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Prenatal Care and Ultrasounds

Prenatal Care and Ultrasounds. Who Provides Prenatal Care?. Family Doctor Obstetrician Midwife. Midwife vs. Doctor. Things to consider: Do you have a serious chronic medical condition Do you have someone you already see you like

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Prenatal Care and Ultrasounds

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  1. Prenatal Care and Ultrasounds

  2. Who Provides Prenatal Care? • Family Doctor • Obstetrician • Midwife

  3. Midwife vs. Doctor • Things to consider: • Do you have a serious chronic medical condition • Do you have someone you already see you like • How important to you is a more individual, less routine approach • Where do you want to deliver

  4. Do you have a serious chronic medical condition? • High blood pressure, epilepsy, heart diease ro diabetes High Risk • Previous pregnancy complications  High Risk • Twins/ multiples  High Risk • If you are any of the high risk you must see an obstetrician • Sometimes you can have both if they are willing to work together

  5. How important to you is a more individual, less routine approach • Midwives take a holistic approach • Midwives have more time to answer your questions • Can help with birth plan and drug choices • Interview or look at both options before making final choice

  6. Where to deliver? • Hospital: midwife or doctor • Epidural option • Birthing Centers: natural birth plans where many people can be present • Home birth: midwife

  7. Care Providers • Depends on where you go • You may have the same midwife all the time or be shared by a number of midwives • You may have your family doctor up until your third trimester and then be transferred to OB-GYN for the final weeks and delivery • May not deliver your baby as it depends on who is “on call”

  8. What’s the popular choice Obstetricians are still the most common choice in Canada and the USA.

  9. Where do I go for prenatal Check-ups? • Doctor’s office or clinic • Only need to go to hospital for ultrasounds and special tests • These are sometimes done in clinics as well

  10. First Prenatal Appointment • Usually around 8-12 weeks pregnant • Lots of questions to answer during this time • Date of last period: estimate due date • Previous miscarriages, abortions and births • Family history of disease/genetic conditions • Your lifestyle : alcohol consumption, smoke, dietary • Birth options: where you want to have your baby

  11. First Prenatal Visit • Take Blood Pressure • Weight • Urine test for protein to check for Pre-eclempsia • Pre-eclampsia: high blood pressure, sudden swelling • Reduced blood to placenta • Can be dangerous for both baby and mother

  12. How often will are prenatal appointments? • After Initial visit: • Every 4-6 weeks up to 30 weeks pregnant • Every 2-3 weeks after 30 weeks • Every 1-2 weeks after 36 weeks till labour

  13. What happens during those other appointments • Measure the baby: done by feel of the abdomen to see if growing properly • After 20 weeks they will measure belly with a tape measure (pelvic bone to top of abdomen) • Measure in cm which would be similar to weeks of pregnancy • Blood tests • Screening tests • Diagnostic tests • Ultrasounds

  14. Ultrasounds Done by ultrasound technicians and radiologist reads it

  15. What is an ultrasound? • High frequency sound waves through uterus • Bounce off the baby and return sounds that show up as images • Show shades of white, grey and black • White: hard tissues such as bone • Grey: soft tissues • Black: fluids

  16. Why use an ultrasound? • Check baby heartbeat • Multiples • Ectoptic pregnancy • Cause of any bleeding • Accurately check due date • Test for issues • Organ development • Amount of amniotic fluid and placenta • Rate of growth • Sex of baby

  17. Determining Sex of Baby • From 18 weeks on • Not always possible based on baby position • Not always 100 percent certain

  18. When are they normally done? • Weeks 10-13 to confirm dates • Weeks 18-20 for development and sex • Any pain or bleeding • Growth concerns during weeks 28-40 • Multiples during weeks 28-40

  19. Other ultrasound info • Must have full bladder to push uterus out • Sometimes down vaginally • In Ontario you are covered by OHIP for any ultrasounds your doctor/ midwife prescribes • These ultrasounds are 2D

  20. What is a 3D and 4D ultrasound • Higher quality imaging • Can be expensive • Example: • Complete 4D package $175 (approx. 30 minutes) • Just Gender $ 99 http://www.uc-baby.com/en/image-video-gallery/videos.php

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