OGI physicians and nurse practitioners see both normal and high risk pregnancies. A pregnancy is a joyous occasion and we offer a range of services to address both your physical and emotional needs to ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy.
Services provided during Pregnancy
Prenatal office visits
Laboratory testing
Genetic Screening and Counseling
Prenatal classes
OB Ultrasound
Fetal Monitoring
Non-Stress Testing
Nutrition in Pregnancy
What you eat during your pregnancy has a profound effect on your baby’s health and your own well-being. You’ll feel better if you eat often enough to keep your blood sugar stable and your energy constant. That doesn’t mean overeating, however. Eat nutritious foods in small amounts during the day.Your body becomes more efficient during pregnancy and is able to absorb more of the nutrients you eat.
Fish Consumption
Fish provides high-quality protein and essential fatty acids, such as omega-3, that help the fetus develop brain cells. Please click on the following link to see the the Minnesota Department of Health’s safe eating guidelines.
This guide outlines their recommendations on eating commercial fish (bought in a store or eaten in a restaurant) and eating fish caught in Minnesota. The FDA has warned pregnant women not to eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish because of high mercury levels that could harm their babies.
Morning sickness
More than half of all pregnant women experience morning sickness. Morning sickness is the nauseated feeling you get during pregnancy. Morning sickness can be, but is not always, accompanied with vomiting. The nausea is often a result of the increased hormones in your body. Many health care providers think morning sickness is a good sign because it means the placenta is developing well. There are a number of things that you can do to help alleviate your symptoms: Eat small meals often; drink fluids 1/2 hour before or after a meal, but not with meals; drink small amounts of fluids during the day to avoid dehydration; eat soda crackers 15 minutes before getting up in the morning; avoid foods and smells that increase nausea; ask someone else to cook for you and open the windows or turn on fans if the odor bothers you; get plenty of rest and nap during the day; avoid warm places (feeling hot adds to nausea); sniff lemons or ginger, drink lemonade, or eat watermelon to relieve nausea; eat salty potato chips (they have been found to settle stomachs enough to eat a meal); and exercise.
Exercise
Exercising during pregnancy is always a very good idea, and the benefits for you are numerous. Not only will it help you control your weight gain during your pregnancy and your weight loss after pregnancy, but it will also help minimize stretch marks. But more importantly, exercise will help you ensure that you are healthy and fit. The healthier you are during pregnancy, the less likely that you will have a difficult pregnancy. The fitter you are, the easier your childbirth experience will be.
Smoking during Pregnancy
This affects you and your baby’s health before, during and after your baby is born. The nicotine (the addictive substance in cigarettes), carbon monoxide and numerous other poisons you inhale from a cigarette are carried through your bloodstream and go directly to your baby. Smoking while pregnant will lower the amount of oxygen available to you and your growing baby; increase your baby’s heart rate; increase the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth; increase the risk that your baby is born prematurely and/or born with low birth weight; and increase your baby’s risk of developing respiratory problems. The more cigarettes you smoke per day, the greater your baby’s chances of developing these and other health problems. There is no “safe” level of smoking for your baby’s health.