Congratulations on your new pregnancy! There’s nothing as exciting as adding a new family member, and nothing more extraordinary than meeting your child for the first time. If you’re like most new mothers-to-be, though, you probably have a lot of questions. Here, we’re aiming to answer a few of them for you. We invite you to watch these short videos, to help you in the initial stages of your pregnancy.
How do you select a good OB?
The internet is a great resource to research your OBGYN. However, you'll be surprised to know that the majority of deliveries are not done by the obstetrician that you select. When you go in the office to see someone in the prenatal period, that oftentimes isn't the individual who happens to be working the day that you deliver; so, I would suggest choosing your OB one of two ways. One, look for an OB who is a solo practitioner or by themselves. An independent practitioner most likely will be the one to deliver your child. Or two, select a group that has a number of OBs, but be sure to see each and every one of those OBs during your prenatal period so that you're comfortable with all of them, and when your delivery day comes, you will know your OB. Now that you’ve chosen your OB/GYN (or OB practice group), you’re going to have to get used to some medical terminology. And if you’re anything like the rest of us, you might consider buying a medical dictionary just to figure it all out!Why are medical terms hard to pronounce and understand?
Honestly? Because I think doctors want to sound complex. For example, the word “diaphoresis” means “sweating.” The phrase, “myocardial infarction” simply means “heart attack.” And that's not different in pregnancy and birth. You'll see when you go through this website, however, that we provide easy to understand illustrations and definitions so that the words the doctors use during pregnancy and birth process are easy for you to understand. At our firm, we have Registered Nurses on-staff, so there’s always someone there to help you if you get frustrated, or if you have questions about your medical records or your child’s. But if you just want a quick primer, we suggest you check out our glossary of common medical terms and phrases that you’ll be hearing during your pregnancy. There is one last thing you should know. It pains us to tell you, but your pregnancy might not quite be as close as you think it is.How long is a normal pregnancy, and how is it calculated?
Most people think a normal pregnancy is nine months long. That's actually incorrect. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks, or 10 months. On the first visit with your OB, the doctor will ask you your first day of your last menstrual cycle. They use that to calculate what's called the EDC or the estimated date of confinement. That's your due date. You'll be surprised to know that only 4% of woman actually deliver on their due date. So the next time someone tells you that nine months is a long time to be pregnant, correct them and tell them it's actually 10 months. At Crandall & Pera Law, we know that pregnancy and childbirth should be extraordinary events. But we also know that sometimes, “extraordinary” doesn’t mean safe, secure or successful. That’s where we come in. If you, your spouse or you baby sustained an injury, our birth injury lawyers in Ohio and Kentucky are ready and able to help you. Please call 877-955-0020, or request a free case review, and let us help you.Related Articles
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