Pregnancy Care
East Georgia Women’s Center offers professional care throughout your pregnancy journey. We want your pregnancy and delivery to be healthy and happy. Dr. George A. Palmer looks forward to caring for you and the little one growing inside. We also have two Nurse Practitioners, Jessica Mathews and Jessica Smith, on staff to help ensure quality care. East Georgia Women’s Center is your source for prenatal care that ensures the health of both mother and child.
East Georgia Women’s Center wants to be with you throughout your pregnancy, including the period after the baby is born. We offer complete prenatal, delivery and postpartum care. A pediatrician or family physician of your choice will care for your newly delivered infant. Please feel free to bring your new baby to your postpartum visit; we always enjoy seeing them and we would love to snap a picture for display on our website and in our office.
Our highly trained nurse practitioner may see you every other prenatal visit. While we do not practice general medicine, we handle any medical problems we can during pregnancy, and we make referrals for problems outside our specialty. Your health is our priority.
*This may vary depending on how many months into the pregnancy you already are.
*Be prepared to give a urine sample at every office visit.
1st visit includes an ultrasound (if far enough along), questions about your medical history, labwork, and a chance to speak with the nurse practitioner to answer any questions you may have. At this visit you will also receive an “ob packet” which includes a cloth drawstring bag with our logo on it. This bag is full of information about your pregnancy and includes the book “What to Expect When You are Expecting.”
2nd visit is two weeks after your initial appointment. This visit will consist of an ultrasound, pap smear, physical exam, and a series of questions about past pregnancies as well as general medical history.
After your second visit you will come for rechecks every month until around the 30 week mark and at that point your visits will only be two weeks apart. Once you are 36 weeks, which is considered full term, you will need to come to our office for a visit on a weekly basis. During the last four weeks you will be monitored very closely and your cervix will be checked weekly to see how you are progressing.
This may vary depending on the doctor’s orders, the following list is the minimum amount of ultrasounds allowed so chances are you will get more than on the schedule.
CDs are available for $1 to save ultrasound images and small video clips. The CDs are reusable.
- 6-10 weeks: Initial ultrasound for dates- this will determine your due date
- 18-22 weeks: Anatomy ultrasound- This is to check all internal organs to make sure the baby is healthy. At this time we can determine the sex of the baby.
- 28-32 weeks: 4D ultrasound- A growth scan will be done and an attempt will be made to obtain 4D images depending on the baby’s position.
- 35-36 weeks: Estimate of Fetal weight- This checks the approximate size of your baby at this time. You can estimate that the baby gains 1/2 a pound per week during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy.
Prenatal classes are recommended for patients who are having their first baby as well as other patients in special circumstances. Classes are offered at East Georgia Regional Medical Center.
Visit the link below to find out more information.
High risk pregnancies are managed by Dr. Palmer on a case by case basis. More frequent office visits and ultrasounds are sometimes necessary when caring for high risk patients. Many patients may still be able to have their baby at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. However, if you or your baby need more specialized care we will refer you to Savannah Perinatology Associates.
Signs That Labor May Be Near
The American Pregnancy Association (americanpregnancy.org) gives the following six signs that labor is a few weeks or days away.
Lightening: You can breathe again!
This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes.
This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes.
Nesting: Spurt of energy.
For most of your pregnancy you have probably been fighting the urge to take a nap, so you should easily recognize this symptom. A day will come when you will wake up feeling full of energy! You will be motivated to make lists of things to do, things to clean, things to buy, etc., and you will feel a sense of urgency about everything you’ve put off doing. Despite these urges, remember that ‘Labor Day’ may be just around the corner, so try to conserve your energy.
Bloody show: Loss of mucus plug.
During pregnancy, a thick plug of mucus protects the cervical opening from bacteria entering the uterus. When your cervix begins to thin and relax, this plug is expelled. Some women think the plug will look solid like a cork, but it is actually stringy mucus or discharge. It can be clear, pink or blood tinged and can appear minutes, hours or even days before the onset of labor. Not all women notice this sign.
This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes.
Effacement: Thinning of the cervix.
In the last month of pregnancy the cervix will begin to stretch and thin. This is an indication that the lower portion of the uterus is getting prepared for delivery because a thin cervix will allow the cervix to dilate more easily.
Your health care provider can check for effacement in the final 2 months of pregnancy. Effacement is measured in percentages. You might hear your health care provider say,”You are 25% effaced, 50% effaced, 75%” The Braxton Hicks contractions or “practice contractions” you have been experiencing may play a part in the effacement process. You will not have the ability to evaluate your degree of effacement. It can only be determined by a health care provider’s exam.
Rupture of membranes: Your water breaks!
Only 1 in 10 woman experience a dramatic gush of amniotic fluid. This event usually happens at home, often when you are in bed. Sometimes the amniotic sac breaks or leaks prior to labor and because your uterus is resting directly on top of your bladder, it can cause you to leak urine. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the urine from amniotic fluid.
If your membranes have ruptured and you are leaking amniotic fluid, it will be an odorless fluid. The discharge can be a sudden gush or a constant trickle. If you notice fluid leaking, you should try to determine if it smells like urine or if it is odorless. If it does not seem to be urine, you should contact your health care provider.
Until you see your physician or midwife do not use tampons, have sexual intercourse or do anything that would introduce bacteria into your vagina. Let your health care provider know if the fluid is anything other than clear and odorless, especially if it is green in color or foul smelling which can indicate the presence of infection.
This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes.
Dilation: Opening of the cervix.
Dilation is the process of the cervix opening in preparation for childbirth. Dilation is measured in centimeters or, less accurately, in “fingers” during an internal (manual) pelvic exam. “Fully dilated” means you’re at 10 centimeters and are ready to give birth. Your health care provider can tell you how many centimeters your cervix has dilated.
One SURE Sign Labor is Really Happening: Consistent Contractions
When you begin to experience regular uterine contractions, it is the strongest indication that you are in labor. When this happens, it is a good time to get out your notebook and record the exact time each contraction begins and how long they last. These contractions can feel like menstrual cramps or like a lower backache that comes and goes. During early labor they might be as far apart as 20 to 30 minutes. Over the course of time, your contractions are likely to begin occurring at shorter intervals of perhaps every 10-15 minutes or less. When your contractions are consistently 5 minutes apart, it is time to call your health care provider.
This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes.
Labor Contractions Have the Following Characteristics:
- They are regular
- They follow a predictable pattern (such as every eight minutes)
- They become progressively closer
- They last progressively longer
- They become progressively stronger
- Each contraction is felt first in the lower back and then radiates around to the front or visa versa
- A change in activity or body position will not slow down or stop contractions
- There might be a bloody show
- Membranes might rupture
- Your health care provider will notice cervical changes, such as effacement (thinning), or dilation