An obstetrician is usually associated with delivering babies and providing both prenatal and antenatal care. What some people may not realize is that there are other obstetric services these specialists provide before, during, and after pregnancy.
Here are four kinds of obstetric services.
1. Preconception Counseling
An obstetrician can help a woman even before she becomes pregnant. This is done through preconception counseling. Some of the benefits of preconception counseling include:
Preconception counseling can also help couples who are having their first baby prepare for parenthood.
2. Preterm Labor Care
Babies that are born too early are at an increased risk for developing a medical condition or having to endure a long hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Preterm labor occurs for various reasons. Sometimes, a mother has certain risk factors that increase the chances of going into preterm labor.
These risk factors of preterm labor include:
Mothers who have had a premature baby or mothers who are pregnant with multiples, which includes twins or triplets, are also at an increased risk for preterm labor. Mothers who go into preterm labor may require special care by an obstetrician. Preterm labor care usually includes bed rest and constant monitoring.
3. Cord Blood Banking
Upon delivery of their baby, some mothers may want to keep the blood in the umbilical cord. This is called cord blood banking and is something else an obstetrician helps with. The blood and fluid in the umbilical cord contain stem cells, which can be stored and used later if necessary.
These stem cells are used to treat a variety of diseases including cancer, immune system disorders, and diseases of the blood. Cord blood can be either stored in a public storage facility or a private one.
4. Postpartum Depression Care
Due to the change in hormones after delivering a baby, some mothers can experience "baby blues." For some women though, the baby blues last longer than normal, or the symptoms are more severe. When either of these things occurs, it's usually diagnosed as postpartum depression.
Symptoms associated with postpartum depression include excessive crying, severe mood swings, insomnia, hopelessness, and a fear of not being a good mother. An obstetrician can help women with postpartum depression find the appropriate treatment.
Share14 September 2020
