Pregnancy
Pregnancy & Maternity Services in Conway, AR
Obstetrics in Conway, Arkansas
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Maternity Visits at Conway Women's Health Center
Routine pregnancy visits are every 5 weeks until you are 18 weeks, then every 4 weeks until you are 26 weeks, then every 2 weeks until you are 36 weeks, and then weekly. If you develop any complications, the visits may be more often.
Important Routine Visit Dates:
16 to 20 weeks
Quad Screen Blood Test
28 weeks
Diabetes screen blood test, time to pre-register, and enroll in prenatal classes if interested
36 weeks
Hemoglobin blood test, group B strep culture obtained, labor talk, and we begin cervical exams
Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy
1-800-QUIT-NOW
Quitting smoking can benefit both you and your child
Benefits to your baby:
- Reduced chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Lower risk of pre-term labor and low birth weight
- Reduced risk of congenital heart disease
- Fewer ear infections, coughs and colds
- Reduced risk of allergies, asthma or other lung problems
Benefits to you
- Have more energy
- Save money to spend on other things
- Clothes, hair and home smell better
- Food will taste better
- Live a longer, healthier life with your child
The Arkansas Tobacco Quitline
provides pregnant women 10 one-on-one phone sessions with a personal QuitCoach®. Consider it five for you and five for your unborn child. You choose your own quit date, preferably set before you give birth.
- Five to six calls made within 60 to 90 days of enrollment
- One call made 30 days prior to due date
- Two calls placed after birth
Prenatal Massages in Conway, Arkansas
Prenatal massages provide many benefits to expecting mothers. Carrying a baby changes your body and puts a lot of stress on your back, neck, abdominal muscles, and shoulders. Our prenatal massages are customized to fit the needs of pregnant woman and our licensed massage therapist will adjust techniques to maximize the benefits. Relax tense muscles, ease sore spots, improve circulation and mobility are just a few ways prenatal massages are beneficial to soon-to-be mothers. This type of massage therapy can also improve moods and lower stress levels, reduce prenatal depression and anxiety, and lower the risk of preterm birth. All in all, prenatal massages can put you in a more relaxed state and help you feel at ease with the big changes going on in your body.
Frequently Asked Questions
Back Pain
- Back pain may be related to several different causes. Low back pain is usually related to either the weight of the uterus resting on your backbone or the strain on your lower back from carrying the added weight of your baby. This is best treated with getting off your feet if possible, taking Tylenol, and using a heating pad. Upper back pain may be related to your kidneys. This should be reported at your scheduled appointment or sooner if it is associated with fevers or symptoms of a bladder infection.
Bladder Infections
- You are predisposed to get these when you are pregnant. Common symptoms are burning with urination, frequent urination, and low-grade fevers. If you have these symptoms notify our office.
Bleeding
- Bleeding can occur in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester and after intercourse. Please contact our nurses during clinic hours if you notice spotting that you cannot associate with intercourse. Contact Medical Exchange at 329-1199 if you feel like you need assistance after clinic hours. If you are in your 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy and are experiencing bleeding like a menstrual period, go to Conway Regional Labor & Delivery immediately.
Colds
- Viruses cause colds; therefore, antibiotics are rarely necessary. Treat your sinus symptoms with decongestants such as Actifed, Sudafed, Drixoral, Benadryl, Tylenol cold products, etc., your cough with Robittussin, and your fever with Tylenol.
Constipation
- Try to avoid constipation by increasing the amount of fluids and fiber in your diet. You may also use dietary fibers such as Metamucil and Fibercon, as well as stool softeners like Colace or Miralax.
Dentist
- You may go to the dentist when you are pregnant and have any dental work they feel is necessary. If they have any questions on medicines to give you they will call us.
Dizziness
- This is typically associated with sudden changes in posture. In some cases it is related to hypoglycemia (low sugar). If it has been awhile since your last meal and this begins to occur, try to eat more frequent smaller meals instead of larger meals to avoid this problem.
Fetal Movement
- You should expect to start feeling your baby move sometime between 14-20 weeks. At approximately 20-24 weeks you should feel your baby move at least daily. After 24 weeks, you should feel it move at least three times every hour of every day. If you think your baby isn’t moving as much as it should then you should do “kick counts”. This is done by drinking something with sugar (juice, soda, etc.), lying on your left side, and then observing to make sure your infant moves at least three times over the next hour. If it does not, then notify us.
Hair
- You may have a perm put in your hair and you may color it without risk to the pregnancy.
