After waiting months to meet your sweet new baby, the discomfort of the third trimester can be hard to handle. You will likely be swollen, exhausted, and sore––not to mention ready to snuggle your newborn! By the time a woman reaches full-term pregnancy (defined by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as 39 weeks pregnant), she may want to do some things on her own to naturally induce labor. The good news is that these methods are perfectly safe to do at home!

 

To encourage labor once you've hit full-term pregnancy, try the following:

Be sure to consult with your doctor before trying any of the above methods. Your provider will discuss options with you and help you decide on the best course of action to induce labor. Every pregnancy is unique, and ultimately, your baby will come when they are ready. We promise that whenever that happens, it will be worth the wait!

Dealing with an abnormal Pap test? This can certainly happen for several reasons and fortunately, most of them aren’t cancerous; however, if your OBGYN does suspect cervical cancer, further testing will be performed to test the lining of the cervix. If precancerous cells are discovered this is known as cervical dysplasia. It can be scary hearing this diagnosis if you don’t have all the answers. Here’s what you should know.

How is cervical dysplasia treated?

The best course of action for treating your cervical dysplasia will depend on the severity of your dysplasia. During a biopsy, your gynecologist will be able to analyze the cervical tissue to determine the level of cervical dysplasia. There are three cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) levels, with CIN I being mild, CIN II being moderate and CIN III being severe.

If you’ve been diagnosed with CIN I, it may clear up on its own without even needing treatment; however, you will still need to see your gynecologist about every six months for a Pap smear to detect further changes or to determine if the cells have gone away.

If you’ve been diagnosed with moderate to severe cervical dysplasia, treatment options include cryosurgery to freeze the abnormal cells, a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) to burn away the cells, or a more traditional surgical approach that will remove the cervical cells with surgical tools or a laser. Since cervical dysplasia can return, you must be visiting your gynecologist regularly for screenings and checkups.

Is there a way to prevent cervical dysplasia?

One of the best ways for women to protect themselves against cervical dysplasia is to get the HPV vaccine. This vaccine has been approved to protect against several strains of HPV that can lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine is often administered around the age of 11 or 12, but anyone up to age 26 years should consider getting vaccinated. If you are over the age of 26, you should speak with your gynecologist to find out if getting the vaccine is right for you.

Since any woman can develop cervical cancer at any age you must be visiting your OBGYN regularly for routine checkups and screenings. Don’t put off these important annual women’s health checkups.

Uterine fibroids are common benign growths that develop within the lining of the uterus. While this problem is common among young women, particularly of child-bearing age, you may be concerned about whether or not this condition could impact your current or future pregnancy. An OBGYN will be your guidepost for providing all the information and care you could need throughout your pregnancy, and with regards to treating uterine fibroids.

What are the signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids?

If you have uterine fibroids you may experience:

Not all women with uterine fibroids will experience symptoms, which is why it’s so important to stay up to date with your OBGYN checkups and routine screenings.

Can uterine fibroids impact my pregnancy?

For some women, having uterine fibroids during pregnancy may present a problem, which is why you should speak with your OBGYN and go to all your scheduled prenatal appointments and checkups. While you may never experience any issues during your pregnancy, uterine fibroids may be more likely to result in:

If a woman isn’t pregnant there are certain medications that she can take to help improve symptoms. Surgery may also be recommended to remove more severe fibroids; however, treatment for uterine fibroids in pregnant women is rather limited because many of these treatment options could pose a threat to the unborn child. In this case, bed rest and staying hydrated are two of the best ways for expectant mothers to manage fibroids. Also, talk with your gynecologist about the right pain medications to take to help control your discomfort.

Even though most fibroids won’t cause any problems for most women during pregnancy, an OBGYN also understands what to look for and signs that could put you and your unborn child at risk to ensure that you get the immediate care and attention you need.

Even if you’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes, some women can develop diabetes during pregnancy. This is known as gestational diabetes and is often diagnosed by the 24th week of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes means that your blood sugar levels are too high. If left untreated this can lead to serious complications for both you and your baby, so you must discuss your gestational diabetes with your OBGYN so that you and your doctor can create an effective game plan.

 

The pancreas is responsible for producing insulin, which helps your body store sugar from food to use for energy; however, when you are pregnant the placenta also produces hormones that can impact insulin levels and lead to insulin resistance. If your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, this can result in gestational diabetes.

 

It is possible for a pregnant woman to have gestational diabetes and not even know it, which is why you should keep up with prenatal visits with your OBGYN so that they can perform the necessary testing to keep both you and your baby healthy throughout your pregnancy and delivery.

 

However, it is possible to develop symptoms (particularly if you have undiagnosed diabetes before getting pregnant). These symptoms include,

Since these symptoms can also just be indicative of a healthy, normal pregnancy (aka: being hungrier than usual) these symptoms don’t necessarily mean that you have gestational diabetes. You must speak with your OBGYN about certain risk factors and keep up with your checkups so that gestational diabetes can be detected right away.

 

Many women can improve their blood sugar levels through simple measures such as healthy eating, exercising regularly, managing stress, and monitoring their blood sugar levels. By controlling this issue now you can prevent gestational diabetes in the future, as well as the development of type 2 diabetes. Sometimes your doctor may also prescribe insulin medication to help control your blood sugar.

 

Your OBGYN’s goal is to provide you with proper care and treatment throughout your life, from general wellness checkups to post-natal and menopausal care. If you have concerns about gestational diabetes, or if you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, talk with your OBGYN about the best way to keep it under control.

Postpartum hemorrhage occurs when there is severe and prolonged bleeding of 500ml or more that occurs within 24 hours after giving birth. This often occurs after the placenta has been delivered and it may be more common in women who’ve had a cesarean rather than vaginal birth. Of course, there are steps your OBGYN can take during the third stage of labor to reduce a woman’s risk for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Signs of PPH

It’s important to recognize the signs of PPH so you can call your OBGYN or 911 to get immediate medical attention. Some signs of PPH include,

PPH is a life-threatening condition, so you mustn’t ignore these signs after giving birth.

Risk Factors for PPH

While PPH can happen without warning, there are risk factors that can predispose women to develop PPH. If you’ve had PPH in the past, you are more likely to have it in the future. PPH is also more common among Hispanic and Asian women.

You may also be more likely to develop PPH if you have any of these health problems,

Other conditions and factors that can increase your risk include,

If you have questions or concerns about childbirth or delivery, know that your OBGYN is always here to answer any of your questions. Talk through the possibility of PPH with your obstetrician so you can discuss beforehand, the steps that are going to be taken to protect both you and your baby during labor and delivery.