Laura Silverstein, MD,
is an OB/GYN a liated
with ValleyCare
Medical Foundation in
Pleasanton. To make an
appointment, please
call
925-734-6655
.
Is There aBaby
inYour Future?
If there is, you will need
a doctor for yourself and
your baby. ValleyCare‘s
collaborative network of well-
established and respected
physicians in the Tri-Valley
o ers personalized care for
your entire family right here
in your community.
If you need anOB/GYNor
pediatrician, please visit
www.valleycare.com/
physicianfinder
.
pregnancy history. You will have a full
physical exam. Then an ultrasound will be
done to measure the baby to determine
your due date and see the baby’s heart
beat for the rst time!
FOLLOW UP VISITS
After your rst visit, you will see your
doctor about every four weeks. At each
checkup:
w
Your urine is tested for protein and sugar
(glucose).
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You are weighed to make sure you are
gaining the right amount of weight.
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Your blood pressure is checked.
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Your fundal height (the distance from
your pubic bone to the top of your
uterus) is measured to make sure the
baby is growing.
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You will listen to the baby’s heart beat,
which provides reassurance for you and
the doctor.
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You can ask questions—bring a list with
you so you will not forget anything.
Several times during your pregnancy,
you will be given an order for blood
work. Again, these tests check on your
level of health. You will also be referred
for an ultrasound at 12 weeks and at 20
weeks to examine the baby’s growth and
development.
THE BIG DAY
Once your labor has started (when your
contractions last about one minute
and occur about every ve minutes),
you should call your doctor’s o ce and
they will direct you to the hospital or
emergency room. You will be admitted
to a specially designed room for your
comfort throughout the labor and delivery
process, and our experienced maternity
nurses will take good care of you.
When it is time to deliver, you stay right
where you are—all the equipment your
doctor needs is brought into your room.
Special lighting even drops out of the
ceiling. You are allowed to have anybody
you would like with you, though we do
not recommend more than three or four
people at a time.
As long as your baby is doing well,
he or she can be in your arms the entire
time. In fact, we don’t even weigh your
baby until you have had a chance to
cuddle skin-to-skin for at least one
hour. We call this the Magical Hour
and encourage skin-to-skin contact
and breastfeeding with as minimal
interruptions as possible.
LABORISTS ON SITE 24/7
Should you have concerns or think you
might be in labor before your due date,
you should come in and be evaluated.
We have an obstetrician (a laborist),
anesthesiologist and neonatologist (a
pediatrician who specializes in preterm
and newborn babies) in the Maternity
Unit 24 hours a day.
Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is
equipped to take care of babies born
as early as 30 weeks, and with the
specialized services of UCSF Benio
Children’s Hospital neonatologists, we
rarely need to transfer patients to other
hospitals.
Pregnancy is a very exciting time, but it
can also be a time full of uncertainty and
questions. Your obstetrician is there to
guide you every step of the way through
this wondrous journey.
To get a previewof our
labor/delivery/recovery
suites, postpartum rooms
andNeonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU), sign up
for theMaternityTour,
o ered every Sunday
at 1 pmandMonday
evening 7:30 to 9 pm.
To register, please visit
www.valleycare.com/
maternity
.
ValleyCare.com/maternity
