Women’s Telehealth and Dr. Anne Patterson were featured in the Wall Street Journal on September 13, 2017 in the article, “Telemedicine Helps Pregnant Women At Risk.” The article explains how telemedicine appointments with Dr. Patterson helped save the baby of a high-risk pregnant patient who lived two hours away from an MFM specialist.
The decision to breastfeed is a personal choice for a mother and her baby, however, research shows many benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the baby. Breast milk is nutritious, rich in vitamins, and saves time and money. In support of National Breastfeeding Week, below are some of the reasons you may want to consider breastfeeding your baby.
Benefits to babies who breastfeed:
Benefits to mothers who breastfeed:
Breastfeeding is a personal choice that a mother should make without being influenced by friends or family. There are many benefits, but there may also be some challenges, such as sore nipples, the baby not latching on, or not producing enough milk. Seek counsel from your health care provider, family members, or other mothers if these challenges arise. If breastfeeding is the right choice for you, it can help give your baby their best and healthiest start in life.
Most pregnant women worry about what is and isn’t safe during pregnancy. Since June is National Safety Month, here is a list of some tips to keep you safe throughout pregnancy:
Following these tips will contribute to a safe pregnancy for you and your baby, but be sure to talk to your health care provider about any questions or concerns that may arise throughout your pregnancy.
There are numerous health risks associated with smoking, and smoking during pregnancy causes health problems for you and your baby. When you smoke, your baby smokes. The poisons you inhale in cigarettes, such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, and lead, cross the placenta and keep your baby from getting the proper nutrients and oxygen needed to grow. Smoking can make it harder to conceive, and smoking during pregnancy can lead to pre-term birth, birth defects, and even infant death.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause the following health problems:
Stopping smoking will not only benefit your health, but it will significantly improve your baby’s health as well. Ask your health provider for details on programs to help you quit. START BY OBSERVING WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY – TODAY!
Obesity during pregnancy causes many risks for both the mother and the baby. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecology classifies obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk.
The mother may be at risk for the following complications if she is obese during pregnancy:
Obesity during pregnancy not only causes complications for the mother, but the baby may be affected as well. The following complications may occur for the baby:
Despite the risks, obese pregnant women can have a healthy pregnancy with proper weight management and prenatal care. However, losing weight before becoming pregnant can significantly decrease the risks of complications for both the mother and the baby, and result in a much healthier pregnancy.
Depression is a mood disorder which affects 1 in 4 women during their lifetime, and pregnant women are no different. According to The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), between 14-23% of women will struggle with some symptoms of depression during their pregnancy. But is taking antidepressants during pregnancy safe?
Last time Women’s Telehealth measured, more than 25% of our pregnant patients were taking antidepressants during pregnancy. A decision to use antidepressants during pregnancy is based on the balance between risks and benefits. Treatment of depression during pregnancy is essential and if left untreated can lead to several risks, including not seeking optimal prenatal care, not having the energy to take care of yourself, or participating in unhealthy behavior that can also affect the fetus. Overall, the risk of birth defects and other problems for babies of mothers who take antidepressants during pregnancy is very low. And, some medications have been proven safe without question during pregnancy.
Generally, these antidepressants are considered safe during pregnancy:
If you suffer from mild to moderate cases of depression, you may be able to stop taking medication during pregnancy with the support and guidance of your doctor. Some tips to manage mild depression symptoms include:
However, if your depression is moderate to severe, or you have a history of depression, the risk of relapse might be greater than the risks associated with antidepressants.
The most important factor of depression in pregnancy is that the mother is safe. Talk to your doctor before any decision is made regarding taking or stopping any medications during pregnancy. Your physician will help you determine the best treatment for you and your baby.
Check out this week’s Top Docs Radio episode featuring Dr. Meg Prado speaking about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: http://topdocs.businessradiox.com/2017/02/27/neonatal-abstinence-syndrome/
Women’s Telehealth’s Tanya Mack sat down with Certified Nurse Midwife, Anna Cherry, of Providence Women’s Health Care of Roswell, to learn about how the centering pregnancy prenatal care program their practice has been participating in is improving outcomes for the patients they serve. Centering Healthcare Institute explains how centering pregnancy works. Centering group prenatal care follows the recommended schedule of 10 prenatal visits, but each visit is 90 minutes to two hours long – giving women 10x more time with their provider. Moms engage in their care by taking their own weight and blood pressure and recording their own health data with private time with their provider for belly check.
On the Top Docs BusinessRadioX show, Women’s Telehealth’s Tanya Mack sat down with March of Dimes’ State Program Manager, Danielle Brown. Brown explained the extent of occurrence of premature births among Georgia women and how it ranks nationally on the low end of the scale. We explored some of the reasons behind these troubling numbers, research underway to address it, and strategies being employed around the state to bring needed screening and pre-natal care to expectant mothers.
Bradley George, NPR recently featured a story addressing the infant mortality health crises in the African-American south. Women’s Telehealth and their Centering Pregnancy partner, the Georgia Department of Community Health in Dougherty County. Dougherty County is a typical southern county in which about 40% of the residents are African American. Of Georgia’s 159 counties, it ranks 115th in health outcomes and has an infant mortality rate of 10.8/1000 live births- almost twice the national average. Centering Pregnancy is a way to deliver group prenatal care and adding high risk maternal fetal medicine services via telehealth, through Women’s Telehealth, has enabled this group of patients to greatly reduce their preterm birth outcomes.