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Overland Park, Kansas

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For your convenience, we have listed answers to commonly asked questions.  Please feel free to bring any questions for us to your prenatal visits.

Your primary provider will make every effort to attend your delivery, especially during the week.  However, we rotate call coverage as a group practice, and any one of our physicians may attend your delivery.  You always have the option to see other physicians in our group for prenatal visits to meet them, but this is not mandatory.

  • Tylenol (regular or extra strength) for fever and headache
  • Robitussin DM for cough
  • Cough drops (Halls, Ricola, etc.) and Chloraseptic spray for sore throat
  • Sudafed for congestion
  • Benadryl, Zyrtec or Claritin for allergies
  • Imodium or Kaopectate for diarrhea
  • Colace, Milk of Magnesia or Metamucil for constipation
  • Monistat or Gynelotrimin for yeast infections
  • Tums, Maalox, Zantac or Pepcid AC for heartburn
  • Ginger, Unisom, Vitamin B6 (50 mg daily) or sea bands for nausea
  • New obstetrical lab:  Done at first prenatal visit and includes blood type, complete blood count, hepatitis B, syphilis, rubella, HIV and urine culture.
  • First trimester screening (optional):  Ultrasound and lab work done at 13 weeks to screen for Down syndrome.
  • Ultrasound:  Typically done close to 20 weeks to evaluate fetal anatomy.
  • Glucose test:  Done between 24 and 28 weeks to screen for gestational diabetes.
  • Group B Streptococcus:  Done at 36 weeks.
    Other testing may be recommended based on personal or family history.

If you had chicken pox as a child, you are immune and there is no cause for concern.  If you have not had chicken pox, then please call our office.

“Slapped cheek” syndrome is also known as fifth's disease.  This viral infection is caused by parvovirus B19.  It rarely causes infections affecting the fetus, but please notify our office if you have been exposed.

Yes.

Travel by air or car is fine as long as emergency care is available near your destination and as long as your pregnancy is uncomplicated.  Travel should be completed by 32-34 weeks.

We would encourage continued regular exercise at the same level of activity that you had before pregnancy.  There is no heart rate restriction.  If exercise becomes uncomfortable, then decreasing the amount or intensity of activity is appropriate.

Yes.  Intercourse is safe during pregnancy.  Spotting can occur up to 48 hours after intercourse and is considered normal.  If bleeding becomes heavier or if it is associated with pain, then please call our office.

Sleeping on the back has never been scientifically proven to cause problems in pregnancy.  Most pregnant women will become uncomfortable sleeping on their backs as the pregnancy progresses.  Sleeping on their sides may be more comfortable.  A long body pillow can often help provide comfort when side sleeping.

We recommend limiting caffeine intake to no more than two hot or cold drinks containing caffeine, or less than 200 mg daily.

Any cheese that has been pasteurized is safe to eat in pregnancy.  This includes any soft cheeses.

Most fish and shellfish are safe during pregnancy.  We would recommend avoiding excessive consumption of specific fish that could contain mercury, including tuna, shark, mackerel and tilefish.  Specifically, we would limit consumption to no more than a tunafish sandwich weekly.  Please see the FDA website for more information.

Regardless of how long you decide to breast feed (nurse or pump) your baby, at some point you will be ready to stop. There are several ways to accomplish this. While it is possible to stop “cold turkey,” we don’t routinely recommend that since it tends to be very uncomfortable/painful for you. Some babies may gradually wean themselves as they take formula or solids or both. Once you make the decision, we recommend that over the course of one to two weeks, you begin eliminating one session of nursing/pumping every two to four days depending on how much milk you have. Try to pick different times of the day. For example, if you first eliminate one in the morning, the next one should be at night. That way, you allow your body to slowly reduce production of milk. It is not necessary to take a medication to stop (“dry up”) your milk. Finally, it is normal that there may be a tiny amount of leakage for up to one year after you stop. There is no need to “check” by squeezing on your nipple after you have quit, as that may cause you to make more milk.