the labor and delivery setting. For these reasons, prenatal care provides patients with an opportunity to educate themselves and participate in the process of preparing for a new infant.