Obstetrics & Prenatal Care

At Women's HealthFirst you have chosen a state-of-the-art obstetrical practice. We pride ourselves in offering expert, personalized, and compassionate care that will start with your first prenatal visit. We feel the best pregnancy outcome is assured when the doctor and patient have great communication and a good working relationship, so that the patient "helps" us take special care of her.

Our in-office protocols for prenatal care include providing you with information packets, so you will be prepared for each step along the way. At your first visit, you will have an ultrasound to confirm the viability of your pregnancy, and to give you an accurate due date. You will then receive an individualized care plan, indicating the timing of each of your upcoming prenatal visits, and detailing what will be done. Completing your first visit, you will have ample opportunity to ask your doctor any questions or voice any concerns you might have. We want you to leave feeling informed and excited about the fascinating journey to come. And patients love receiving from us a complimentary copy of the popular pregnancy book, What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Starting with your first visit and continuing for each trimester of your pregnancy, you will have an ultrasound to monitor the development and growth of the baby. An optional nuchal translucency ultrasound at 12 weeks provides a non-invasive diagnostic test to rule out Down’s Syndrome.

You can see us at any of our three offices, each offering late evening and Saturday hours. And we encourage your husband or partner to accompany you whenever possible, as well as other family members to come for special ultrasound visits.

We realize that not every pregnancy is uneventful. Amniocentesis, non-stress tests, and biophysical profiles are additional in-office diagnostic tests which we use to monitor the baby and demonstrate fetal well being. Sometimes your history may suggest possible risk factors or at some step along the way you may develop a condition that will make your pregnancy more complicated. We then will help to optimize your care by consulting and co-managing your pregnancy with maternal-fetal medicine specialists at the hospital where you choose to deliver.

We are proud to be affiliated with three highly regarded hospitals in the area:

Being on staff at these facilities, we can offer our patients the convenience of the best medical care close to home. For our obstetrical patients, each of these medical facilities offers birthing suites which allow patients to labor, deliver, and recover in a home-like atmosphere. An anesthesiologist can administer an epidural anesthetic for your labor comfort and is immediately available in case a Caesarean Section is necessary.

In addition, each Hospital provides 24-hour neonatology coverage during your labor and delivery. A neonatologist is a specially trained pediatrician who can be called to attend to your delivery and is trained to handle all problems encountered with a newborn baby. Northwest Community Hospital and St. Alexius Medical Center can safely handle and deliver babies as early as 31 weeks. Lutheran General Hospital, because of its tertiary care status and Level III Special Care Nursery, can deliver and care for very low birth weight babies.