Advanced Women’s Healthcare (AWHDALLAS.com) is intended to inform and educate our patients and visitors. If you have any questions that arise during your pregnancy or medical treatment that are not covered in this website, please do not hesitate to ask us during your normal office visit or call the office in order that we may help you. Our phone number is 214-238-7888.

Visit Frequency

  • We will begin to see you once a week

Testing

Vaginal Exam

  • At each visit starting at 37 weeks we will check your cervix for dilation
  • You will be asked to undress from the waist down

What to Expect

Baby Movement

  • Movement frequency does not change
  • Movement changes from a lot of purposeful movement to more of a rolling sensation

Cervical Exams

  • Starting at 37 weeks your doctor will check your cervix for dilation
  • This is to help determine if you are getting close to labor as well as to determine if when you may be induced for labor

Important

  • You may experience some vaginal spotting 24 to 48 hours after this exam
  • This is not a problem and you should not go to the hospital with this spotting
  • You may also notice and increase in contraction frequency and intensity after this exam. This should subside in a couple of hours.

Mucus Plug

  • May be lost at any time
  • Does not indicate you are in labor
  • May be clear, yellow or have streaks of blood present

Common Discomforts

Braxton Hicks

Cause

  • Tightening of uterus that may or may not be felt
  • This is your uterus preparing itself and your cervix for labor
  • Tends to be more frequent as you get closer to your due date
  • Described as a “tightening” sensation
  • Contractions are irregular
  • Interval does not change
  • Discomfort relieved by rest
  • Discomfort usually in lower abdomen

What to do

  • If you notice them, rest
  • Empty your bladder
  • The frequency should decrease
  • Increase your fluids
  • Can take a warm bath or shower
  • Not a reason to go to the hospital

Contractions

  • May begin as irregular contractions that eventually become regular
  • These contractions begin to prepare your cervix and uterus for labor
  • Intensity and frequency may decrease with rest and warm baths or showers

Lower Back Pain

Cause

  • Shift in gravity
  • Tends to get worse as your due date approaches

What to do

  • Good body mechanics
  • Exercise
  • Lay on back and lift leg up as far as you can go (this stretches the muscle in the back of your thigh and your muscles in your lower back)
  • Wide base of support
  • Pelvic rock exercises
  • Supportive low-heeled shoes
  • Firm mattress
  • Abdominal support garment

Swelling of Feet and Legs

Cause

  • Impaired venous return due to enlarged uterus
  • Tends to get worse as your due date approaches

What to do

  • No constrictive clothing
  • Elevate legs every 2-3 hours
  • Support hose
  • Lay on side instead of sitting

Vaginal Discharge

  • Your discharge will increase in response to the hormones of pregnancy
  • At this time in the pregnancy, the discharge increases

Contact your Doctor if:

  • You experience itching, redness, irritation

When to Go to the Hospital

  • Call the office at 214-238-7888 before you go to the hospital, your doctor may want to see you in the office first.
  • Contractions that are difficult to walk or talk through
  • Bag of water breaks whether you are having contractions or not
  • Vaginal bleeding heavy like a period
  • Decreased baby movement
  • Headache that does not go away after taking 2 Extra Strength Tylenol
  • Changes in vision
  • Spots before eyes
  • An indigestion-like pain that is more under right side of rib cage