While there is no guarantee that preterm labor can be prevented, there are some changes you can make to have a healthy pregnancy and reduce your risk of having a premature baby:

• Quit smoking, drinking alcohol or using street drugs.
• Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during pregnancy and do your best to get to a healthy weight before you get pregnant.
• Talk to your health care provider and come up with a plan to manage any chronic conditions you have.
• Make your first prenatal appointment when you find out you are pregnant. Go to all of your prenatal appointments, even if you are feeling well. Prenatal care helps your health care provider make sure you and your baby are healthy.
• Eat a healthy diet, exercise and take prenatal vitamins.
• Reduce your stress; ask for help from family and friends.
• Protect yourself from infections.
• Know the signs of preterm labor and alert your health care provider if you’re experiencing them.
• Talk to your health care provider about how long you should wait before having your next baby.

Grief is the emotion we feel when we experience a loss. All deaths may be traumatic in some way, but a sudden death is always traumatic. Not only do we suffer with sadness, but our minds are reluctantly trying to integrate a new reality – one that is different from the way reality should be.

We also grieve when our loved one’s death was expected and we were able to say goodbye. We miss the person and their presence in our life, especially the times spent together such as holidays or birthdays.

The holiday season, in particular, can trigger the emotions of grief. Learn more about grief and ways to cope here:  http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/services-psychology-grieving-and-ways-to-cope.html

Virginia Women’s Center is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

There are many causes for heavy bleeding as well as a variety of treatment options. Oftentimes, medications or an intrauterine device (IUD) may be used to help reduce heavy bleeding. However, for some women who have not had success with these options, an endometrial ablation might be recommended. An endometrial ablation destroys the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, and often can reduce or stop menstrual bleeding. There are different ways that endometrial ablations can be performed. The NovaSure® Endometrial Ablation is a procedure that can be performed in our Virginia Women’s Center offices in just a few short minutes. There are no incisions used and the recovery time is typically a day. NovaSure® is designed for women who are premenopausal and experience heavy periods due to benign causes and who do not wish to become pregnant in the future.

Learn more: http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/blog/gynecology/in-office-treatment-option-for-heavy-bleeding/

Content provided by: Virginia Women’s Center

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Whether you’re a first-time mother-to-be or experienced in pregnancy, our team at Virginia Women’s Center will be with you every step of the way. We believe that children are among life’s greatest blessings and it is a privilege to help bring them into your family. Each pregnancy and birth is just as special and unique for our medical family as it is for yours – we are excited and honored to begin this journey with you.

Understanding that pregnancy can be a time of combined excitement, anxiety and confusion, we hope that this infographic will help you know what to expect during your third trimester.

Virginia Women’s Center is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

If you and your partner are considering pregnancy or are newly pregnant, you might be amazed and/or overwhelmed with the number of prenatal testing options available. There are three different types of genetic testing that are offered during pregnancy.

Carrier testing of both parents will detect if either parent is a carrier of a certain genetic defect. A carrier test can be done before, during or after pregnancy and is performed by obtaining a blood sample which is then studied in a lab to detect a defective gene for a certain inherited disorder.

Screening tests are available to detect some birth defects during pregnancy. However, a screening test only shows if there is an increased risk that a defect will occur.

If a screening test or other factors raise concerns, diagnostic tests often can show whether certain birth defects are present.

Learn more: http://www.virginiawomenscenter.com/blog/genetic-counseling/what-is-genetic-counseling/