Obstetrics

We take great pride in our full range of obstetrics care. Select a tab below for details, questions or forms.

The Baby Whisperer and one of her babies
  • Exceptional obstetrics services in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert in the East Valley
  • Frequently asked obstetrics questions answered by the Baby Whisperer
  • Obstetrics forms for A New Beginning OBGYN in Mesa, serving the East Valley, Gilbert, Chandler

Full Spectrum of Obstetrics Services

During this exciting time in your life, our highly individualized and personal care will help to make this wonderful experience even better! We follow your progress carefully throughout your pregnancy, and we manage your delivery in the excellent facilities at Banner Gateway Medical Center. If surgical procedures are needed, we use nearby Canyon Springs Surgical Center.

The Baby Whisperer ®

One of Dr. Bullaro-Anderer's greatest joys is to provide exceptional obstetric care. She spends quality time with each patient and truly listens to their concerns and answers their questions. Her caring and commitment to her patients and their families, coupled with her ability to connect so well with newborns have her patients calling her "The Baby Whisperer ™."

Full Spectrum Care involves all three phases of your pregnancy...

  • Antepartum Care
    • History and physical exam
    • Lab tests
    • Sonogram (typically by 20 weeks)
    • Glucose tolerance testing
    • Fetal heart rate monitoring
    • Group B Strep testing (common bacteria that can affect the baby)
  • Labor and Delivery
    • Natural child birth
    • Analgesic pain relief
    • Epidural under supervision of anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist
    • IV or saline lock
    • Fetal monitoring
    • Labor induction (Cervidil, Picotin)
    • Cesarean delivery
  • Postpartum Care
    • Following your progress for 6 months after delivery
      • Immediately after vaginal or Cesarean birth, careful in-hospital care
      • Followup as your hormones restabilize

We have posted some of the common questions related to pregnancy. If you don't find your question here, please call our office at (480)-237-3040.

What is morning sickness and when will it get better?

You may experience morning sickness around the 6th week of your pregnancy and it may last for 6 to 8 weeks. Despite the name, it can occur at any time of the day. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the causes are unknown but may be hormonal changes or lower blood sugar during early pregnancy, coupled with emotional stress, fatigue and intolerance for certain foods. It is very common (most women have nausea and about 1/3 have vomiting) and some women experience it throughout their pregnancy. It will not harm your baby unless you lose significant weight or dehydrate from severe vomiting. Nausea is more common with multiples, and can be more severe.

While there are medications that can help with the nausea, there are several tips from the NIH that you might try before medication:

  • Eat a few soda crackers or a piece of dry toast when you first wake up (before getting out of bed)
  • Avoid large meals. Instead try snacking about every 1 to 2 hours during the day.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid dehydration.
  • Eat a small snack (or crackers) at bedtime and if you get up in the night.
  • Eat foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates. An example would be peanut butter on apple slices or celery. Also try cheese, celery, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and unsalted nuts. Avoid foods that are high in fat and salt but which offer low nutrition (fast food, chips, donuts, etc.).
  • Avoid smoking and exposure to second hand smoke.
  • When nausea is approaching, try band foods—ginger ale, gelatin, saltine crackers
  • Take your prenatal vitamins at night.
  • Keep your vitamin B6 levels high by eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, peas and beans.

Call us if none of these are helpful or if nausea and vomiting continue past your 4th month. If you vomit more than 3 times per day or cannot keep food or fluids down, or if you lose weight (more than a couple of pounds) call us for an appointment. If you vomit blood or material resembling coffee grounds, call us immediately.

What medications should I avoid during pregnancy?

Most FDA-approved OTC medications are not tested on pregnant women for obvious reasons. The best practice is to discuss any drug or dietary supplement with us before you take them. There are several ingredients that are risky for pregnant women or their baby, and it is good practice to read labels carefully to ensure that a benign-sounding OTC medicine does not contain these risky items. The degree of concern depends on how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Some examples to be generally avoided are:

  • aspirin
  • NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Advil, Aleve, Motrin.
  • bismuth subsalicylate—Pepto Bismol, Kaopectate, Diotame, Kapectolin, Kola-Pectin, Bismatrol

Some of these are also problematic during breast feeding. Please check with us regarding any OTC medicines, and for all prescription medicine.

What should I know about nutrition during my pregnancy?

In spite of the old saying "you are eating for two now" it is important to control your caloric intake and not overeat. During your pregnancy, your daily caloric needs are only about 300 calories more than when you are not pregnant. The Institute of Medicine recommends that your weight gain be limited to about 25 to 35 pounds. You want all of your food intake to be from efficient* sources of nutrition. As always, it is a good idea to eat 3 smaller, balanced meals a day and have a small snack mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening. Smaller amounts of food taken throughout the day are more easily processed than fewer larger meals. Eat from all of the main food groups (grains, fruits, dairy and protein (meat/fish)). Limit fish intake (about 12 oz per week or less) and avoid fish known to be high in mercury (swordfish, mackerel, some types of shark).

Water

You will need plenty of water. You should drink at least 64 ounces per day (eight 8 oz glases) and if you spend significant time outdoors you should increase this. Coffee and soda should not be counted as part of your water intake.

