Advanced Women’s Healthcare strives to inform and educate all of our patients. If questions arise during your pregnancy or medical treatment that are not covered within our website, please do not hesitate to call your doctor’s nurse or simply inquire during your next office visit.

Dr. Sigman’s nurse 214-238-7811
Dr. Heintges’ nurse 214-238-7814
Dr. Napier’s nurse 214-238-7812
Dr. Harms’ nurse 214-238-7810
Dr. Maria Reyes’ nurse 214-238-7888

Visit Frequency

  • We will see you about every 4 weeks

Weight Check

  • Check weight gain between visits

Urinalysis

  • To check for protein and or sugar in your urine
  • To check for bladder or kidney infection

Blood Pressure Check

  • Check your blood pressure

Fundal Measurement

  • Measures your uterus and growth of baby

Fetal Heart Tones

  • Listen for baby’s heart beat
  • Can be heard for first time between 10 and 12 weeks

Financial/Insurance Overview

  • Usually conducted at your second OB visit.

Prenatal Class Information

Hospital Registration

  • In order to better care for you, anticipate your needs and facilitate the admission process to Labor and Delivery, we ask that you call and schedule an appointment with an Obstetric Nurse so that she may obtain your medical history and sign the necessary permits required for delivery.
  • Please call to make an appointment around 26 weeks of pregnancy. Phone:  972-566-2252 or 972-566-2073 Appointment Hours:  7am-7pm Monday through Friday Closed on Holidays and Weekends

Testing

Quad Screen

  • Blood screening test done between 15 and 18 weeks that helps determine if there are any risks of neural tube defects or Down’s Syndrome
  • If abnormal, this does not mean something is wrong with your baby. An abnormal test means you will need further testing including a special sonogram by a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist.

Sonogram

  • Helps to verify due date
  • Helps to determine any serious abnormalities with your baby
  • Our office offers 4D scans with either CD or flash drive.  Ask the secretaries for details.
  • Can identify sex of baby

Common Discomforts

Allergy / Congestion

  • Cause: Estrogen causes mucus membranes to swell and an increase in nasal discharge.
  • Treatment: Saline nasal spray (any brand), plain Sudafed, Claritin or Claritin-D, Mucinex plain or D, Zyrtec or Zyrtec-D.

Bleeding of Gums and Nose

  • Nose bleeds are common and are related to higher hormone levels.
  • Estrogen causes the gums to swell and bleeding of the gums is common due to the higher hormone levels.
  • Good dental hygiene is very important to help prevent infections in the gums.
  • Continue regular dental visits. We can fax a note approving dental care at your request.

Constipation

Cause

  • Hormones slow emptying of intestines so your body can absorb more nutrients
  • Bowel is moved out of placed and squeezed together
  • Side effect of prenatal vitamins and iron

What to do

  • Increase fluids
  • Increase natural fiber
  • Establish regular bowel habits
  • Warm liquids in morning
  • Exercise
  • May take Colace, Metamucil, Citrucel, Konsyl, Miralax, prunes, prune juice

Cough

  • Mucinex DM,  Robitussin DM,  Robitussin PE

Diarrhea

  • Imodium,  Kaopectate  (over the counter).   No Pepto Bismol, it contains aspirin.

Fish Consumption

  • Any pregnant woman, women who may become pregnant and nursing mothers should not eat more than six (6) ounces of cooked fish per week. You should not eat king mackerel, shark, swordfish or tilefish because of the high mercury content.
  • Sushi is OK.

Gas

Cause

  • Hormones of pregnancy
  • Slowed emptying of intestines

What to do

  • Avoid foods that cause gas: broccoli, cabbage, dried beans, carbonated drinks
  • May try any over the counter gas med that contains simethecone or Bean-O.

Headaches

Cause

  • Higher hormone levels

What to do

  • Tylenol Extra Strength (according to label directions)
  • Increase fluid intake
  • DO NOT take Aleve, aspirin or ibuprofen (over the counter meds)

Heartburn

  • OK over the counter, Gaviscon, Maalox, Mylanta, Tums.
  • After the first trimester, OK to use over the counter Tagamet or Zantac according to label directions.

Hemorrhoids

Cause

  • Constipation
  • Relaxing effect of hormones
  • Pressure of uterus on intestines

What to do

  • Avoid straining
  • Anusol
  • TUCKS
  • Preparation HC
  • Sitz baths

Influenza

What to do

  • If you develop flu-like symptoms, fever, sore throat, cough, body aches go to your primary care physician for influenza A testing (H1N1 is a type A flu). Tamiflu can be taken by OB patients. Our office does not see any patients with flu-like symptoms, to minimize exposure to other OB patients. The CDC and our office recommends getting the flu shots (regular and H1N1).

Leg Cramps

Cause

  • Growing uterus
  • Pressure on blood vessels in pelvis
  • Calcium/magnesium/phosphorous imbalance

Treatment

  • Straighten legs and point toes to nose
  • Elevate legs and feet
  • Exercise
  • Calcium supplementation (Tums, Citracal)

Nausea and vomiting

  • Should begin to get better between 14 and 16 weeks
  • You can try acupressure/sea sickness bands or vitamin B6 25 mg three times a day. (over the counter options).
  • Prescription medications include: phenergan, zofran

Sore Throat

  • Any cough drops
  • salt water gargle
  • Chloroseptic spray

Urinary Frequency

Cause

  • Growing uterus puts pressure on bladder
  • Worse in 1st and 3rd trimester
  • Do not decrease fluids during day

Report to doctor:

  • Pain or burning while urinating -Urgency (the need to void without being able to urinate)

What is Happening?

  • The embryo grows inside a sac which will fill with amniotic fluid for the baby to float in and protect it from bumps
  • By 8 weeks the hands and feet begin to form
  • At about 10 weeks the eyes, ears, nose and mouth begin to form
  • At about 12 weeks the internal organs are completely formed
  • Bones and muscles are beginning to grow
  • The reproductive organs are the last to form
  • By 12 to 14 weeks the arms and legs can bend at the elbows and knees
  • Fingers and toes are more distinct
  • Eyelids are growing over the eyes and will fuse
  • The fetus is about 2 inches long