Dental Procedures can be performed under local anesthesia with Novocain without epinephrine.
Prenatal Exercise: Stay hydrated and attempt to keep your pulse under 140 beats per minute. Low impact exercise is encouraged. Swimming and running are acceptable as long as you are used to doing it and feel comfortable. Stretch well to avoid back or ligament injury. Avoid shortness of breath. Horseback riding, water-skiing or wakeboarding, contact sports or other rough activities are not recommended. If there is a suspicion of premature labor, ruptured membranes or bleeding, please contact your physician for activity restrictions.
Tanning Booths should be avoided during pregnancy, as the risk is unknown.
Paint: Latex paint is fine with adequate ventilation.
Hot Tubs and Saunas: Avoid overheating the body. The water temperature should be less than 100 degrees. If you feel over-heated, exit the tub or sauna until you have cooled down.
Permanents & Hair Coloring: These are acceptable during pregnancy; however, be sure to inform your stylist of your pregnancy as some changes with your body may affect your hair.
Varicose Veins may appear at any time in pregnancy. Support stockings are available over the counter and by prescription, so ask your doctor to advise you on which you should obtain.
Inverted Nipples: If you are planning to breastfeed, check with your doctor on what you can do prior to delivery to help the breastfeeding process.
Intercourse throughout an uncomplicated pregnancy is acceptable. Avoid douching or other activity that may increase the air pressure in the vagina and discuss any concerns with your obstetrician.
Travel: There is no known harm from commercial air travel during a normal pregnancy. However, it is best to be close to the hospital when you are nearing full term. Some physicians restrict air travel after the 32nd week of pregnancy.
Avoid prolonged sitting. Try to walk around every 60 minutes. This is especially important in the third trimester.
Keep well hydrated and wear loose shoes as your feet may swell.
Pediatrician Services should be arranged prior to delivery.
Infant Car Seats are required by law. Please be prepared to transport your newborn home from the hospital in a safety device.
Hospital Classes & Tour are recommended. This helps to learn where to park, where the appropriate entrance for Labor & Delivery is located, and can help answer a variety of pregnancy and postpartum questions. We recommend Childbirth Education classes through our office with our registered nurse and childbirth educator, Linda Peterson @ 466-6508 for information.
Pre-registration to the hospital is also very important to reduce delays once you are in labor and arrive at the hospital.
Labor: Labor at full term is characterized by rhythmic (regularly spaced) contractions occurring every 3-8 minutes and lasting 30-60 seconds. Contractions are usually strong enough to interrupt your ability to walk or talk.
Premature labor (prior to full term) can be completely painless and might only feel like a rhythmic tightening of the uterus or mild pressure.
Sometimes the first event marking the onset of labor is leakage of the bag of water. This can occur without any contractions and should be reported as soon as you are aware of it. Usually the water is clear but it can also be green, yellow or brown. Be sure the fluid does not have a urine odor, as inadvertent urinary leakage is common as the baby puts more pressure on your bladder.
Be sure to call if you experience any bleeding, as that could be a sign of a problem. Do not confuse “a jelly-like, blood-colored discharge” with bleeding. This is the “mucous plug” or “bloody show” and its passage carries no significance near term.
Some women in labor do not have these classic signs, as there is a great variability to the labor process. Please always call if you have any concerns or questions.
When you contact our office, please let us know that you are in labor so we can give priority handling to your call. After hours, you will reach a recording that asks you to call 482-2229 to reach the physician on call.