Supplements

You will need take a prentatal vitamin daily. Additionally, you should make sure you get 1200 mg of calcium each day. If your diet does not supply this, you should take a calcium supplement.

* An efficient source of nutrition means a food that provides most of its calories in vitamins, minerals and proteins. For example, an ice cream bar may contain the additional 300 calories you need during pregnancy. However, it contains very little useful nutrition. The 300 calories are mostly fat and sugar.

Can I exercise while pregnant?

Absolutely. A careful exercise regimen is important during pregnancy. Avoid exercising beyond your aerobic range. This depends on your age and other factors, but if you keep your heart rate at or below about 140 you should do fine. If your heart rate exceeds 140, simply slow your routine or decrease the intensity. Doing extensive amounts of anaerobic exercise (above your aerobic range so your body is getting insufficient oxygen from your lungs) causes temporary changes in your blood chemistry that are necessary to supply oxygen and glucose to your muscle tissues. While this normal, remember that you are sharing your blood with your baby. These changes may be undesireable for the baby because the adjustments are made to suit your needs, not those of your baby.

You should avoid over-exertion, so do not exercise to the point of exhaustion. Be careful to avoid impact to your abdomen, so activities where you could fall on your abdomen or otherwise impact it should be avoided. When you get further along in your pregnancy, balance may become an issue. You will also reach exhaustion earlier and should account for this.

Is it OK to have sex during pregnancy?

Unless you are told otherwise by your physician, it is safe to have sex during your pregnancy. You may notice various lower back discomfort after sex when you are in a more advanced stage of pregnancy. This discomfort is temporary. You may wish to experiment with different positions to find one that offers more comfort.

 

What should I avoid contact with during pregnancy?

The FDA and EPA are unable to perform actual tests on the effects of foods, drugs, cleaning compounds, etc. on pregnant women. Exposure dangers can sometimes be projected by knowing the potentially harmful ingredients and the methods by which you could be exposed to them.

Avoid cleaning up after your pets while you are pregnant. There is absolutely no problem with being close to your pets, but avoid picking up feces or stirring litter boxes. The parasitic disease Toxoplasmosis can infect most animals, including humans. While cats are most often blamed for the spread of Toxoplasmosis, proximity to any feces should be avoided. If you travel to less developed countries, you should also avoid contact with raw meat, as this is one of the most significant sources for spreading Toxoplasmosis on a world-wide basis.

Can I travel while pregnant?

As a general precaution you should limit your travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy. Earlier in your progress you can travel but be aware that you have an increased tendency to form blood clots. As with all travelers, you should get out of your seat every hour or two to walk around and stretch. This is even more important when you are pregnant, especially beyond 4-5 months.

 

What can I do if I get a cold?

There are several medications you can safely take for help with discomfort from a cold. According to your symptoms, you can take any of the following per the instructions on the package (also see the "medications to avoid" FAQ above):

  • Tylenol
  • Sudafed/Actifed
  • Triaminic
  • Robitussin
  • Benadryl

Please contact your doctor immediately if your fever exceeds 101 degrees, if you have shortness of breath, cough up phlegm, or notice changes in the movement of your baby.

How can I treat a yeast infection?

Monostat or similar over-the-counter treatments can be safely used. Be careful when inserting the applicator. Your symptoms should improve in a few days. If not, please contact us for additional evaluation.

What drugs can hurt my baby?

Generally the abuse of any drug can harm your baby. This means taking a drug outside of the limits prescribed on the label or by your doctor. Drugs that we know can cause sometimes life-long damage to your baby are:

  • Tobacco
  • Alcohol
  • Crystal meth
  • Heroin
  • Cocaine

The effects of these drugs on your baby can include:

  • Birth defects
  • Premature birth
  • Brain damage
  • Irritability
  • Seizures
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome (learning disabilities, emotional development problems, often lifelong effects)
  • Sucking and swallowing problems
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Slow physical development

What are postpartum blues and postpartum depression?

Childbirth can involve fairly significant hormonal changes. These vary in severity and impact.

Postpartum Blues

Beginning a few days after birth and continuing for a week or two, postpartum blues affect about 80% of all women. The common symptoms are sadness, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, and fatigue. These can be expected to subside after your hormones restabilize. No medical treatment is necessary.

Postpartum Depression

If your postpartum blues get worse with time, or you experience symptoms several months after your baby is born, you may be suffering from postpartum depression. This affects about 10% of women and should not be ignored. Please notify Dr. Bullaro-Anderer if you experience lingering symptoms or have symptoms that start many weeks or months after your delivery.

Why do my breasts hurt? Is this normal?

This is a very common symptom and is perfectly normal. You may also experience a leaking of colostrum from the breasts. From the very first days of pregnancy, your breasts begin to prepare themselves for breast feeding. The breasts store additional fat, mammary glands grow in size, and blood circulation to the breasts increases. If you do not experience leakage, that does not indicate a problem. Some women do not.

Forms are provided in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) for your convenience. You may open the forms directly in your browser and save them on your computer, or you can right-click on the link and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link..." depending on your operating system.

Obstetrics-Specific Forms