Basic Pregnancy Information

Prenatal Vitamins

We recommend that you take a prenatal vitamin every day. You will get most of the vitamins and minerals you need from a healthy diet. However, because it is difficult to get enough calcium, iron, and folic acid (a B-vitamin to assist in preventing defects of the brain and spinal cord known as neural tube defects) from the food you eat. Therefore, we recommend that you take a prenatal vitamin every day. Because neural tube defects originate during the first month of pregnancy (before many women know they are pregnant), it is desirable for women of childbearing age to take folic acid supplements before conception. This will help reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

Obstetric Visits & Testing

During your pregnancy, you will usually be seen for regular visits every four weeks until 28 weeks; every two to three weeks until 36 weeks; then weekly until delivery. We will do a number of routine tests to assess your health and the health of your baby. These include a standard blood pregnancy profile and a pap smear and cultures at your first visit; blood tests for diabetes and anemia in the second trimester; and a vaginal culture for Group B Strep at 35-36 weeks. We offer a Quadruple Screening Test at 15-18 weeks to screen for Spina Bifida and Down's Syndrome. Amniocentesis will be offered (as indicated) for women age 35 or over or for any woman who has other risk factors for genetic abnormalities. We offer everyone a routine screening sonogram at 18-22 weeks. This test is not always covered by insurance. Please check with your insurance provider.

Healthy Diet & Weight Gain

To help your baby get a head start in life, we encourage you to eat a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, dairy products and other calcium-rich foods, and iron-rich foods. A weight gain of 20-30 pounds is ideal for women with a pre-pregnancy weight in the normal range. You may eat up to 12 ounces (approximately 2 average meals) per week of fish or shellfish that are lower in mercury including salmon, canned light tuna, pollock, catfish, and shrimp. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that pregnant women eat no more than 6 ounces of albacore (white) tuna per week. They should also avoid eating any game fish without first checking its safety with their local health department.

For information about the safety of locally caught fish and shellfish, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's Fish Advisory website or contact your State or Local Health Department.

Exercise During Pregnancy

Maintaining a regular exercise routine during pregnancy will help relieve some of the common discomforts of pregnancy (such as backache and constipation), relieve stress and will help you feel your best. There is also evidence that it may help prevent gestational diabetes. Before starting an exercise routine, discuss it with your physician, even if you were active before becoming pregnant. Your doctor will be able to provide you with guidelines for exercise based on your current condition and your medical history. Patients with bleeding or spotting, a low-lying placenta or placenta previa, previous premature births, or a weak or incompetent cervix should not exercise.

Smoking & Alcohol

Of course, smoking, alcohol intake, and illegal drug use should be avoided during pregnancy. Everything that is taken into your body during pregnancy has an impact on your growing baby and the use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs can cause serious complications. Unfortunately, domestic violence is all too common in women's lives, especially during pregnancy. If you have a problem in any of these areas, please discuss it with your physician.

Caffeine

When used in small amounts, caffeine intake during pregnancy is considered safe. Limit intake to the equivalent of two (2) caffeinated beverages per day.

Artificial Sweeteners

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has assured the public that the safety of aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) is clear-cut, saying that aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives of all time. The FDA and the joint FAO/WHO (Food & Agriculture Organization of the U.N. and the World Health Organization) Expert Committee on food additives have deemed sucralose (Splenda) safe for everyone to consume, including pregnant women. However, some still question whether these sweeteners are safe to use during pregnancy. Therefore, especially if you have concerns, we recommend limiting intake of these sweeteners. (Patients with PKU should not use aspartame at all during pregnancy.) There are many questions about the safe use of saccharine (Sweet 'n Low) during pregnancy. Therefore, we recommend against the use of saccharine during pregnancy.

Safe Medications During Pregnancy

Should you experience any minor illnesses or medical conditions during pregnancy, please refer to our list of Safe Medications During Pregnancy

By the eighth month please be sure to register at the hospital and choose a pediatrician. You will need to remember to bring a newborn car seat to the hospital on the day of discharge.

After your baby is born, please call to schedule a postpartum visit. We look forward to seeing you (and your baby) between three and five weeks after delivery.

Again, congratulations!

OUR OFFICES

3610 Stagg Drive
Beaumont TX 77701

8731 Katy Freeway
Suite 420
Houston TX 77024

22001 Southwest Freeway, Suite 300
Richmond TX 77469

 

 

REACH OUT

CONTACT US TODAY

*All Fields Required. Please include only non-medical questions and correspondence

THF LOGO

Accessibility Toolbar

Scroll to Top