Obstetrical Care

Prenatal Care

During pregnancy, there are many changes taking place and many questions arise. This Web site provides answers to many commonly asked questions. Two books that are excellent resources are “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “A Baby is Born"

Regular prenatal care is important for your health and that of your baby. Initially, we’ll see you in the office every 3-4 weeks, then more frequently as the pregnancy progresses. Of course, we always encourage fathers to be involved every step of the way, from office visits to delivery and follow-up care.

Lab tests, including blood and urine tests, are a routine part of these office visits. We’ll be monitoring for signs of diabetes during pregnancy, and other tests such as quad-screen AFP (Alpha Feto-Protein) and testing for Cystic Fibrosis will be offered as appropriate.

Sonograms are performed starting very early in the pregnancy and are performed by our physicians and sonographers. (See Sonograms and Ultrasounds). All blood work is also performed in our on-site laboratory. Your physician oversees all aspects of your care from the first visit to the delivery of your baby. We generally recommend at least one ultrasound (sonogram) to check for fetal growth, fetal numbers, dating of the pregnancy, and other information as we follow your progress.

Sonograms and Ultrasounds

Ultrasound examinations (also known as Sonograms) are widely used in women’s health. Sonograms are safe and pain-free. Generally, we will recommend at least one ultrasound be performed to check for fetal growth, fetal numbers, dating of the pregnancy, and other information helpful in following your pregnancy. Repeat sonograms are often necessary during a high risk pregnancy to reevaluate the fetal growth.

Occasionally, certain large defects may be identified but there are limitations to the amount of information obtained from sonography. Sonograms do not rule out all possible abnormalities that can occur.

The sex of the infant can only occasionally be seen but ultrasounds are only 75% accurate in determining the sex of the baby.

Matlock OB/GYN will provide you with a photo of your sonogram. We do not video our sonograms for patients, however we will happily give you the name of a facility where you might obtain a video should you desire one.

Sonograms When You’re Not Pregnant

Sonograms are also widely used in gynecology to rule out abnormalities of the breasts and pelvic organs. Many of these sonograms are performed by Matlock providers, others are performed by outside sonographers. Information obtained can include size and position of the uterus or ovaries, presence of cysts or masses, fibroid tumors (benign tumors on the uterus) or other abnormalities.

Availability for sonograms can be limited so please arrive a few minutes prior to your scheduled time, for all scheduled sonograms.

At Risk Pregnancy

Patients are considered to have a “high risk” pregnancy for a number of reasons including:

• High blood pressure
• Severe asthma
• Diabetes mellitus
• Lupus or other autoimmune diseases
• Prior late pregnancy loss
• Pre-existing heart or kidney disorders
• Blood clotting disorders or prior blood clots
• Other medical conditions

Matlock physicians are trained to identify and treat women with a “high risk” pregnancy.
Patients with an at risk pregnancy may require additional testing including the following:

• High blood pressure
• Amniocentesis
• Level II Sonograms
• Cervical Cerclage (for Incompetent Cervix)
• Nonstress Testing (Fetal heart rate tracings)
• Diabetes monitoring
• Biophysical Profiles (Sonogram evaluations)

Many of these services are provided on site by our physicians and sonographers. Some patients will need specialized care by a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician (a doctor trained to care for “high risk” pregnancies). Your Matlock provider may choose to make these referrals when appropriate.

Women who have a “high risk” pregnancy have very special needs. Matlock OB/GYN is committed to providing state of the art care for these special pregnancies in a caring and compassionate manner.

Hospital Care During Your Pregnancy

Our physicians deliver at Medical Center of Arlington, where you should pre-register by your 18th week. The hospital offers tours of labor and delivery as well as excellent birthing classes for first-time and repeat parents. Board Certified Anesthesia physicians are available around the clock to perform epidurals, if desired.

Medical City Arlington has recently completed a 70 million dollar expansion including newly renovated labor and delivery suites. All suites are spacious private rooms equipped with state of the art technology to ensure a safe and memorable delivery experience!

To learn more about the Medical City Arlington and their Women’s Center visit Medical City Arlington