Obstetrics - Resources

Congratulations on your pregnancy! The doctors and staff at Premier Obstetrics and Gynecology of South Jersey, LLC, understand that this is a very special time for you and your family. Our goal is to help you feel comfortable and empowered during the exciting months ahead. Following are a listing of resources on ours and various other websites, where you may find reliable information about your pregnancy.

New Patient History

Please print out and complete these pages, and then bring them with you to your first visit to our office. We will review these pages with you so that we have a complete medical history. If you cannot print out these pages, please let us know so we can mail the pages to you prior to your visit.

Your First Visit

We will review your medical and pregnancy history, and speak with you about maintaining a healthy pregnancy. For general information about routine pregnancy tests you can expect during your early visits, see this patient information page from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Advanced Maternal Age

More and more women are becoming pregnant after the age of 35, which is still considered to be "Advanced Maternal Age", or AMA. While most AMA pregnancies are completely normal, we will discuss this "high risk" condition with you and discuss available additional tests you may wish to consider. ACOG has a helpful patient information section that you might like to review as well - www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp060.cfm

Amniocentesis & Chorionic Villi Sampling

These procedures, usually performed by a perinatology specialist in the hospital, are designed to recover fetal cells that can be used to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities early in a pregnancy. The following links contain helpful information about Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villi Sampling. Including reasons for, procedures, and some of the associated risks of testing:
For more information click here and here.

Ashkenazi Jewish Descent Genetic Screening Options

Most insurance companies cover carrier testing for cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, Canavan disease and familial dysautonomia to individuals of Ashkenazi descent. There are several other disorders that are more common in Ashkenazi Jews, including Bloom syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Gaucher diseases, Niemann-Pick, and more. For information about these diseases, see this link to Genzyme Corporation

Exercise

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most, if not all, days of the week. See the following links for more information on exercise during pregnancy:
ACOG - Click here for more information
FamilyDoctor.org - Click here for more information

Fish

Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. However, some fish and shellfish contain high levels of mercury that can harm an unborn baby's developing nervous system. In 2004 the EPA published a consumer advisory regarding mercury in fish and shellfish. Click here for this advisory from the EPA website.

Flu Shots:

Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC recommend flu shots for pregnant women. See the following links for more information: Click here for more information. Click here for information about H1N1 vaccine.

Genetic Screening (1)

We offer our patients "sequential screening", a two-part prentatal screening test that assesses your baby's risk of having certain birth defects, such as Downs Syndromr, Trisomy 18, and Neural Tube Defects (such as Spina Bifida). When used this way, these tests are very good at detecting patients with pregnancies affected by these disorders. For more information about the "sequential screen", see this helpful link to Genzyme, a leader in genetic testing services, or see the Virtua website for a short video by one of their high risk OB specialists.

Genetic Screening (2)

There are many other genetic tests available, some of which may not be covered by your insurance company, but all of which can be ordered for you, depending on your and your partner's medical and family history. See www.mytestingoptions.com for good information about other testing available, such as testing for Cystic Fibrosis, Tay Sachs, Fragile X and others.

Group B Strep

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the CDC recommend screening for Group B Strep (GBS) at about 35-36 weeks of pregnancy, even if you are planning to have a c-section. About 20% of women will test positive for GBS, and will be treated with antibiotics during their labor. For more information about the CDC recommendation, see this link to the CDC website.

HIV Testing

New Jersey law now requires HIV testing in the third trimester. We will test you for HIV during your initial pregnancy testing, and then again along with your routine blood work around 28 weeks. For more information about the NJ law, click here or read about the CDC's "One Test Two Lives" campaign by clicking here.

Hospitals

The doctors at Premier Obstetrics and Gynecology of South Jersey deliver babies at Virtua Voorhees Hospital, and Kennedy Hospital in Washington Township. Both hospitals provide excellent services and care to our patients. Both are equipped with state-of-the-art LDR rooms, and both hospitals offer perinatology (high risk OB doctors) and neonatology (newborn intensive care) services if needed. Both also have 24-hour anesthesiology - so you don't have to wait for an epidural! View the following links for more information about the services available through Virtua and Kennedy hospitals.
Virtua Voorhees Hospital - main hospital website, prenatal classes, pre-registration, Virtua L&D FAQ's , general information.
Kennedy Hospital - main hospital website, tours, classes, Weekly Parenting Newsletter, Kennedy L&D FAQ's, or general information.

Medications in Pregnancy

We recommend avoiding any unnecessary medications during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. However, there may arise a time when it becomes necessary to take over the counter medications. If you need to take a medication for common symptoms, such as a cold or heartburn, see our recommended list of options included in our New Pregnancy folder that was given to you at your first prenatal visit. For other medications, or for questions about exposures to chemicals during pregnancy, consider visiting the "Pregnancy Healthline" Click here for more information. Also see OTIS website for safety information about commonly used medications.

Nutrition

Pregnant women need to increase their calorie intake by about 300 calories per day. You should consume a balanced diet that includes foods from the major food groups. To ensure adequate calcium intake, you should consume at least 4-5 servings of dairy products per day. Click here to visit the USDA's website and get a customized food pyramid for your pregnancy.

Pregnancy Calculator

Although you will be given a "due date", most infants are not born on this exact date. Genzyme has a pregnancy calculator on their site, which you can use to estimate your due date.

Prenatal Testing

For general information about routine pregnancy tests you can expect during your early visits, see this patient information page from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Tobacco Cessation

Smoking can cause multiple complications in pregnancy, including an increased risk of preterm birth, placental abruption, placenta previa, and low birth weight for your baby. To help protect your health and the health of your pregnancy, we recommend you stop smoking. Visit the following links to assist you in quitting:
Mom's Quit Connection - Click here for more information
CDC Tobacco Use and Pregnancy - Click here for more information
NJ Quitline - Click here for more information

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