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Birth Options
What are the common symptoms of pregnancy?
Pregnancy affects women in different ways, but some symptoms are fairly common. In the early part of your pregnancy, you might have morning sickness, resulting in nausea and vomiting that can occur at any time during the day or night. This symptom might continue throughout your pregnancy, although it usually only lasts during the first trimester.
What are my birth options?
Your Provider will discuss your birth options with you to help you plan your delivery. In general, your options inlclude vaginal birth, C-section, or vaginal birth after a previous C-section (VBAC). Your Provider will take your preference into consideration, along with your condition to help you choose the safest birth option.
If you need pregnancy care, please contact our office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Carmen Doty-Armstrong and her team of Certified Nurse Practitioners.
Prenatal Care
Why is prenatal care important?
Prenatal care is a crucial part of ensuring that you and your baby have a safe and healthy pregnancy. During your prenatal visits, your doctor will look for any potential problems that might affect your pregnancy or your baby's health and development. When your Provider finds these problems early, she can address them right away to reduce the risk of problems during labor and delivery.
Prenatal care will help ensure that you and your baby are healthy during your pregnancy. In fact, babies of mothers who do not have prenatal care are five times more likely to die than those born to mothers with prenatal care. You should contact your doctor as soon as you know you are pregnant so you can initiate your care during the first trimester.
The goals of prenatal care are:
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To track proper fetal growth and development
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To optimize your health through disease detection and prevention
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To address proper nutrition and supplements to ensure appropriate weight gain
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To encourage regular physical activity during pregnancy
How many prenatal visits do I need?
For an uncomplicated pregnancy, you will see the doctor on the following schedule:
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From first trimester to 28 weeks: every 4 weeks
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From 28 – 36 weeks: every 2 weeks
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From 36 weeks until delivery: weekly
What can I expect during prenatal visits?
At each prenatal visit, your doctor will assess your and your baby’s health by:
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Checking your blood pressure
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Checking your urine for protein
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Monitoring your baby’s heart rate
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Measuring your abdomen to make sure the baby is growing appropriately
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Measuring your weight gain
During the last few months of pregnancy, your doctor will discuss your plans for your birth and help guide you in discovering what is best for you and your baby.
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