Routine Office Visits
At each of your office visits we will be:
Checking Your Weight Gain
Appropriate weight gain for your pregnancy should be as follows:
Weight gain that is too little may result in an underweight baby that has health problems. Weight gain that is too much may lead to maternal health issues such as diabetes, increased blood pressure, or a too large baby
New Institutes of Medicine and ACOG Recommendations for Total and Rate of Weight Gain During Pregnancy, by pre Pregnancy BMI(Body Mass Index), May 2009
Women who gain the recommended number of pounds during pregnancy decrease the health risks to themselves and their baby. Armed with this fact, the Institute of Medicine released updated pregnancy weight gain guidelines in May and called for increased diet and exercise counseling.
These new guidelines were developed in the midst of a US overweight and obesity epidemic, the consequences of which ob-gyns deal with everyday. Two thirds of women of childbearing age are overweight and almost one third are obese, according to National Center for Health Statistics data collected in 1999-2004.
PrePregnancy BMI(Body Mass Index kg/m^2) |
BMI (Body Mass Index kg/m^2) |
Total Weight Gain Range In Pounds |
Rates of Wt. Gain 2nd and 3rd Trimester (Mean Range in lbs/wk) |
Underweight |
<18-5 (BMI) |
28-40 Pounds |
1 (1-1.3 pounds per week) |
Normal Weight |
18.5-24.9 (BMI) |
25-35 Pounds |
1(0.8-1 pound per week ) |
Overweight |
25.0-29.0 (BMI) |
15-25 Pounds |
0.6(0.5-0.7 pound per week) |
Obese (All Classes |
30 or Greate (BMI) |
11-20 Pounds |
0.5 (0.4-0.6 pounds per week) |
Taken from ACOG Today, August 2009.
Checking Your Blood Pressure
Blood pressure varies in each person. What is normal for one may not be for another. It also varies with daily activity and stressors.
Average normal blood pressure should be less than 130/80. Consider less than 140/90.
Increases in your normal blood pressure can be a sign of developing problems such as pre‑eclampsia.
Asking You to Check Your Urine for Protein and Sugar
Normal urine contains no protein or sugar. Protein will appear if there is any stress on the kidneys such as dehydration or an increase in normal blood pressure. Sugar will sometimes appear after a very large or sugary meal or if you are developing gestational diabetes.
These checks will help us to monitor your general health, the health of your baby, and warn us of impending problems.
Other blood and urine tests will be performed at different times during your pregnancy. You will receive instructions for each of those when it is requested.
*** If you are asked to collect a “Clean-Catch” urine for a culture, please follow the cleansing instructions very carefully. The cleansing procedure is used to eliminate normal bacteria that are on the skin or from vaginal or fecal contamination. Normal urine has NO bacteria in it. This will help us to determine if you have any bacteria in the bladder that are causing an infection.
Checking for Position and Cervical Change
Towards the end of your pregnancy, we will check to make sure that your baby is in the head-down position. Some babies will turn to the breech or head-up position late in the pregnancy although it is less common after 36wks. If your baby is breech, you may be a candidate for External Cephalic Version which involves turning the baby back to the head-down position. We will also check for cervical change to help determine your readiness for labor. Please see the links below for more info.
Your BOGA Health Care Providers