Obstetrics

Eat Healthy From The Start

Eating one healthy meal isn’t hard. It’s not even hard to eat three healthy meals in a single day. The hard part is making changes in your daily life so that you start eating healthy every day—and keep eating healthy every day.

If you’re having problems staying with your plan, don’t worry. You’re not alone. You’ll be glad to hear that there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to get yourself back on track and stay there.

Let’s begin with these key ideas:

• Your reason for wanting to eat healthy is very important. It won’t work if you’re doing it because someone else—your spouse, your children, your doctor—wants you to. You have to want it.
• If you’ve started a healthy eating plan but don’t feel like you’re making any progress, it may be time to update your goals.
• If you’ve started a healthy eating plan but are having trouble keeping it going, it may help to figure out what’s getting in your way. Then you can figure out how to work around those barriers.

Safe Over-The-Counter Medications for Pregnancy?

• MEDICATIONS: The most important medication to take when you are pregnant is your Prenatal Vitamins.
• SALINE NASAL SPRAY: 100% plain for nasal congestion. You should call us if you develop a fever or if symptoms persist.
• TYLENOL: Plain Tylenol is safe for Headaches and general aches and pains. If a headache persists, or if you get no relief with Tylenol at the recommended dose, please contact our office.
• ROBITUSSIN DM: You should call us if the cough is productive or if you have a fever with the cough.
• MAALOX, TUMS, and ROLAIDS: Can be taken at the recommended doses for heartburn.
• METAMUCIL: Can be taken for occasional constipation

ACOG recommendations

14 visits between 6 and 40 weeks gestation

You will usually be seen by time you are 8 weeks pregnant and have a full exam and ultrasound.

Monthly visits

We will see you every month until you reach approximately 28 weeks.

Bi-weekly visits

We will see you every two weeks until you reach 36-37 weeks gestation.

Weekly visits

We will see you every week until you deliver. Some patient’s may require more frequent visits if they are considered at risk for pre-term labor.

Non Fetal Stress Test

NST’s are generally performed after 28 weeks of gestation. Before The Fetal Non-Stress test is a simple, non-invasive test performed in pregnancies over 28 weeks gestation. The test is named “non-stress” because no stress is placed on the fetus during the test. The test involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement is measured for 20-30 minutes. If the baby does not move, it does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem; the baby could just be asleep. A nurse may use a small amount of juice to drink, to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.

What role does obstetrical care play in childbirth?

Knowing when labor begins

This includes understanding and interpreting signs that a woman is approaching labor, contractions are not always a sign that a woman will go into labor.

Recommending when labor should be induced

Labor may need to be induced for a variety of reasons such as heart disease, gestational diabetes, or abnormal bleeding or when a pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks.

Providing pain relief

There are two types of pain-relieving drugs given during labor, analgesics and anesthetics.

Deciding if a cesarean delivery is needed

Cesarean delivery  is the delivery of a fetus through a surgical incision made through the abdominal wall and the uterine wall.

Postpartum care

Postpartum care encompasses the care for a new mother immediately after childbirth and for the following 6 weeks.