Obstetrics

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of life, especially of a woman’s life: Pregnancy. Gynecology regards pregnancy and childbirth to be a field in its own right – obstetrics – dealing with the entire topic of the development of pregnancy, monitoring the condition of the unborn baby, support and assistance to the couple, and of course the delivery itself.

Obstetrics is a field in which many gynecologists specialize. Obstetricians monitor the mother throughout the entire period of her pregnancy – from discovery new life developing in the uterus through to the baby’s arrival in the world. For many gynecologist, obstetrics is in fact also a form of coming full circle.

Pregnancy Tracking

The initial and official confirmation of the development of an embryo in the woman’s uterus is given by the gynecologist. The woman usually feels physiological changes during the first weeks, but the gynecologist’s confirmation is important both in order to confirm this inner feeling, and in order to understand at which developmental stage the embryo is, and how much time has elapsed since the moment that the pregnancy began.

Pregnancy tracking is the overall name for the care that the women will receive until she gives birth. This tracking enables a full and comprehensive picture to be presented to the happy parents regarding the condition of the unborn baby, but more importantly: to ensure that its development is normal.

Routine Examinations

During the pregnancy, the women will visit the physician for routine examinations, including:

• Diagnostic ultrasound examination of the pregnancy and of the cervix
• Presence of the unborn baby’s pulse
• Nuchal translucency test
• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
• Amniocentesis
• Fetal anatomy survey
• Fetal echocardiography
• Alpha-fetoprotein
• Gestational diabetes
• Serial blood tests and blood counts
• Fetoscopy

Some of the tests will be performed at the woman’s discretion, but the majority are considered to be an inseparable part of the monitoring of the development of the unborn baby.

Tests during pregnancy for genetic counseling

Some of the tests mentioned here are among the most important and critical during pregnancy – genetic tests, intended to detect defects or problems that the unborn baby suffers from, if and when this occurs. The results of these tests could well lead to a decision regarding termination of pregnancy.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is performed at a relatively early stage of pregnancy (usually starting from Week 10), and is intended to detect severe genetic defects in the fetus’ body by taking a specimen from the placenta that envelopes the fetus. Amniocentesis enables the detection of defects in the unborn baby. It is performed by drawing a small amount of amniotic fluid from the mother’s abdomen.

Fetoscopy is type of blood test performed on the unborn baby, with the objective of confirming or definitely disproving the presence of diseases and defects. Nuchal translucency test is actually a special ultrasound test, enabling assessment of the likelihood of defects in the fetus’ chromosomes. Nevertheless, it is not certain. A definitive result is obtained from one of the other genetic tests. Read more about genetic counseling at Herzliya Medical Center Hospital.

High-risk pregnancy

In certain instances, a pregnancy is defined as being a “high-risk pregnancy” – one in which there is some danger to the woman or to the unborn baby. The causes for this could be the woman’s physical data, various genetic defects or diseases in the family, dangerous conditions that came into being during the pregnancy itself, and more.

It is the family physician who determines whether the pregnancy is high-risk, and accordingly, he refers the pregnant woman to a clinic that will care for her. After the required diagnosis, it will be decided whether the woman must enter a period of bed rest. During the period of bed rest, she will be placed under a number of physical restrictions. Among other things, she will not be allowed to exert herself, lift heavy weights, walk for a prolonged period, and the like.

Advice and assistance

Gynecologists obstetricians at Herzliya Medical Center Hospital will provide the pregnant woman with comprehensive support throughout the pregnancy – which is critically important and will make the process easier. The gynecologist will advice the woman regarding proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle which will safeguard the unborn child’s health, will help her cope with the physical difficulties that come with pregnancy, help her to emotionally prepare for childbirth, detail to her the process and the stages that she will go through, and even explain her about correct care of the baby during the initial days after its birth.