Author name: Diane

Routine prenatal care is not a luxury or indulgence. It’s something both you and your baby need. Just as a gardener waters, nurtures and cares for the seeds planted in rich, fertile soil, your baby — who is even smaller at conception than those seeds — needs the same dedication and attention to insure its prenatal growth and development in the womb. We help make that happen. The Importance of Prenatal Care Whether this is your first pregnancy, or you’re already familiar with the whole process of giving birth, the importance of prenatal care can’t be emphasized enough. No matter how typical your pregnancy is, or how little risk your baby is exposed to health-wise and genetically, proper vigilance from conception to safe delivery is vital. Our specialists are trained in every facet of women’s health. We excel in the fields of fertility, obstetrics, gynecology and pelvic surgery. Not only do we offer optimum prenatal care, but we treat you, the patient, the same way we would treat our own mothers, sisters, daughters and all other females in our lives. Having successfully delivered thousands of babies, our priority is to safeguard not only your continuing well-being, but that of your baby. We offer every advantage currently known to women’s medicine, all with a compassionate and dedicated approach. What Can You Expect From Cherokee Women’s Health? From your very first prenatal care visit, we treat you with the utmost care and respect, beginning with the initial pleasant greeting you receive the moment you walk through our doors. We’re professionals, but first and foremost, we’re human, just like you. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible so that you can establish a trusting relationship with your physician, and with his or her assisting staff. How Can You Prepare For Your First Visit? Bring your medical history and background. They’re important. That information gives us an idea of how closely we need to scrutinize your progress. It can help us decide what tests we should run during your first few prenatal care appointments. Your information and subsequent test results, if merited, determine whether your pregnancy should be considered high risk, moderate risk or risk free. No matter what the results, we are qualified to treat all levels. What Happens During Routine Prenatal Care Appointments? Our standard examinations during each visit include the following: Blood tests Blood pressure monitoring Listening to your baby’s heartbeat Urinalysis Abdominal measurement to verify normal fetal growth Pelvic examinations when necessary Addressing any patient concerns. When you’re ready for your first ultrasound, our prenatal care physicians are among the few who are fully accredited in the use of the most modern up-to-date 4D ultrasound. This procedure allows you to see your growing baby in full detail. It also lets our trained specialists evaluate your baby’s progress, detecting any potential problems that might occur as it matures from embryo to fetus, and finally to the infant you’ll cradle in your arms. What Other Routine Prenatal Care Services Are Available? We check for gestational diabetes, anemia and any genetic abnormalities. By conscientiously monitoring both your baby’s development along with your own, we want to relieve you of any stress or worry. When you leave after an appointment with us, we want you to do so with complete peace of mind.We also offer the following prenatal care services: Nutrition and diet: Our experts will help you maintain a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy, insuring a less complicated delivery. We provide information on regular, vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, and holistic nutrition. We take every precaution to insure that you and your baby receive the proper nourishment you need to sustain a trouble-free pregnancy. Physical therapy: On-staff professionals will guide you in preparing your body for labor. Their recommended prenatal exercises and fitness regimens will minimize any possible trauma your body might experience during delivery, such as perineum damage, pelvic organ prolapse, or urinary incontinence. Their expertise has been proven invaluable, reducing previously unavoidable pelvic injury while giving birth. Midwifery: You may be more comfortable with a nurse-midwife to assist you during delivery. We will partner you with a highly skilled nurse midwife, who has decades of experience. As long as your pregnancy is uncomplicated and progressing within normal guidelines, this practitioner is available to you. Counsel and advice: No topic or concern you wish to broach regarding your pregnancy is trivial to us. We’re happy to address any subject, including such topics as breastfeeding, natural childbirth, having participants in the delivery room, umbilical cord blood banking, signs of postpartum depression, or circumcision if you are having a boy. You might be strongly opposed to routine afterbirth procedures, like a nurse washing your baby instead of leaving that first bath to you, or allowing it to have a pacifier in your absence. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us. We’ll answer your questions, dispense guidance as you need it and accommodate you to the best of our ability. We’re Here for You Getting you through your pregnancy with as little stress and complication as possible is our primary focus. We accomplish this goal successfully during every routine prenatal exam by treating you as the important and unique individual you are. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 770.720.7733. For more information on prenatal care, visit Northside Hospital Cherokee.

A healthy pregnancy requires that mothers-to-be eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals to help support their growing baby. One of the first prenatal appointments with an obstetrician will include a discussion about what foods to eat or avoid in order to provide optimal nutrition for fetal growth. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that pregnant women eat a well-rounded diet which should consist of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and meat. However, for those whose diets stray from the five food groups, such as vegans, or vegetarians, they simply need to find other foods or supplements that will provide adequate nutrition for themselves and their babies. Veganism is a dietary lifestyle which completely abstains from the consumption of animal products. A vegan’s diet eliminates: eggs, meat, dairy, honey, etc. It is not imperative for a vegan mother-to-be to include these food items in her diet because a 100% plant-based diet can include all the required nutrition a mom and baby need. A fundamental step is making sure to find alternative sources for the all-important vitamins and minerals needed to foster healthy development and less pregnancy complications. Important Vitamins Iodine No matter her dietary lifestyle, iodine is one of the essential minerals that a pregnant woman must consume. Iodine is important for proper thyroid function, and critical during pregnancy for fetal neurological development. The recommendation for pregnant women is 220 micrograms of iodine a day. Even a small deficiency can have a major impact on fetal development, which is why sources of iodine need to be included in consumption. Due to its use in the milking process, dairy can often be a main source of iodine intake for women. Instead of dairy, a vegan mother can add iodine to her diet by taking iodine supplements, eating fortified foods, or using iodized table salt. Iron Iron is a mineral often found in red meat. Iron deficiency anemia is a concern for pregnant vegans, unless they can find alternative sources for the mineral. The body requires at least 30 milligrams of iron daily during pregnancy to increase blood supply and foster a healthy fetus. In addition to possibly adding in iron supplements, pregnant vegans should be eating green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and dried beans daily to ensure necessary iron levels. Calcium For vegans, sufficient calcium intake will be more tedious to acquire than simply drinking milk. 1,000 mg. are needed during pregnancy to help build healthy fetal bones and teeth. Vegans can turn to kale as a large source of calcium to add to their diet. Other top vegan calcium sources include: almonds, bok choy, turnip greens, or fortified foods such as soy milk, cereal or orange juice. Vitamin B12 When it comes to vitamins, one vitamin vital to pregnancy is Vitamin B12. Vegans do not naturally consume as much B12, because they abstain from eating animal products which are rich sources of the vitamin. Plant products do not contain a considerable amount of B12, but foods such as cereal are often fortified with the vitamin. Pregnant women are recommended to take 2.6 mcg. of B12 a day, and even slightly more when breastfeeding. B12 deficiency is life-threatening, so pregnant and breastfeeding vegans need to ensure that their levels are appropriate for pregnancy. Vegan mothers should bring up any questions or concerns to their doctor when it comes to meeting the crucial vitamin and mineral intake during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is always recommended to not begin taking any additional vitamins or supplements without consulting a physician first. If a mom-to-be is struggling to reach these nutritional values, she may be put in touch with a nutritionist, who can assist in planning a suitable diet for the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Having a baby changes everything; but moms don’t have to completely adjust their dietary lifestyles to keep themselves and their baby healthy.