Pregnancy Wisdom

 This is not intended to be medical advice and should be discussed with your care team as you made decisions for your care. Unfortunately we often do not know what is most needed in perinatal care until we have had the most adverse outcomes. This is designed as a means to protect other mother's and babies and we fervently believe that information is power. 

1) The mother's intuition is a key part of keeping mother and baby safe. When interviewing potential OBGYNs ask how maternal intuition informs their care. Ask for an example of a time they listened to a mother's intuition and saved a baby and/or mother. The mother typically knows more than can be seen by monitoring methods. You need to know you will be heard and the information incorporated into your care before you are in a stressful time-sensitive situation. 

2) Request placental pathology in every pregnancy even those deemed healthy. The placenta and umbilical cord tell us about the pregnancy in a way nothing else can. Placental pathology often reveals underlying disease states or challenges that were faced in utero that you may not be aware of. Being aware of this can and potentially will change how a subsequent pregnancy is managed.

3) Know your baby. Know when your baby moves and how the movements are. Know your baby's baseline heart rate when receiving an NST test. Alert any and all providers if there are differences.

4) Babies do not slow down at the end. This is an old wives tale. Any and all slowing and providers need to be notified. Also, drinking a sugary or cold drink should not make your baby move and if you have to do this to get the baby to move then there has already been decreased movement and the baby needs to be monitored. 

5) If something your provider says doesn't sound correct or you would like a second opinion then get one. When in doubt seek a second, third, and fourth opinion. 

6) Take your blood pressure a minimum of two times a day and at the same time everyday. Ideally when you wake up and go to bed. Record your lowest blood pressure during the pregnancy and know what is 40 points greater that for your systolic and diastolic. Review your blood pressure records regularly with your provider and when either of those increases by 40 points notify your provider and request blood and urine testing for protein. Do not allow monitoring by urine only. 

7) Your care in the hospital is highly dependent on the quality of your nurses. If you have concerns about the quality of your nurses then ask for a change. This is the person that will be monitoring your baby while you are there. There is not typically an OBGYN hospitalist regularly watching fetal monitors unless a nurse notices something and alerts them to review.