I Had an Abnormal Pap Smear. What’s Next?
When it comes to health testing, you’re aiming for normal. Your results from a recent Pap test were abnormal, but there’s no cause for alarm at this point. Here are the next steps we recommend.
3 Important Benefits of Prenatal Pregnancy Care
Each year in the United States, around 3.5 million to 3.6 million newborns enter the world, and a majority of these kids (and their mothers) benefited from prenatal care.
Navigating a pregnancy can be challenging under the best of circumstances, but when you’ve got a great obstetric team by your side, the road becomes a little easier. At Kinwest OBGYN, Dr. Jose De Leon and our team take great joy in helping women build their family, which is why we offer comprehensive pregnancy care.
From the moment you get the good news to your delivery and beyond, we’re with you every step of the way.
1. Setting a healthy course from the start
Once you learn of your pregnancy, it’s time to double down on your health and wellness efforts, which can change and evolve during a pregnancy.
For example, as soon as you know you’re pregnant, it’s wise to add certain vitamins and supplements to your daily regimen, such as folic acid, which has been shown to reduce the risk for neural tube defects by 70%.
During your prenatal visits, we review any lifestyle habits that you engage in that might be problematic during pregnancy, such as alcohol use and smoking. Of course, these habits aren’t great outside of pregnancy, but when another life is at stake, it’s a good time to address them.
We also go over ways in which you can stay healthy throughout your pregnancy through diet and exercise. These steps can go a long way in setting the stage for a healthy pregnancy and successful outcome.
2. Monitoring you and your baby’s health
During your first prenatal visit, we collect some baseline health data so we can track your health as your pregnancy progresses. We also collect information about your medical history so we know what to be on the lookout for.
The reason we do this is to monitor your health for possible pregnancy issues, such as gestational diabetes, which affects up to 10% of pregnancies. Less seriously, we can also handle any issues that crop up due to the pregnancy, such as morning sickness, heartburn, and back pain, to name just a few.
As important, throughout your prenatal care, we also monitor the development of the fetus and perform routine testing and screenings, as well as ultrasound imaging, which provides you with the first glimpses of your child.
3. Getting all of your questions answered
One of the biggest benefits of prenatal care is that you have access to a team that can answer all of your questions and concerns. Prenatal visits are a great way to cut through all of the clutter and noise surrounding pregnancy — everyone seems to have an opinion — and get straight to the facts.
No question is too unimportant as far as our obstetric team is concerned, and we’re here to guide you, with medical science and invaluable experience backing us up.
The bottom line is that prenatal care is a great way to negotiate your pregnancy on surer footing, giving you valuable peace of mind so you can better enjoy this special time.
To learn more about prenatal care or to arrange your first visit with us, please contact one of our offices in Dallas and Irving, Texas, to schedule an appointment.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Common Culprits Behind Pelvic Pain
Women are no strangers to pelvic pain — most experience some discomfort with every period. When it comes to chronic pelvic pain, however, there are other issues afoot, some of which we dive into here.
5 Signs That Your Heavy Periods Need Expert Evaluation
You notice that your friends navigate their periods with ease, and you’re jealous — your menstrual cycles come with heavy bleeding that’s more than a minor nuisance. Here, we outline five signs that you shouldn’t ignore.
How Menopause Can Affect Bone Health
Each year in the United States, about 1.3 million women begin the transition through menopause. Among the many changes that come with menopause, bone loss and osteoporosis are some of the more concerning.
Signs You May Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
For the millions of American women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), symptoms can be really varied because hormone imbalances are involved. Here, we go over some of the more common signs that point to PCOS.
5 Common Symptoms of Endometriosis
Experts say that as many as six out of 10 cases of endometriosis go undiagnosed, and we want to change that. Because March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, let’s dive into some common signs of this condition.