Prenatal Care Specialist

What is prenatal care?

At Westlake Women’s Health Specialists, Dr. Mandelman cares about you and your child and wants to make sure your pregnancy is as healthy as possible. She visits with you regularly as you navigate each new stage of pregnancy and answers your questions compassionately and in detail up to and including when you give birth.

Dr. Mandelman conducts regular testing for you and your baby to make sure development is going smoothly. She addresses any abnormal results with further testing and gives you any additional care you need right away. 

What are the stages of prenatal care?

Your pregnancy has three stages, and you should start coming to Westlake Women’s Health Specialists for regular visits as soon as you know you’re pregnant. You can also book visits before you get pregnant if you’re planning for a pregnancy soon. 

Dr. Mandelman works closely with you through each of these stages of your pregnancy:

First trimester

Thanks to the rapid changes in your hormones during pregnancy, you’ll notice symptoms as early as the first week. The first trimester of pregnancy lasts through week 12, and you should visit Westlake Women’s Health Specialists approximately every 4-6 weeks during this time.

Second trimester

The second trimester of your pregnancy lasts from week 13 to week 28. You might find this stage to be easier after adjusting to the many changes of the first trimester. You can continue your 4-6 week visits during this stage, but you might need to come in more often if your pregnancy is high risk. 

Third trimester

The third and final trimester of your pregnancy lasts from week 29 to week 40. You should schedule your prenatal care visits once every 2-3 weeks after week 32 and once a week after week 36. During this time, Dr. Mandelman checks for changes to your cervix that indicate you’re almost ready to give birth.

Please note, due to COVID -19 prenatal visits may be spaced out, and if possible, televisits may be offered.

What does prenatal care involve?

Westlake Women’s Health Specialists starts your prenatal care with an initial visit. That is normally the longest of all of the prenatal visits through every stage of pregnancy. Dr. Mandelman performs a physical exam that’s similar to your typical annual women’s health exams, including a vitals check, pelvic exam, breast exam, and Pap smear.

Dr. Mandelman then offers suggestions for habit and diet changes to promote a healthy pregnancy. She also tells you which prenatal vitamins to take regularly, like folic acid. 

At each prenatal care visit after the first, Dr. Mandelman:

• Updates your medical chart
• Measures your weight
• Measures your blood pressure
• Listens to your fetal heartbeat
• Performs a urinalysis

At certain visits, Dr. Mandelman will recommend various prenatal tests for more information about your health and your baby’s health. She offers ultrasound imaging tests as well as optional genetic testing, among other options. 

For exceptional prenatal care, call Westlake Women’s Health Specialists or request an appointment online today.