During the general exam, your height, weight, and blood pressure will be checked. You also will be examined for any health problems you may have.

Even though you probably will not have a pelvic exam, you should know what one is. Another test that you will have later (at age 21 years) is a Pap test. This test checks for abnormal changes in the cervix that could lead to cancer.

The pelvic exam has three parts:

1. Looking at the vulva
2. Looking at the vagina and cervix with a speculum
3. Checking the internal organs with a gloved hand

The doctor will use a speculum to look at your vagina and cervix. When you have a Pap test, a sample of cells is taken from your cervix with a small brush.

To check your internal organs, the doctor will place one or two gloved, lubricated fingers into the vagina and up to the cervix. The other hand will press on the abdomen from the outside.

Making good lifestyle choices can help you to be strong and healthy for years to come:

• Maintain a healthy weight by eating a well-balanced diet and exercising often.
• Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs.
• Seek help if you have emotional ups and downs or feel depressed.
• Use birth control if you are having sex and do not want to have a baby.
• Protect yourself from STIs by using a latex condom. Know your partners and limit their number.
• Keep up with routine exams, tests, and immunizations.

An obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) is a doctor who specializes in the health care of women. Girls should have their first gynecologic visit between the ages of 13 years and 15 years.

It’s ok and very natural to feel anxious or have concerns about your first prenatal visit. Your first prenatal visit at Laurel OBGYN will be longer and more involved than other visits. It will include:

• Reviewing your medical history
• Administering tests and a physical exam
• Estimating your due date

Our goal of this visit is to assess your health and provide support and guidance on what to expect in the coming months. We also share resources and helpful information to help you in your first trimester.

As we are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, we are administering the safest practices and policies in our health clinic. Each team member is working diligently to ensure our patients and staff are at the lowest risk possible.

Weight gain in pregnancy varies from person to person. It also depends on your weight before you become pregnant.

Most pregnant women gain between 10kg and 12.5kg (22lb to 26lb), putting on most of the weight after week 20. Much of the extra weight is due to your baby growing, but your body will also be storing fat, ready to make breast milk after your baby is born.

Putting on too much or too little weight while you’re pregnant can lead to health problems for you or your unborn baby. But don’t worry, it’s easy to make healthy food choices. Find out what to eat when pregnant and what foods to avoid.

You’ll get most of the vitamins and minerals you need by eating a healthy, varied diet. But when you’re pregnant (and while you are trying to get pregnant) you also need to take a folic acid supplement. It’s also recommended you take a daily vitamin D supplement – especially in the winter months (October to March) when you don’t get enough from the sunlight.

Along with the vitamins you should take, there are also some to watch out for and avoid. You should avoid supplements and multivitamins containing vitamin A (retinol) – as too much of it can harm your baby’s development. You should also avoid liver and liver products (including fish liver oil), as they are high in vitamin A.

Find out more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy.

You may continue the same exercise program you had before pregnancy unless we have recommended otherwise.

Recommendations:

• Decrease as needed for comfort in pregnancy
• Don’t try to train for a new level of exercising
• Make sure you can still talk through your exercise (if you are too winded to talk, you should probably stop.)
• Try not to lift more than 25 pounds
• Don’t exercise while lying on your back
• Try to avoid exercises that test your balance (skiing, tennis, horseback riding)

You can have your teeth cleaned, have fillings, have teeth pulled, and have x-rays if they shield your abdomen. They can use local numbing medicine and certain antibiotics. Make sure you tell your dentist you are pregnant and let us know if he or she would like a note from us. It is actually better for your pregnancy if you maintain good dentition during pregnancy.

The American College of Ob/Gyn makes the following suggestions during pregnancy::

• Add 100-300 cal/day to your diet (300 calories is equivalent to a small snack-for example, ½ peanut butter and jelly sandwich and 1 glass low fat milk)
• Daily amount of Grains – 6 ounces
• Vegetables – 2 ½ cups
• Fruit – 1 ½ – 2 cups
• Meat/Beans – 5 – 5 ½ ounces
• Normal weight gain for underweight person – 28-40 pounds
• Normal weight person – 28-35 pounds
• Overweight person – 15-25 pounds
• Obese person – 15 pounds
• With twins – 35-45 pounds
• Avoid unpasteurized cheese/milk, raw/undercooked meat or fish, deli meat -unless it has been re-heated until steaming.
• Avoid the following fish: shark, king mackerel or tile fish and if eating tuna, eat canned albacore light tuna. Limit fish to 2 meals per week.