Posts for category: Pregnancy Care
Congratulations on your little bundle of joy! Pregnancy is a new and exciting time. Your body goes through vast changes as your baby develops. It’s important to do everything possible to guarantee a healthy baby. This includes changing your diet! Many women aren’t sure what they should and shouldn’t eat during this time. Why not schedule an appointment with your local OBGYN and learn what’s best for you?- Smoked seafood
- Hot dogs or deli meat
- Meat spreads
- Uncooked sprouts
- Unpasteurized milk or juice
- Fish that contain high levels of mercury
If this is your first pregnancy you may certainly feel like you’re in uncharted territory. There are so many unknowns as you reach 40 weeks and your OBGYN is going to be a crucial part of guiding you throughout this journey into motherhood. An OBGYN will provide you with care, treatment, checkups, and support along the way. One question you may be asking yourself is: Can I exercise while pregnant?
The simple answer is that yes, exercise is part of maintaining a healthy pregnancy. It can help boost your energy and mood, especially during the earlier months when you may be feeling a bit tired and sluggish. Working out can even alleviate aches and pains throughout your pregnancy. In fact, regular physical activity could even be key to preventing gestational diabetes.
If you were working out prior to becoming pregnant then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to continue working out; however, some things will need to change. While you may wish to workout at the same intensity and level you had been, your body is going through a lot of changes. Low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking or even swimming may be recommended by an OBGYN over high-intensity training.
What if you were a dedicated Crossfitter, HIIT queen, or marathon-running champ before getting pregnant? If you are a serious athlete, it’s even more important that your obstetrician works with you to create a training and workout program that will help you maintain what you’ve worked hard for while also being safe for both you and baby. This is particularly important for women who are personal trainers or professional athletes.
Starting Exercise While Pregnant
If you haven’t been working out prior to becoming pregnant you may want to take up a more regular exercise regimen to maintain good health throughout your pregnant. Before starting a new workout routine it’s important to consult your OBGYN. It’s important that you start out with slow, easy activities like a brisk walk through the neighborhood. You wouldn’t go from not being active to suddenly tackling a Warrior Run, so you certainly don’t want to do it when you’re pregnant, either. Err on the conservative side when choosing workouts to do while pregnant, especially if you are new to regular exercise. Your OBGYN can provide you with a list of pregnancy-approved exercises.
How Much Exercise is Enough?
Most pregnant women will reap the benefits of exercise if they participate in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week, as recommended by the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Of course, if you have any health problems such as heart disease or asthma, it’s extremely important that you talk with your OBGYN before you start any workout routine.
Workouts to avoid include any contact sports, exercises that could lead to falls or abdominal injuries, as well as exercising in extreme weather conditions. If you have questions about exercise during pregnant, talk with your OBGYN today.
If you’ve just found out you are pregnant then you are probably getting ready to schedule your first prenatal care visit with your OBGYN. It’s important that you find an OBGYN that you trust, as they will be with you throughout your pregnancy providing care, monitoring the health of you and your baby, and offering important 
recommendations about your health, specific testing you should undergo and even creating your ideal birth plan.
If you aren’t dealing with a high-risk pregnancy then you won’t need to come in for prenatal care as often in the very beginning. As your pregnancy advances you’ll need to come in more regularly. If you are between the ages of 18 and 35 years old and healthy then you’ll need to come in for prenatal care about every 4 to 6 weeks for the first 32 weeks of your pregnancy. Once you reach the 32ndweek then you’ll need to come in every 2-3 weeks until the 37thweek. From the 37thweek until delivery you will need to see your obstetrician once a week.
The first prenatal visit is often the longest one. During your first visit you can expect to provide detailed information about you and your family’s medical history. You will also undergo a thorough physical exam, as well as urine and blood tests to look for any health problems. We will also measure your height, weight, heart rate and blood pressure and perform a breast exam and pelvic exam.
If necessary, your gynecologist may also choose to perform a Pap smear, STI testing, and other screening tests (e.g. anemia; diabetes). Depending on how far along you are, an ultrasound may also be performed during your first visit to determine how far along you are and your expected due date. We may even be able to listen to the fetal heartbeat.
