One of our core philosophies is that our patients play an active role in creating a birth plan for their baby’s arrival. This plan lets your Viva Eve birth team know what is important to you.
Our obstetrics team offers the following services:
Normal and high-risk obstetrics
Twins and multiples
Vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC)
Genetic Screening
Prenatal fetal testing
Laboratory and ultrasound evaluations available in the office
Umbilical cord blood banking via CryoCell®, the world’s leader in cord blood banking
Well-established working relationship with the best maternal-fetal specialists in New York City
Your First Trimester
Congratulations! You’re about to have a baby!
Here is what you can expect from your initial visits with your Viva Eve doctor:
- Your obstetrician will perform a thorough physical exam.
- State-of-the-art ultrasound will help your doctor determine what stage of pregnancy you are in and set a potential due date for your new arrival.
- Based on your age and family history, your obstetrics doctor may recommend having several first-trimester prenatal tests that can be done as early as 10 weeks. In addition to this providing invaluable genetic information, you can also confirm the sex of your baby far earlier and more accurately than ever before!
To decide which tests are right for you, your Viva Eve doctor will explain why a test is recommended, its risks and benefits, and what the results can — and can’t — tell you. It is important to remember that tests are suggested to you — it’s your choice whether to have them or not.
During your first trimester visit, your obstetrician will also advise you on the important lifestyle changes to support a healthy pregnancy. Growing babies rely on their moms for sustenance, so it is also important to make good choices about nourishing you and your baby.
These are routinely performed to make sure your protein and sugar levels are healthy and to check for urinary tract infections or problems with your kidneys.
Blood tests can detect certain genetic risk factors, an infection, blood glucose levels, check hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and perform antibody screening.
Your Second Trimester
The second trimester is, for many women, the easiest 3 months of pregnancy. You are feeling better, your energy is up, you now have a noticeable baby bump and you can feel your baby move!
- Your doctor will perform a second-trimester ultrasound that is usually done between 18–20 weeks of pregnancy to examine the baby’s anatomy and confirm that the baby is developing normally. This test can also confirm the sex of your baby, but of course, we promise to keep it a secret if that is what you would like! If you so choose, Viva Eve’s obstetrics team will put together a beautiful gender reveal card that you can open later with your family and friends.
- Your doctor can also recommend additional prenatal tests that are usually performed in the second trimester. One of them is Amniocentesis, a diagnostic test that is usually performed between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy and detects chromosome and neural tube defects. Another prenatal test that might be recommended is a Multiple Marker test: which is done between weeks 15 and 20 to screen for neural tube defects and chromosomal disorders. Test results can be combined with first-trimester screening tests to give more accurate results (this is called an Integrated Screening Test).
- Glucose Screening Test Test checks for gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that develops in some women during pregnancy and can cause health problems for the baby, especially if it is not diagnosed or treated.
Your Third Trimester
The third trimester encompasses weeks 26 through 40 of your pregnancy. This is the home stretch, as you prepare for the delivery of your baby! For some moms, those few weeks may seem longer than the rest of the pregnancy combined! You may feel more uncomfortable now as your baby gets bigger and begin to have Braxton-Hicks contractions (false labor contractions).
As you begin the third trimester, your obstetrics doctor may change the schedule of your prenatal visits depending on your specific pregnancy needs. Your prenatal visits may be scheduled once every week and sometimes more frequently in the last month.
You might start taking childbirth classes in preparation for your baby’s birth, especially if this is your first pregnancy.
Here is what to expect from your third-trimester appointment at Viva Eve:
- Starting at approximately the 38th week, a pelvic exam may be done to determine the dilation and effacement of the cervix.
- You and your obstetrics doctor will once again discuss and finalize your labor and delivery plan.
- Third-trimester ultrasounds can examine the placenta, the position, and the weight of the baby and make sure the baby is getting enough oxygen.
- You can also expect to get your urine tested and your weight and blood pressure checked at every (or almost every) visit until you deliver. These tests can identify conditions such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure).
- Group B strep test is usually performed between the 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy and checks for group B streptococcus (GBS) infection which is found in the birth canals of many women but can cause serious infections in newborns. A woman with a positive test will be started on intravenous (IV) antibiotics before delivery to make sure that the baby is not infected during childbirth.
The vast majority of pregnancies go according to plan; however, when emergencies arise, our doctors are available to you 24 hours a day.
Many of our patients come from all over the world to deliver in one of the top maternity hospitals in the country. If you are a patient of our OB/GYN doctors you will have access to Mount Sinai West and the hospital’s state-of-the-art birthing facilities. Viva Eve’s obstetrics doctors will work with you on choosing your options for pain management and/or natural birth, as long as you and your baby are healthy and there are no complications.
Post-Delivery Care
Many doctors refer to the postpartum period as the “fourth trimester” because so many changes are happening to your body as it returns to a non-pregnant state. The obstetrics team is here to help you navigate these postpartum changes.
All of the Viva Eve patients are asked to have a follow-up visit with our doctors within the first 10 days after your delivery. We at Viva Eve take a hands-on approach during the postpartum period and follow our patients closely during this transition phase. As such, we are able to detect issues that arise from time to time in the Fourth Trimester much more effectively than most practices.
These postpartum visits are also a good time to discuss future family planning and lactation counseling Viva Eve offers to breastfeeding moms.
Postpartum Mental Health
Bringing a new baby home is a joyous event, but many new moms find that their emotions and moods are not what they have expected. It is estimated that 40 to 80 percent of new moms experience postpartum baby blues due to hormonal changes in the first few weeks after delivery. One in eight women can experience postpartum depression.
- Viva Eve obstetric doctors are experts in recognizing the symptoms of postpartum baby blues and depression and work closely with therapists that specialize in the treatment of this very common condition.
- Viva Eve obstetric Ob/Gyns are uniquely qualified to help you successfully navigate the transition from pregnancy to parenthood, with services and support tailored to each patient’s individual needs. We see postpartum care as an opportunity to empower our patients to take care of their overall health and the well-being of their new baby.
- Viva Eve obstetric Ob/Gyns are uniquely qualified to help you successfully navigate the transition from pregnancy to parenthood, with services and support tailored to each patient’s individual needs.
For more information about our obstetrics care, services, facilities, and more, or to speak with a care expert, please call (212) 988-2111.
While the field of gynecology primarily deals with the female reproductive system—the uterus, ovaries, and vagina—the practice of obstetrics serves women during pregnancy, from prenatal care and childbirth into post-delivery. Many obstetricians are also gynecologists and are commonly referred to as Ob/Gyns.
Partnering with an Ob/Gyn as soon as you know you’re pregnant is recommended for a safe pregnancy. If you’re able to consult with an Ob/Gyn before becoming pregnant, that’s even better!
Prenatal care includes pregnancy checkups, testing, and physical exams to monitor fetal health and development as well as your health. Prenatal care is essential in detecting health problems and reducing the risk of pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth, anemia, and low birth weight.
Those who have tried to conceive with no success for over a year should begin seeking help with infertility.
Multiple studies have proven that an ultrasound scan performed either abdominally or transvaginally to be safe during pregnancy. Other than the one or two ultrasound scans you can get to confirm pregnancy and look for any abnormalities, most healthy pregnancies do not require more, though your doctor may recommend additional ultrasound scans based on your medical history.
An MRI during pregnancy is believed to be safe with no adverse risks on unborn babies.