obgyn in gilbert az

Although pregnancies are considered to be full term after 37 weeks, there are advantages to waiting until 39 weeks to deliver. Pregnancies are dated from the mom’s last menstrual period, not from the date of conception. Full term pregnancy is a range rather than a date, with 37-41 weeks considered to be full term.

There has been a lot of press lately about the ideal time to electively deliver a baby. Recent recommendations from the March of Dimes and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology take into account the fact that babies are healthier if they are born after 39 weeks. Babies born from 35-38 weeks, considered near- term, have more problems with feeding, maintaining their temperature and other factors than babies born after 39 weeks. They are also more likely to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and not go home from the hospital with their mothers.

Banner Health Care, based in Arizona and including Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa Arizona, has been leading the way in the movement to only electively deliver babies after 39 weeks. This new policy only applies to elective (non medical) deliveries- not to medically indicated ones. For example, if a mother has high blood pressure, or if the fluid around the baby is low, or if her water breaks and her labor needs to be induced or if she’s in labor, she will be delivered even if she is not 39 weeks along. On the other hand, if a mom is planning a repeat cesarean delivery, or wants to deliver on a specific day, or is simply tired of being pregnant, that will have to wait until she is 39 weeks. This policy ensures that that babies are born at the safest time for them and their mothers.

Tamar Gottfried is a Board Certified Obstetrician/ gynecologist practicing general Ob/gyn in Mesa Arizona and affiliated with Banner Desert and Banner Gateway Medical Centers. She can be contacted at 480-545-0059 . This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be medical advice. See a medical professional before making medical decisions

Urine pregnancy tests check for the presence of a chemical in urine that is produced in larger and larger amounts during the first months of pregnancy. They can be positive as early as a few days before a period is missed and stay positive throughout a pregnancy. A woman should take a pregnancy test if her period is late or if it is lighter than usual and there is a chance she could be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are more likely to be positive if the urine is concentrated- that is why the first urination of the morning is often recommended, especially if it is very early in the pregnancy. If the urine is very dilute, very watery, the test may still be positive around the time of the missed period, but the positive sign may be lighter. If a urine pregnancy test is negative, it may be too early, or the urine may be too dilute. If the period doesn’t come, or if there are other signs of pregnancy, the urine pregnancy test should be repeated in a few days or at a time when the urine is more concentrated.

Why do a pregnancy test at a doctor’s office? At our Mesa obgyn office, the urine pregnancy tests work similarly to the ones at home. Many people are unsure if they’ve done the test right, or if they can trust their home test, so they come in to do it at an Ob office and this is fine! At our office, if your test is positive, we can start you out with some vitamin samples and schedule your first Ob visit. If the test is negative and we want more precise information, we can order and draw a blood pregnancy test. Coming in to do a pregnancy test in an Ob office can give you peace of mind and it is free and doesn’t cost a cent!

Tamar Gottfried is a Board Certified Obstetrician/ gynecologist practicing general Ob/gyn in Mesa Arizona and affiliated with Banner Desert and Banner Gateway Medical Centers. She can be contacted at 480-545-0059. This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be medical advice. See a medical professional before making medical decisions.

Tamar K. Gottfried, MD
1520 S. Dobson Road, suite 316
Mesa, AZ 85202

If a pregnancy is full term at 37 weeks, why can’t I be induced?

When do I take a pregnancy test?