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A person who is an obstetrician is someone who specializes in maternal care for a woman that includes pregnancy, childbirth, and also her reproductive system. In most cases, a person is both an obstetrician and a gynecologist and is commonly called the
OB/GYN
. These doctors can deliver babies. An obstetrician is a person who takes care of you throughout your pregnancy and gives you follow-up care like various tests for your better health.
The question is what is obstetrics? Who are obstetricians? We often confuse obstetricians with gynecologists. There is a slight difference between the two. Women who are pregnant usually first see obstetricians for routine prenatal care. It is advised to have an appointment with an obstetrician approximately after eight weeks you miss your first periods. You should also visit a doctor once a month throughout your pregnancy.
Obstetricians also treat women with high-risk pregnancies both during and after pregnancy. The severe conditions include having a chronic health condition, crossing the age of 35, carrying multiple babies, having a history of miscarriage, preterm labor, or cesarean delivery, engaging in certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking and drinking, developing certain complications during pregnancy that affect you or baby.
An obstetrician is a person who also treats ectopic pregnancy, fetal distress, preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure, placental abruption, or when the placenta detaches from the uterus, shoulder dystocia, or when a baby’s shoulders get stuck during childbirth, uterine rupture, prolapsed cord, or when the umbilical cord becomes trapped during delivery, obstetrical hemorrhage and sepsis, which is a life-threatening infection.
When you visit an obstetrician during your pregnancy they would monitor your health and your developing babies’ health, including doing routine ultrasounds, measurements, and tests. Check for health conditions that could cause problems during your pregnancy or affect your babies’ health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, infections, and genetic disorders. Advise you about diet, exercise, medications, and staying healthy. Help you cope with morning sickness, back and leg pain, heartburn, and other common pregnancy complaints. Answer your questions about pregnancy and your growing baby. They also explain what would happen during labor and delivery.
The procedures and surgeries obstetricians perform also may differ from the ones that gynecologists do. Aside from routine appointments and labor and delivery services, obstetricians also perform the cervical cerclage, dilation, and curettage, cesarean delivery, vaginal delivery, episiotomy, or a cut at the opening of the vagina to aid in vaginal delivery, circumcision, forceps, and vacuum deliveries.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, your obstetrician may offer you certain tests. Like an ultrasound, an amniocentesis to determine your baby’s sex and identify certain genetic abnormalities You should make an appointment to see an obstetrician if you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. They can provide you with prenatal care and help you plan for your pregnancy.
