Pregnancy Planning

If you are planning to become pregnant, we encourage you to make an appointment to ensure your routine screening and gynecologic health is up to date. Pregnancy can affect pre-existing medical conditions and some illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can increase the chance of pregnancy complications. Prior to your visit, we encourage you to review your medical and surgical history, gather a list of medications you take, and ask your family and partner about any inherited conditions or illnesses that they may be aware of.

Don’t forget that healthy habits are important! We may discuss with you adjusting diet or lifestyle in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. Prenatal vitamins are essential, even prior to conception, and we are happy to review the importance of folic acid, DHA, and vitamins for you and your little one.

Finally, don’t forget the financial and non-medical aspects of pregnancy planning. Is your health insurance up to date? Do you have a disability policy that includes compensation for maternity leave? Are your family and friends supportive? Do you have childcare if you are hospitalized? These are all important aspects of planning for a healthy pregnancy.

Pre-Existing Health Conditions and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a big deal for any woman. Even if you're in perfect health, you never know how your pregnancy will unfold which is why it's important to understand potential complications during pregnancy so that we can take measures to limit the risks, if possible.

Pregnancy can affect your pre-existing medical condition(s) and it's important to understand what to expect as you conceive and progress through your pregnancy. At your first appointment, be sure to bring a list of all medications you take as well as the doses. We'll review your medications and medical history and from there the decision on whether to continue a medication during pregnancy or to work toward being medication-free prior to pregnancy will be determined. Though this process can be complex, we will make sure to provide you whit the education you need to help you make these decisions every step of the way.

Prenatal & Pregnancy Care

Congratulations! Your pregnancy test is positive!

Your pregnancy's length: the "gestational age," is calculated from the FIRST day of your LAST menstrual period. You are seen for your initial visit at 6-7 weeks from the start of your last period. During your initial appointments, a full history and physical is performed, and the pregnancy is visualized with state of the art fetal ultrasound. The best part? We perform our ultrasounds on site so you don't have to bounce around between endless doctor's offices.

State of the Art Fetal Ultrasounds & Sonograms

Seven Oaks Women's Center proudly provides fetal ultrasound services within our offices on site, for your convenience. We strive to offer the industry's best in ultrasound and sonogram services by taking advantage of the latest ultrasound technologies available. Because of our personalized attention for each of our expectant moms, many of our patients have developed a warm relationship with our expert sonographers over the years.

At your initial visit we often perform an internal ultrasound to evaluate the basics such as presence of a heartbeat, hear rate, gestational age and number of fetuses. If you have questions about which type of sonogram or ultrasound is right for you, give us a call today to discuss your options.

Prenatal Genetic Screening & Testing

Genetic testing is an important part in every pregnancy. Even if you're in perfect health, some genetic traits can be passed on from the father's side of the family or DNA. Genetic screening & testing in pregnancy can help identify babies that have may have chromosomal or other inherited disorders.

"Genetic Carrier Screening" evaluates you for recessive, or "hidden", genes that can pass a disorder on to your baby if he gets the abnormal gene from both biologic parents. An example is cystic fibrosis, a serious lung condition. The test is performed on the mother's blood either before or during pregnancy, without risk to the fetus. Follow up testing is recommended for the father of the baby if the mother is identified as a carrier of an abnormal gene. If both biologic parents carry the abnormal gene - then additional evaluation (amniocentesis) can be performed to identify whether your baby has the disorder. Call our offices today to learn more.

Your Birth Plan: Labor & Delivery

Seven Oaks Women's Center supports you and your amazing birth! One of the best things you can do to prepare for your baby's arrival is to get a birth plan in place. You should know how you'd like to deliver, where you'd like to deliver and have a night bag ready to go as your delivery date draws near.

There are many avenues for preparation for your BIG DAY! Methodist Hospital and other local entities offer prepared childbirth classes. We enjoy working with doulas or midwives and are happy to collaborate. Whether your wish is to experience a medication-free natural childbirth or to get an epidural "when you hit the door" - we can help you prepare a birth plan that fits you to a "T." Call us today for more information on how to create your own birth plan!

Postpartum Depression

Did you know significant perinatal depression affects as many as one in seven women? Women can experience symptoms beginning during pregnancy and can develop at any time during the year after a baby is born. You may be familiar with the term “baby blues,” which is certainly more common.

With baby blues, women may

• cry for no apparent reason
• have trouble sleeping, eating, and making choices -question whether they can handle caring for a baby -have increased emotions
• feel frustrated with their significant others or their children

These symptoms come and go most often during the first few weeks. Postpartum depression occurs when these symptoms become more intense, they are not improving over time, and begin to interfere with a woman’s ability to take care of herself and her family. If you or someone you know is experiencing concerning symptoms, we would love to help figure out if treatment is needed, and how to get that treatment. Also, you are now able to view our list of postpartum counseling resources on our website here.