Your leading OB/GYN, Mina K. Sinacori, MD, MPH, FACOG, understands that you may have several concerns when pregnant and require professional care to have a smooth journey to motherhood. Your safety and that of your baby are crucial during pregnancy, whether you are in perfect health or have a high-risk pregnancy. Having an expert gynecologist guiding you through your pregnancy assures you that you and your little one are in perfect health.
What are some of the pregnancy concerns?
Having an underlying condition like diabetes can get you worried, especially during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about such worries for the professional to recommend a change in treatments to ease your worries. Other conditions you are likely to have with pregnancy include:
- Gestational diabetes– you might have gestational diabetes after your first trimester. Besides providing your fetus with oxygen and nutrients, your placenta may also produce hormones that alter how your insulin works.
- Preeclampsia– the condition is typical after six months into your pregnancy, resulting in high blood pressure, proteins in your urine, and edema.
- Rh incompatibility– you are likely to have complications when you and your baby have incompatible rhesus factors. For instance, when your Rh-positive baby’s blood cells flow into your Rh-negative bloodstream, your body might react by forming antibodies that are likely to flow into your baby’s bloodstream and damage their red blood cells.
Though the conditions are severe and might be fatal, your doctor will help you manage their symptoms throughout your pregnancy.
What should you expect during your routine visits?
Prenatal care is vital when you want to protect your health and that of your unborn baby during pregnancy. On your first visit, your doctor will request a pregnancy test to check how far you are into your pregnancy based on a physical exam and your last period date. Your care provider will also use your last period date to predict your expected delivery date.
Your doctor will record your blood pressure, weight, uterus’ size and shape, and your baby’s development at every visit. You can expect glucose screening at around 12 weeks of pregnancy, especially if you are at a higher risk of gestational diabetes. Your doctor will also recommend the screening if:
- You are overweight
- Previously conceived a baby weighing 9 pounds and above
- You have a history of diabetes
What should you expect after delivery?
Though delivery is an exciting moment, it also means hard work for you as a new mom. The care you might need for the first few weeks after your baby’s arrival will significantly depend on your form of delivery; normal delivery or C-section. If you are a first-time mom, you might need to learn much about nursing your baby. Things you might need to learn include:
- Positioning your baby during breastfeeding
- Caring for your breasts
- Overcoming breastfeeding complications
- Nipple changes
- Pumping and storing breast milk
There is so much more to prenatal visits than the routine recording of weight and monitoring your baby’s development. The number of visits your doctor will recommend and the types of tests depend on your pregnancy stage. Set up an appointment with your gynecologist to start your prenatal care to support your health and that of your unborn baby.
