Obstetrician doctors are experts in pregnancy, labor, and delivery, with up to 12 years of education and training. They monitor pregnancies, prescribe prenatal vitamins, perform ultrasound tests, and assist during childbirth, including using surgical tools if necessary. They also do follow-up exams on patients and newborns.
Obstetrician doctors treat pregnant women and are experts in pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Because obstetrician doctors are both obstetricians and gynecologists, they can have up to 12 years of education and training. Gynecologists specialize in the female reproductive system, which is why the specialties of gynecology and obstetrics are so closely related. Doctors in obstetrics and gynecology are called OB/GYN for short. Obstetrician doctors monitor a woman’s pregnancy through regular checkups and tests, and also help during childbirth.
In early pregnancy, an obstetrician will confirm the pregnancy and usually prescribe prenatal vitamins. Pregnant women need higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals for the growing fetus, including folate. Folate taken during pregnancy is thought to reduce the risk of birth defects such as the spine disease spina bifida. An obstetrician orders and analyzes many tests such as blood tests and screenings for many different diseases. Obstetrician doctors also monitor a woman’s weight gain during pregnancy.
An obstetrician doctor performs ultrasound tests on pregnant women by applying a wand to a woman’s stomach. The sex of the baby can be revealed through this method as the wand transmits images of the growing fetus to a monitor. Ultrasound exams give the doctor a better idea of when the due date will be, and also allow obstetrician doctors to check for abnormalities in the fetus and problems with prenatal functioning. For example, one thing an obstetrician looks for in an ultrasound is whether there is adequate blood flow through the umbilical cord. Another concern is the placement of the placenta: placenta previa is a condition in which the birth canal can become blocked.
In early pregnancy, placenta previa, which means the placenta is positioned too low in the uterus, isn’t a problem, but your obstetrician will continue to monitor you throughout your pregnancy and until labor. Obstetrician doctors assist women during labor and may prescribe pain medication. The obstetrician is always ready to deal with any type of birthing position.
Head first, or oblique, deliveries are the usual way babies are born, but a baby might exit the birth canal laterally or more commonly, breech, meaning he or she is born feet or buttocks first. An obstetrician may need to assist in the delivery with a surgical tool such as forceps or a suction cup. Forceps are grasping forceps, and the suction cup is a suction-cup device that fits over the baby’s head to help guide him out of the birth canal when labor alone isn’t enough. Obstetrician doctors usually do follow-up exams on patients and newborns.
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