Obstetrician Albany, GA
Early and regular visits to your obstetrician are critically important during your pregnancy. The care you receive throughout your pregnancy is vital to your health and the health of your unborn child. The physicians and staff at Albany OB-GYN make you and your unborn child our number one priority. We want to guide you through the most beautiful time of your life and that special day when your baby is delivered.
Only board-certified physicians deliver babies at Albany OB-GYN. You can take comfort in the fact that a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology will be with you every step of the way during your pregnancy and delivery.
Emotions can run the gamut during pregnancy. Hormone levels change during pregnancy as they do with other changes a woman experiences, which may greatly affect your emotions. These “mood swings” caused by increased hormone levels can make you laugh one moment and cry the next. Being aware of these changes will help you and your partner better cope with these changes when they occur.
Optimizing Your Chances of Having a Healthy Baby
Anyone who watches television, reads, listens to the radio, or browses the Internet, cannot avoid seeing information warning against using drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol during pregnancy. At Albany OB-GYN, we want to continue to educate our patients against the use of these items, especially during pregnancy.
- Cigarettes increase the risk of low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirths, and premature births. Some studies show increased rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Marijuana is a drug that poses similar risks to the fetus. It is also proven to have damaging effects on a number of body systems.
- Cocaine/crack deprives the fetus of food and oxygen vital to proper development. It can also cause premature births. In the mother, this drug can also cause high blood pressure and heart rate.
- Heroin use puts a woman at increased risk for hepatitis, AIDS, and miscarriage. It can also cause babies to be stillborn. If a fetus survives heroin use in the womb, the baby can still be born mentally retarded, with long-term learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Heroin can also contribute to the increased chance of SIDS.
- Amphetamine use during pregnancy can cause birth defects. It also affects the baby’s heart, brain, liver, bones, stomach, kidneys, and intestines. These babies can also be low-birth-weight babies and have ten times greater risk of SIDS. As these babies get older, learning disabilities can also appear.
If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant and are using any of these items or alcohol, please don’t be ashamed to speak with your physician about this immediately.
Other Precautions during Pregnancy
Avoid aerosols, insecticides, and paint, as these can enter the bloodstream and pass to the baby.
Avoid eating raw meat and prolonged exposure to cat feces when pregnant, as they both can carry toxoplasmosis, an infection that can cause birth defects. If you handle a cat, wash your hands thoroughly. Wear gloves while gardening to avoid touching cat feces.
If you feel you are getting a cold or flu, check your temperature twice daily. If it goes over 100°F call your physician, increase your fluid intake and rest, maintain balanced nutrition, and use a cool-mist humidifier when sleeping.
You should also call your obstetrician if your cough, congestion, or sore throat continues for more than 24 hours or if you feel that you may need to use medication for your illness.
Dental Work
Because your mouth’s bacteria and acid/alkaline balance changes during pregnancy, you may be more prone to cavities. It is a good idea to have your teeth cleaned early in pregnancy to prevent inflammation of gums that many women experience.
Be sure to tell your dentist that you are pregnant before having any dental work. X-rays should be avoided if possible. If you are planning a pregnancy, some dentists recommend that you have a thorough dental examination and get your dental needs taken care of before you become pregnant.
The care you receive throughout your pregnancy is important to the health and well-being of both yourself and your baby. It is also important to the physicians at Albany OB-GYN that you receive good care during your pregnancy. If you have further questions concerning how you can take better care of yourself and your unborn child, please feel free to ask.
If you have any questions about our obstetrical care, please call our office at (229) 436-7248. To schedule an appointment with one of our obstetricians, call Albany OB-GYN or use our secure patient portal.
