Abstract. The evaluation of a prenatal service from the point of view of pregnant women is a powerful tool that allows to increase knowledge and contribute to changes in health practices, qualifying them. Objective: To analyze the perceptions of women, pregnant women of habitual risk and high-risk mothers about prenatal care. Method: Qualitative study, developed in 2018 and 2019, with 30 pregnant women at usual risk and 7 high-risk puerperal women inserted in prenatal care in a city in the interior of São Paulo. Data were obtained from a semi-structured interview in a single meeting. The references of Symbolic Interactionism, conceptual framework of positive experience in pregnancy and Thematic Analysis supported the study. Results: Prenatal care was experienced under an unwelcoming and even disrespectful interactional context, which imposed limitations on autonomy for issues of pregnancy, childbirth and birth and for the establishment of social support, which hindered the personal empowerment of women to face adverse situations of pregnancy and childbirth. Two thematic categories detail the findings: "Interactions with professionals", "Barriers to information support for pregnancy, childbirth and birth". Conclusion: Prenatal care was described and centered on a biomedical clinic, with relational insufficiencies between professionals and women and with little scope for singularities, especially in the informational scope, with a lack of approach to prenatal delivery. It is inferred that qualitative research, especially the interview strategy, provides a means of valuing horizontal dialogue and is a resource that promotes genuine subjective interactions.