Headaches
- You may use Tylenol but avoid any Aspirin products or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents like Motrin and Aleve.
Heartburn
- Try to eat small meals. Avoid eating immediately before lying down. You may use antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta, Maalox and Pepcid as well as Tagamet and Zantac. Avoid Pepto Bismol because it contains Aspirin.
Heart Palpitations
- An irregular heart rate and a fast heart rate are both very common in pregnancy. If you notice your heart “racing”, sit down and try to relax as becoming anxious makes the problem worse. If you have episodes of fainting associated with these, please notify us.
Hemorrhoids
- You should try to avoid constipation (see above). You may also use topical ointments such as Preparation H.
Immunizations
- We recommend that you get a flu and Tdap shot. If you desire, you may have a TB skin test.
Insomnia
- You may try Benadryl or Unisom to help you rest.
Nausea & Vomiting
- You should try to eat small, simple, frequent meals and bland foods. Notify us if you cannot keep liquids down or if you vomit blood. Dramamine or vitamin B-6 may be helpful.
Nosebleeds
- These are common in pregnancy due to increased blood volume. It is helpful to try to keep your nasal passages from becoming too dry with the use of a humidifier or saline nasal drops.
Round Ligament Pain
- Round ligament pain is a sharp sudden pain in the groin area caused by movement of the uterus. If you experience this, move carefully and avoid sudden movements. You may use heating pads and Tylenol to reduce pain.
Swelling
- This is most common in the last trimester. When possible, keep your feet elevated and lie on your left side to help this problem. Notify us if the swelling suddenly becomes excessive.
Travel
- Travel by car or plane is acceptable throughout the pregnancy. Anytime after 36 weeks, however, you have the risk of going into labor and we recommend not traveling too far from Conway unless you have another hospital available for you to use. It is important to wear your seat belt at all times.
How to Contact Us
- If you have a question, problem, or emergency during the day (8:30-5:00) you should call our clinic at 450-3920. If you have an emergency, a nurse will speak with you or try to return your call promptly. If it is not an emergency, (i.e. you need a refill on vitamins) they will return your call sometime that day or the next morning.
- Please go to Labor & Delivery if your contractions have been 5-10 minutes apart for 2 hours, if you think your water has broken, if you do not feel your baby moving, or if you are bleeding.
- If you have an emergency outside of our normal clinic hours and on weekends, you will need to call the medical exchange at 329-1199 to have them page the nurse on call. We treat all calls from the medical exchange as true emergencies; therefore, we ask that you please not call the exchange unless you have an emergency that cannot wait until the clinic opens. In all cases, we expect you to use your best judgment as to when an emergency exists and the clinic does not assume any liability for your personal decision not to contact us.
- CWHC is affiliated with Conway Regional Hospital ONLY. We DO NOT see patients at Baptist Hospital.
Obstetrical Billing
- Congratulations! We are delighted to be a part of this very special time in your life. We will strive to make your insurance and/or payment hassles as few as possible. Your cooperation is very important in order to obtain accurate information, benefit verification, and claim forms when your insurance company requires them. We ask that you keep us informed of any insurance changes during your pregnancy as well as any deductible changes due to outside visits.
- Fees for OB care are based on an estimate of benefits from your insurance company and include all routine laboratory tests, ultrasounds, office visits, delivery for the physician, and postpartum care. Maternity patients will have the option to pay in full for a discount or will be put on a monthly payment plan. WE REQUIRE THAT THE ESTIMATE OF SERVICES BE PAID BY YOUR 28 WEEK VISIT.
- All benefits, estimates, and payment arrangements will be discussed in detail at your initial OB visit with Karen from our billing office. Please note that the estimate of benefits is not a guarantee of payment, therefore any differences will be settled after all claims have been processed. Also be aware that there will be separate charges billed to you from Conway Regional Medical Center and Anesthesia Associates (if you have an epidural or c-section).
Ultrasound
- Every patient will have approximately five ultrasounds during their pregnancy. The first ultrasound at your new ob appointment is to determine your due date and verify the heart rate. The second one is performed at approximately 13 weeks, free of charge. The third one is between 18-22 weeks to perform an anatomical survey in which we try to assure the organs look normal. We also can tell the sex in the majority of cases at this time.
- At 28 weeks, the fourth ultrasound is performed, free of charge. We offer this to show you how much your baby has grown. The final ultrasound is done at 34 weeks and is to make sure your baby is not getting too big or is too small. This ultrasound will also enable us to predict what your baby will weigh at your due date. If you have any complications, you may require more than these four ultrasounds.