This checkup is also a time to ask us any questions or address any concerns you may have about your pregnancy, from what foods to avoid to what prenatal vitamins you should take. We can offer up advice to help you have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
It’s important that you schedule your first prenatal visit as soon as you get a positive home pregnancy test. Better yet, if you are planning on becoming pregnant it’s a good idea to see your gynecologist prior to getting pregnant for pre-pregnancy care.
Congratulations! You just found out you are going to have a baby. Now what? First and foremost, it is important that you and your unborn child get the proper care you both need over the next 9 months.
Your OBGYN will be an invaluable part of your medical team, as they will be able to not only provide you with a host of good advice for a healthy pregnancy, but also they can check for health issues in both you and your unborn child that could potentially cause further and more serious complications. Turning to an OBGYN regularly is vitally important for a healthy, complication-free pregnancy.
Of course, there are also some wonderful milestones to enjoy throughout the course of your pregnancy. Here are some things to look forward to before getting to meet the new addition to your family,
Baby’s First Ultrasound
Once you find out you’re pregnant, it’s important that you visit your OBGYN to confirm the pregnancy, determine your due date and to schedule your very first ultrasound. This first ultrasound can occur as early as between 6 weeks and 9 weeks and it allows your obstetrician to check your baby’s size and heart rate, while also checking the health of the placenta and umbilical cord. This is an exciting moment for parents, as they often get to hear their baby’s heartbeat for the first time.
The End of the First Trimester
We know that saying goodbye to the first trimester is high on most pregnant women’s lists. This is because most miscarriages occur during the first trimester. This is usually around the time that expectant mothers want to announce their pregnancy to family members and friends. Plus, if you were fighting terrible morning sickness during your first trimester you may be relieved to hear that a lot of these symptoms may lessen or go away completely once you reach the second trimester.
Feeling Your Baby Kick
Most expectant mothers can’t even describe how incredible it is to experience their baby kicking for the first time. Your baby’s kick may feel more like a flutter or tickle while other women may feel a nudging sensation. At some point, you may even see an indent of an arm or leg as your stomach expands and the baby grows.
Your Child’s Gender Reveal
While some parents don’t want to know whether they are having a boy or girl until that moment in the delivery room, some couples can’t wait to find out and share the news. In fact, gender reveal parties have become a popular trend today and once you find out whether you are having a little boy or girl you may just feel that exciting urge to start decorating the baby room.
Your Due Date
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for: your baby’s expected birth date. While most babies won’t show up right on schedule, you may be experiencing some warning signs that labor is soon on the way and you’ll soon get to welcome your baby into the world.
Whether you think you might be pregnant or you already took a home pregnancy test that came back positive, it’s important that you schedule an appointment with your OBGYN as soon as possible. Regular prenatal visits are the best way to monitor the health of both you and your baby while also tracking the development of the fetus. These visits are important for every pregnant woman, not just women who are dealing with health issues or a high-risk pregnancy.
During your first prenatal visit, which usually occurs after your eighth week of pregnancy, we will check your vitals (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.), and run blood and urine tests to test for current infections (including STDs) and to confirm your blood type (your blood type and the father’s blood type are important for the health of your child).
An ultrasound may also be performed to determine how far along you are in the pregnancy as well as your expected due date. A physical exam, including a pelvic exam, will be conducted. Your obstetrician will also take time to talk with you about your family history and your own detailed medical history.
It’s important to provide as much information as possible about any preexisting health conditions, surgeries and previous pregnancies you’ve had. This is also a great time to ask any questions you might have regarding diet, exercise, lifestyle or managing your pregnancy symptoms (e.g. morning sickness).
If all test results come back normal and you have a healthy pregnancy then you’ll only need to see your OBGYN every month for the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy. Once you reach 28 weeks you’ll come in twice a week until you are 36 weeks into your pregnancy. From 36 weeks until the birth of your baby you’ll have weekly checkups.
During these visits, your OBGYN may also run special tests to check for gestational diabetes and other conditions, depending on your family history and age. Genetic testing can also be performed to check the health of your child and to determine if there are any genetic disorders present.
It’s important that you find an obstetrician that you can trust to provide you with compassionate and thorough care and support throughout your pregnancy.