At Dominion Women's Health we pride ourselves on our continuity of care.  Our Doctors make every attempt to deliver there own patients.  We offer prenatal nutritional counseling as well as, lactation consulting.

When medication and non-invasive procedures are unable to relieve symptoms, surgery remains the accepted and most effective treatment for a range of gynecologic conditions. These include, but are not limited to, cervical and uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse and menorrhagia or excessive bleeding. To learn more about da Vinci surgery and gynecologic surgery utilizing the da Vinci^® Surgical System click here.

Folic Acid: B vitamin that can be found in some enriched foods and vitamin pills. Did you know that before your pregnant, getting enough folic acid can prevent most birth defects of the brain and spine in babies? An easy way to get your folic acid it to take a vitamin. Your Doctor can suggest some good prenatal vitamins. Even if you do not plan on getting pregnant right now, getting enough folic acid is important. Many women who become pregnant did not plan on becoming pregnant. By the time you know you are pregnant, your babies brain and spine could already be developed. The suggested daily allowance of folic acid for all women is 400 micrograms per day. For more information on the importance of folic acid please visit the CDC's Folic Acid page.

Breastfeeding: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting your baby within the first hour of life and continuing for the first four to six months. The cost of bottle feeding for the 1st year? $1000.00. The cost of breastfeeding? Free! Women who breastfeed burn 500-1000 calories a day. Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding: breastfeeding lowers the risk of childhood illnesses and obesity. It helps children grow up healthy and lean. It lowers the risk of ear infections, upper airway infections, diarrhea and urinary tract infections. There are so many more reasons to breastfeed. For more of the benefits, please schedule your lactation consultation with one of our lactation educators or call the Mother to Mother Breastfeeding Group at (804)320-3627.

Preterm Labor
Are you possibly at risk for preterm labor?

• Previous preterm birth
• Pregnant with more than one baby
• Uterine or cervical abnormalities
• Late or no prenatal care
• Smoking, drinking alcohol, illegal drug use
• High stress levels
• Long periods of standing
• Low income
• Premature rupture of membranes (your water breaks)
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Urinary tract infections
• Vaginal bleeding
• Underweight before pregnancy

Having one of these risk factors does not mean you will have preterm labor, it simply indicates there may be a greater risk. If you have any of the following symptoms please contact your Doctor immediately:

• Contractions every ten minutes or more
• Feeling like the baby is pushing down
• Cramps that feel like your period
• Low dull backaches
• Clear pink, or brownish fluid leaking from your vagina

A simple way to check your baby is to do a "kick count". This is done by counting the number of times it kicks or moves at the most active time of each day. Begin doing this at 28 weeks. Here are the steps to take:

• First eat, then lay down on your left side.
• Put your hands over the largest lpart of your abdomen
• Count the baby's movements such as kicks, swishes and rolls
• Note the time you feel the first kick and the time you feel the tenth kick. You should feel at least five kicks within an hour, twice a day.
• If you have trouble getting the baby to move, get up and move around or drink some fruit juice and try again

Call your Physician if:

• you haven't felt five movements in one hour
• you can't get your baby to move
• you have a general feeling of not feeling well