That morning in your bathroom you held in your hand a white plastic strip the size of a stick of bubble gum. It held in two compartments, a pair of mathematical symbols. A plus sign and a minus sign.
With a drop of fluid, and the passage of a few glacial seconds, that little strip wondrously changed your life. A plus sign. Plus means positive. As in, positively pregnant. Soon to be a mother.
Still holding the fuse to that bombshell, your mind turns to practical matters. You want to find out as much as possible about your physical condition, what to expect in the next nine months, and what plans you should be making for the safe delivery of your precious cargo. It all starts with good prenatal care. Prenatal care is to pregnancy what an oil change every 3,000 miles is to your luxury automobile: enlightened preventive maintenance. Prenatal care not only keeps the baby and expectant mother in tip-top shape, it offers Junior the best start. This is because doctors can detect problems and treat certain problems long before the baby makes his debut. We interviewed obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Jeffrey M. Thurston to find out what you should expect during your prenatal visits. Dr. Thurston earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and completed his post-graduate training at the University of California in San Francisco.
Dr. Thurston is the author of Death of Compassion: The Endangered Doctor-Patient Relationship, and the recently released 1,000 Questions About Your Pregnancy (Summit Pub Group, $16.99). In his new book, Dr. Thurston pulls from his 18 years practicing and the delivery of more than 5,000 babies to give expectant mothers quick, reassuring answers to 1,000 questions about pregnancy and childbirth.
How often will I have checkups?
How often will I have checkups?
While the number of visits may vary from doctor to doctor, I encourage your first visit by 10 weeks from your last menstrual period or eight weeks after conception, if that date is known.
What will happen at my first visit?
What will happen at my first visit?
The first visit will include a complete physical, a Pap smear, often a vaginal sonogram to confirm gestational age and status of the pregnancy, and blood work. Blood work includes blood count, hepatitis, rubella, and HIV tests, as well as tests to determine the expectant mother's blood type.
After your first visit, your doctor will see you every four to six weeks until about 30 weeks of pregnancy. After that, your visits will run every two weeks until 36 weeks and then every week until you deliver.
You are encouraged to come to each scheduled prenatal visit. There are specific evaluations scheduled at certain visits. These include: diabetes screening at about 25 weeks and an antibody screen at about 28 weeks if your blood type is RH negative etc. Besides, each visit is fun! You get to hear your baby and of course, you get to ask questions.
Can my partner come with me?
Your partner is just that - your partner. He will always be welcome at every visit. Many doctors also allow other children to come with you, from time to time, so that they feel involved in the imminent arrival of their brother or sister.
Do I need to do anything before my first prenatal visit?
While trying to conceive, you should exercise at least 15 minutes three times a week, add folic acid or folate to your diet to help prevent spina bifida (a congenital defect in which the spinal column is imperfectly closed so that part of the meninges or spinal cord protrudes, often resulting in hydrocephalus and other neurological disorders). These additives also guard against other related rare, birth defects which involve the central nervous system.
You should also gather information about your family's medical history, as well as your own, if you are going to see a new doctor for the first time. After you learn that you are pregnant - but before your first visit - stop any alcohol or drug use and ask your physician whether you should continue any prescription medicines. (And resist the temptation to tell the whole world that you are pregnant until after the 10th week when miscarriage is unlikely!)
Do I need to do anything before my first prenatal visit?
While trying to conceive, you should exercise at least 15 minutes three times a week, add folic acid or folate to your diet to help prevent spina bifida (a congenital defect in which the spinal column is imperfectly closed so that part of the meninges or spinal cord protrudes, often resulting in hydrocephalus and other neurological disorders). These additives also guard against other related rare, birth defects which involve the central nervous system.
You should also gather information about your family's medical history, as well as your own, if you are going to see a new doctor for the first time. After you learn that you are pregnant - but before your first visit - stop any alcohol or drug use and ask your physician whether you should continue any prescription medicines. (And resist the temptation to tell the whole world that you are pregnant until after the 10th week when miscarriage is unlikely!)
No comments:
Post a Comment