Obstetrics

Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of a woman and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and the period immediately afterward. Obstetrics is a surgical specialty, which enables the obstetrician to manage both the natural childbirth process and also any surgical emergency that may arise during labor.

Pregnancy is the carrying of a baby inside a woman’s uterus from conception to birth. The average length of a woman’s pregnancy is 38 weeks from fertilization, approximately 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstruation.

During your pregnancy, you will see an obstetrician or midwife on a regular basis to confirm the progress of you and your baby. On your first visit you will receive a comprehensive information packet outlining the changes you may expect in your body during the exciting months to come, and how to best take care of your health and that of your unborn baby.

Your appointment schedule during your pregnancy will be based on your general physical health and the presence of any risk factors. Among many other factors, we monitor your blood pressure, the growth and placement of your placenta, the position of your baby, and your baby’s growth as your pregnancy progresses.

If your pregnancy does not call for a scheduled c-section, we encourage you to see all of our practitioners in turn, as our physicians take call at the hospital on a rotation basis, and we cannot predict your exact date of delivery and which of our providers might be on call for your delivery.

Midwifery is the equivalent non-surgical specialty to obstetrics. Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists offers the services of four residency trained obstetricians and also those of a midwife.