When to Look for an Obstetrician-Gynecologist or OB-GYN

When to Look for an Obstetrician-Gynecologist or OB-GYN

An obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) is a doctor who specializes in women’s health. OB-GYNs are experts in all areas of reproductive health care, including pregnancy and birth, menopause, and sexual health. Your OBGYN Trinity can also perform surgeries related to women’s reproductive organs, such as hysterectomies or tubal ligations. Others focus on other aspects of women’s health, such as anxiety disorders or infectious diseases.

Here are instances when you should look for OB-GYNs.

Conditions that OB-GYNs Treat

Prenatal care

Prenatal care is a key part of obstetrics. The specialty of OBGYNs includes prenatal care, labor and delivery, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatal nurseries, and well-child care.

Prenatal care involves providing women with educational opportunities about pregnancy and their baby’s health. It also includes counseling them about prenatal testing and health risks associated with various conditions. Prenatal visits also involve discussing options for delivery to ensure that a woman’s needs are met along with those of her baby.

The OB doctor will examine the mother’s abdomen to check for uterine size and position and look for any abnormalities, such as bleeding or swelling in the pelvis area. If no abnormalities are present, an ultrasound is performed to check for fetal and gestational age.

 Fibroids

Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) growths in any part of the uterus. They are common, with about 8 percent of women having them at some point in their lives. They are most common during pregnancy but can also appear after pregnancy or menopause. A health physician may recommend surgery to remove them or prescribe medication to shrink them down.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue grown elsewhere in your body (endometrial tissue) grows outside your uterus (endometrium). This abnormal growth can cause pain during menstruation, painful intercourse, and other symptoms similar to those of monthly periods that don’t come regularly or have an unusual amount of blood loss.

 Congenital abnormalities

The specialty of OBGYNs includes the diagnosis and treatment of congenital abnormalities. These include conditions such as Down syndrome, cleft lip/palate, heart defects, hypospadias, birth defects of the digestive system such as esophageal atresia, and other birth defects. If your baby has such complications, this can affect its development, and you should contact your health specialist immediately for advice about how to proceed in caring for your child.

Cervical insufficiency

Cervical insufficiency is the most common complication of pregnancy. It occurs when the cervix begins to open prematurely during pregnancy. This can happen as early as 24 weeks, but it’s more likely to occur after 32 weeks. The cervix should remain closed until labor begins, which usually occurs at 39 weeks gestation. An OBGYN can help address cervical incompetency to help mothers struggling to carry their children to term to complete the gestation period successfully.

OBGYNs are doctors who specialize in women’s health. They deliver babies, perform tubal ligations, and perform other procedures related to pregnancy, including breast exams and pap smears. OBGYNs also diagnose and manage disorders that affect the reproductive system and its functions. To connect with professional OB-GYNs, call Suncoast Women’s Care.