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OB/GYN Health Tips

Pre Prenatal Care

Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care.

• You should start taking care of yourself before you start trying to get pregnant. By staying active, eating right, and taking a multivitamin, you can help keep yourself and your baby healthy even before it is conceived.
• Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly (30 minutes per day most days of the week is best), and get enough rest and sleep. Talk to your doctor about what kinds of food and exercise are best for you.
• Get 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid (one of the B vitamins) every day. The best way to do this is to take a daily multivitamin with this amount of folic acid. Getting enough folic acid every day before you get pregnant and during early pregnancy can help prevent certain birth defects.

During Preganancy

• Get early and regular prenatal care. Your doctor will check to make sure you and the baby are healthy at each visit. If there are any problems, early action will help you and the baby.
• Ask your doctor before taking any medicine. Some are not safe during pregnancy. Remember that even over-the-counter medicines and herbal products may cause side effects or other problems. So ask your doctor before taking these products too.
• Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and x-rays
• Don't eat uncooked or undercooked meats or fish.
• Stay active. Most women continue working through pregnancy. Few jobs are unsafe for pregnant women. But if you're worried about the safety of your job, talk with your doctor

Doctor Visits During Pregnancy

How often should I see my doctor during pregnancy? Your doctor will give you a schedule of all the doctor's visits you should have while pregnant. As your pregnancy progresses, you'll see the doctor more often. Most experts suggest you see your doctor:

• about once each month for the first six months of pregnancy
• every two weeks for the seventh and eighth month of pregnancy
• every week until the baby is born
• As soon as you suspect you're pregnant, schedule an appointment with your pregnancy health care provider, such as an obstetrician/gynecologist. Even if you've confirmed your suspicion with a home pregnancy test, it's still wise to follow-up with an appointment. This will ensure that you and your baby get off to a good start.

What Happens at My First Medical Visit for Prenatal Care?
The first visit is designed to confirm your pregnancy and to determine your general health. In addition, the visit will give your healthcare provider clues to any risk factors that may affect your pregnancy. It will typically be longer than future visits. The purpose of the prenatal visit is to:

• Determine your due date.
• Find out your health history.
• Explore the medical history of family members.
• Determine if you have any pregnancy risk factors based on your age, health and/or personal and family history.
• Ultrasound (also called a sonogram, sonograph, echogram, or ultrasonogram): You'll likely have at least one ultrasound examination to make sure the pregnancy is progressing normally and to verify the expected date of delivery. Usually, an ultrasound is performed at 18 to 20 weeks to look at the baby's anatomy, but can be done sooner or later and sometimes more than once. An ultrasound poses no risk to you or your baby.

Healthy Preganacy

Pregnant women also frequently worry about weight gain. It's generally recommended that a woman of normal weight gain approximately 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy. For individuals who start their pregnancy overweight, their total weight gain should be closer to 15 to 25 pounds. And those who are underweight should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

On average, the normal pregnancy is 280 days. These days are divided into equal trimesters. The first trimester extends through the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, the second through weeks 15-28 and the third from 28- 42 weeks.

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