Search Results for: blog your first prenatal visit

The Truth About Your Diet During Pregnancy

One of the assumptions I made about pregnancy prior to becoming pregnant is I’d have a diet-related Get out of Jail Free card.  I knew that there are certain foods it’s best to avoid, but I thought at least I’d have a free pass to eat, well, not quite as much as I wanted, but to feel a bit more guilt-free about evening ice cream binges. That turned out not to be the case at all.  First off, the whole “eating for two” thing isn’t true.  At most, you should eat for one and a quarter.  In addition to that, … Continue reading →

Scrapping Your Nine-Month Journey to Parenthood

My pregnancy went by in a flash. I was so busy working 14-hour days that I didn’t have time to fret over the little things. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to relish the special moments either. If I had the time I would have made more of an effort to document my journey to parenthood. I wish I would have jotted down some of the ups and downs related to my pregnancy, so I could share them with my daughter. For many, the main focus of a pre-baby scrapbook is the pictures that chronicle your body’s changes from conception to labor … Continue reading →

Preparing Your Health History

One of the major components of your first prenatal check up is the health history interview. It should feel somewhat familiar, since many doctors do this on your first visit, but the prenatal version is a little more detailed. To prepare, it may help to look over some of these questions beforehand in case you need to make a few phone calls to your mom or relatives. What is your history with pregnancy? Have you been pregnant before? Have you ever had a miscarriage? Have you ever had an abortion? If you have had a baby before, how did you … Continue reading →

Prenatal Care FAQ

Q: I’m pregnant! How long does it take to find a OB/GYN or midwife if I do not already have one? A: It depends on how much research you want to do. I would start with referrals from friends, and then I would call and talk to the nurses to ask their opinions. I found my OB/GYN through the recommendation from a nurse at his clinic (where there were multiples doctor’s practicing) who said he had great bedside manner. She was right! I researched and called around for a few hours over the course of two days before I found … Continue reading →

What To Expect At Your Prenatal Appointments

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A positive pregnancy test is the beginning of an exciting journey towards parenthood. Once you find out your are pregnant, you should immediately call your health care provider to schedule your first obstetric appointment, especially if your OB/GYN has a waiting list. If this is your first pregnancy, you may be wondering what will happen at your appointments. The following guidelines are based on a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor will adjust your care to meet your individual needs. How often will I visit my practitioner? How In the beginning, you’ll visit your practitioner about once per month. Your first appointment … Continue reading →

Another Good Reason to Tell Your Doctor About Drug or Alcohol Use

In my last blog, I talked about the reasons women aren’t always completely honest about certain habits during pregnancy. One of the more common things to hide is drug or alcohol use. Recent research has shown the importance of finding help and getting treatment for addiction when you are pregnant. A study conducted by Kaiser Permanente in California looked at the outcome of pregnancy when the mother receives treatment for addiction. The researchers studied 50,000 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the facility. There were 2100 women who chose to receive treatment for substance abuse and 160 who declined the … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Blog Review Dec 30 – January 12

A variety of topics have been covered recently in the pregnancy blog. The blog review is a good place to get caught up on the topics covered in one convenient place. Sit back, relax and catch up on your reading. As always, I welcome any questions or topics for future blogs. At each prenatal visit, the fundal height will be measured. This is the measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. The measurement is one way your health care provider uses to track the growth of your baby. A lack of growth from one visit to … Continue reading →

Bringing Children to Prenatal Visits

If this is not your first pregnancy, you may be wondering if you should bring your other child or children to your visits. This topic has recently been discussed in our forums. There isn’t a clear answer to this question. For some it works well, but others prefer to focus on their own health care during visits. In some cases, there isn’t really an option. If the mother has nobody to watch the other children, it may be necessary to bring them to the visit. If they are unable to bring the child, they may miss visits for lack of … Continue reading →

How to Calculate Your Due Date

When you learn you are pregnant, the first thing you will wonder is when the baby will arrive. This will also be one of the first questions your family and friends will ask when you share the news. You may be anxious for that first visit with your health care provider, so you will know the due date. You don’t need to wait for your first prenatal visit. You can calculate your due date at home. You can find due date calculators on parenting and pregnancy websites on the internet. These calculators all work in about the same way. You … Continue reading →

Videotaping the Birth of Your Baby

Video taping the birth of your baby can be a wonderful memento of the big day. You will be able to share the memories of your baby’s birth for years to come. An added benefit is that the tape can be shared with your baby as he or she gets older and naturally begins to ask questions about the birth. Talk to your doctor if you want to video tape the baby’s birth. Some doctors and hospitals have a policy against video cameras in the delivery room. In this age of lawsuits, doctors fear that tapes can later be used … Continue reading →