Commonly Asked Questions During Pregnancy
Q: So you think you may be pregnant. What should you do next?
A: See your doctor. There are simple urine and blood tests that can confirm whether or not you are pregnant.
Q: Your pregnancy test is positive. What now?
A: Well firstly take a deep breath, and from all of us here at Women’s Healthcare Partners of Illinois….. congratulations!!! This is an exciting time, savior this moment. It is one you will never forget. Then, if you have not already seen your doctor, make an appointment. It is important to start your prenatal care as soon as possible. The earlier you are under a doctor’s care and the earlier you start taking prenatal vitamins the better it is for you and your growing bundle of joy.
Q: I have made an appointment for my first prenatal visit. What should I expect when I get there?
A: At your first prenatal visit lots will be done. You will have to fill out lots of paperwork about your medical and social history. You will also have an extensive physical exam and lots of labs will be drawn. Also an ultrasound will likely be ordered so that your doctor can accurately date your pregnancy and ensure that it has the characteristic appearances of an early normal pregnancy.
Q: What will the physical exam at my first prenatal visit include?
A: Your doctor will do the “general” physical exam most people are accustom to (i.e. listen to your heart, lungs, etc). Additionally your doctor will also do a pelvic exam to evaluate your uterus and ovaries. While doing the pelvic exam your doctor will also evaluate the size and shape of your pelvis. After all remember a baby has to come through there. Before finishing the pelvic exam the doctor will also do a pap smear and take cervical cultures for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. After the physical exam has been completed you will be asked to provide a urine sample. It will be sent for a general analysis as well for a culture to ensure that no abnormal bacteria are present. Your doctor will also have his or her nurse draw your blood so that baseline prenatal labs can be sent. These labs will include a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood type and screen. Blood will also be sent to screen for Syphilis (RPR), Hepatitis, HIV and rubella (the measles). Many of the screening labs that are sent are sent as per Illinois state law. Here at Women’s Healthcare Partners of Illinois an ultrasound will also be performed at your first prenatal visit so that your doctor can accurately size and date your baby. The earlier the ultrasound is done, the more accurate the size and dating will be. At many other clinics while an ultrasound will not be carried out at your first prenatal visit your doctor will order one to be done not long after your first prenatal visit.
Q: After my first prenatal visit will I need to have anymore blood tests?
A: Yes you will. Generally at between 14 to 20 weeks of gestation a blood test known as the triple screen or the quadruple screen will be ordered by your doctor. Additionally in the early third trimester you doctor will order a blood test known as a 1-hour glucola. Also in the middle of your third trimester your doctor will likely repeat your CBC and RPR tests.
Q: How much weight will I gain while pregnant?
A: The average women gains between 20 to 30 pounds. Some however gain more and others gain less.
Q: Now that I am pregnant am I really eating for two?
A: As much as you might hate to hear it, no, I am afraid you are not eating for two. Pregnant women should only increase their caloric intake by approximately 300 calories each day. To help keep this in perspective a breast feeding women should actually increase her average daily caloric intake by more than a pregnant woman. A breast feeding woman should increase her daily caloric intake by approximately 500 calories. 200 more calories than what a pregnant woman should increase hers by. For the most part it is not the number of calories you eat while pregnant. Instead it is the quality of the calories you eat that is important. While pregnant you want to eat wholesome, nutrient rich foods while staying away from the empty calories associated with most junk food.
Q: What will happen if I over eat while pregnant?
A: If you over eat while pregnant you run the risk of gaining too much weight. Weight you will find it difficult to lose after you deliver. Additionally your baby may gain too much weight and this can potentially put him or her in danger. Furthermore by eating too much while pregnant you are increasing your chance of developing Gestational diabetes and all of the potential complications that this diagnosis carries.
Q: When will I first hear my baby’s heartbeat?
A: Generally by 12 weeks of gestation you will hear your baby’s heart beat when your doctor places the Doppler machine on your abdomen.
Q: When will I first feel my baby move?
A: When a mother first feels her baby move this is called “quickening”. Most women experience quickening between 18 to 20 weeks of gestation. First time mothers tend to feel it later than women who have been pregnant before.
Q: When my baby gets bigger will the movements get stronger?
A: Yes and no. At the midway point in your pregnancy, as your baby is getting larger, his or her movements will become more vigorous and more easily perceived. As you near your due date however your baby will be undergoing its most rapid growth stage and you may start to feel that your baby is not moving around as much as it was earlier in the pregnancy. While the baby will still in fact be moving around as much as it always did, as he or she becomes larger, the movements will be less vigorous. This is because the baby will have less and less available space in which to make strong easily perceived movements. Nevertheless decreased fetal movement can be a sign of fetal distress and if you feel your baby is not moving around as much as it should, you should call your physician or caregiver right away.
Q: At what point in my pregnancy will my baby survive if it is born?
A: Generally once a pregnancy reaches 24 weeks of gestation a premature baby, if born, has an almost 90% chance of survival. Children born this early however also have a markedly increased incidence of suffering from morbidity associated with the eyes, brain, lungs and intestines. When a baby reaches 34 weeks of gestation, if born prematurely, the risk of he or she suffering from these abovementioned prematurity associated morbidities is dramatically decreased.
Q: At what gestational age is a baby considered “full term”?
A: Once a pregnancy reaches 37 weeks gestational age it is considered to be a full term pregnancy. At 40 weeks gestational age the pregnancy has reached the “9 months” that most people associate with the normal term pregnancy. At 42 or more weeks gestation a pregnancy is considered to be post-term.
Q: Can I have sex while I am pregnant?
A: Generally yes, it is safe to have sex while you are pregnant. In fact some say it is liberating. After all, you definitely don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. There are however some exceptions to this rule and they include, but are not necessarily limited to pregnancies in which there are certain placental abnormalities (i.e. Placenta Previa), cervical incompetence and preterm labor and/or premature rupture of membranes. You should always ask your care provider however if you have any concerns or any questions.
Q: Can I exercise while I am pregnant?
A: Generally yes, it is safe to exercise while pregnant. Pregnant women who wish to exercise should first obtain their doctors approval however. It is generally recommended that pregnant women who chose to exercise engage in low impact, aerobic-type exercises with minimal to moderate exertion. Tonic type (weight-lifting) exercise generally is not recommended.
Q: Can I travel by air while I am pregnant?
A: Generally yes, it is safe to travel by air while pregnant. Before traveling however a pregnant women should obtain her doctors approval. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has taken the stance that air travel before 36 weeks of gestation can be recommend without concern in healthy patients. Beyond 36 weeks of gestation air travel likely is still safe from a physiological standpoint, but there is the concern that a pregnant women traveling by air this close to her due date may end up being far away from home when she goes into labor. This can present a risk because the patient will be away from the caregivers who know her and her obstetrical history best.
