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| Home > Healthy People > April 2004 |
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Spring 2004
 Maybe a Baby: Pondering Parenthood?
Having a baby – sometimes just trying to get pregnant – can be one of the
most nerve-wracking experiences in life. Is anyone ever ready for such a
monumental and everlasting life change? There are ways to prepare, both
physically and emotionally, for a baby, according to St. John’s OB/GYN
Kent Burk, M.D., of St. John’s Clinic - OB/GYN – Smith-Glynn-Callaway.
Burk teaches “Pondering Parenthood,” a class for couples who are thinking
about starting a family.
“We started this class as part of St. John’s Women’s Services because we
wanted to be able to provide information for couples, especially young
couples, before they embark on parenthood. Having a baby can cause intense
stress in a couple’s life. This class gives couples valuable information
so they can avoid some of the conflicts and pitfalls of early parenthood,”
Burk says.
 “Pondering Parenthood” addresses many of the social and financial impacts
a baby has on a relationship, as well as physical preparations to ensure a
healthy pregnancy. Caring for your health before you become pregnant,
called preconception care, will help identify factors that may put you and
your baby at risk during pregnancy and allow time to treat any medical
problems before you become pregnant.
Get your health in order ahead of time
“The discovery that folic acid decreases birth defects has had a big
impact on people and encouraged them to take care of themselves medically
before getting pregnant. Getting your health in order ahead of time, by
quitting smoking, alcohol and drugs, as well as taking care of any medical
problems, exercising and eating a healthy diet, is a smart preventive
measure before pregnancy,” Burk says.
More men are involved in their partner’s pregnancies now than ever before.
It’s important – and often more effective – to make lifestyle changes
together.
“Traditional roles are no longer in play in a lot of relationships and
many workplaces are a lot more accommodating for men to be able to come to
doctors’ appointments with their wives. At least half of my patients’
husbands or partners come to their appointments with them. They’re always
in the delivery room now; that’s just expected. It’s also much easier for
one partner to exercise or quit smoking, drinking alcohol or eating junk
food if the other partner is involved and making an effort in those areas
too,” Burk says.
Choosing an OB/GYN
If you haven’t chosen an OB/GYN yet, now’s the time. St. John’s has OB/GYN
clinics in Lebanon, Rolla, and in Springfield in the Fremont and National
Avenue Medical Buildings near St. John’s Hospital, and
Smith-Glynn-Callaway Medical Building. St. John’s Clinic – Lebanon – OB/GYN
recently doubled its office space. St. John’s now offers OB/GYN services
in Nixa at St. John’s Clinic – Nixa – Pediatrics – Family Practice – OB/GYN.
For a referral to a St. John’s OB/GYN, call 888-8888 or 1-800-909-TEAM, or
ask your primary care physician.
A preconception counseling appointment with your physician is an important
first step in preparing for pregnancy. Your OB/GYN will ask you for a
detailed family medical history, reproductive history and medical history.
He or she will help you identify any lifestyle factors that could affect
your pregnancy, such as your home and workplace environments, weight,
smoking, alcohol and drugs, exercise and diet habits. Any medical
condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, should be well
controlled before you become pregnant. Your OB/GYN will also most likely
recommend you limit caffeine consumption and begin taking a prenatal
vitamin that includes folic acid. Folic acid has been shown to decrease
the risk of spine and brain defects, such as spina bifida. Your physician
will also discuss genetic testing during your preconception appointment.
“Having access to information that could point to a genetic disease within
a family is very important. I encourage couples to talk with their family
members ahead of time to obtain that information before they come to their
preconception appointment,” Burk says. “We also discuss genetic testing
for common hereditary conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell
anemia and can perform these tests before pregnancy if the couple wishes.”
How long will it take to achieve pregnancy?
Only a third of known fertile couples will achieve pregnancy on a given
cycle, Burk says, so it’s important not to get frustrated if you don’t
become pregnant immediately. Most women with regular cycles ovulate
between days 10 and 14 of their cycle (day 1 is the first day of the
menstrual period), but this can vary significantly from woman to woman.
“Whether your cycle is regular is an important indicator of whether you
are ovulating, which is necessary for pregnancy to occur. Ninety percent
of couples will achieve pregnancy within a year of trying. If it’s been
more than a year, then we can start looking for issues of infertility and
that’s when you’d need to start charting your cycles,” Burk says.
Stress can also play a role in whether conception occurs. Fears about
infertility may lead to tension with your partner and that can reduce your
chances of pregnancy – after all, it’s hard to conceive a baby if one of
you is sleeping on the couch.
New women's services at St. John's
- St. John’s Teddy Bear Club Materials
St. John’s Teddy Bear Club is a free club for pregnant women delivering
at St. John’s hospitals. Members receive “A Baby on the Way!” a new book
that includes a class schedule, coupons, instructions, newsletters and a
pregnancy journal. Classes include an early pregnancy class, a basic
childbirth preparation class, an expanded childbirth/Lamaze class, a
smoking cessation program, and nutrition and weight management classes,
including water aerobics. St. John’s also offers accelerated and
refresher childbirth and Lamaze courses. Call 888-8888 or 1-800-909-TEAM
or visit www.stjohns.com for a Teddy Bear Club class schedule.
Expanded Labor & Delivery Services in Lebanon
St. John’s Hospital – Lebanon recently expanded its labor and delivery
services, adding four new state-of-the-art private suites.
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