To give your child the best start in life, you need comprehensive prenatal care. At Women's Specialists of Clear Lake, our board-certified obstetricians and health care providers monitor your health and that of your developing baby carefully throughout your pregnancy. Regular check-ups include testing and monitoring to ensure the healthiest outcome possible for you and your baby. We will provide you with education and healthy pregnancy tips along the way.

Our prenatal, pregnancy, and childbirth services include:

Prenatal Counseling & Treatment

A healthy pregnancy starts with good prenatal care both before and during your pregnancy. Prenatal care can detect and treat problems early, help prevent complications, and allow us to refer you to appropriate specialists if necessary. In addition to assessments, we recommend prenatal vitamins and healthy lifestyle habits to get your pregnancy off to the best start. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant or are pregnant, request an appointment today for prenatal counseling and treatment.

Pregnancy Testing

Our in-office pregnancy tests let you know if you are pregnant while you wait. We also use blood tests to measure pregnancy hormones and help monitor pregnancies. If you suspect that you might be pregnant, make an appointment today. Like all of our OB/GYN services, pregnancy testing is confidential.

Pregnancy Ultrasound

Ultrasound in pregnancy is a very safe and effective way of evaluating the health and growth of the baby. During the first three months it can be done vaginally or abdominally. After the third month it is usually done abdominally. 3D ultrasound is especially useful for evaluating certain abnormalities.

Fetal Integrated Screening with Nuchal Translucency

Fetal integrated screening with Nuchal Translucency is used during pregnancy to gage the risk of chromosome abnormalities, such as Down syndrome for a fetus. Nuchal translucency uses ultrasound to measure the neck area of the fetus. The neck measurement correlates with the risk of Down syndrome. The nuchal translucency results are integrated with other fetal screenings, such as hormone (HcG) or protein measurements (AFP, PAPP-A) and considered with the age of the mother to develop a risk profile.

Harmony™ Prenatal Test

The Harmony™ prenatal test is a laboratory developed test that analyzes cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood. Directed analysis purified cfDNA measures the relative proportion of chromosomes, this test is intended to aid in the risk of determination of fetal trisomies 21, 18, and 13 in women with singleton pregnancies of at least 10 weeks gestational age.

Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is a diagnostic test that may be used after about the 16th week of pregnancy. Amniocentesis is used to confirm the findings of other assessments or to detect chromosomal, neural, or inherited disorders in a developing fetus, such as Down syndrome, Hunter syndrome, or spina bifida. In the last trimester of pregnancy, it is used to evaluate the lungs of a fetus. Amniocentesis involves obtaining and examining a sample of amniotic fluid from within the sac surrounding the fetus. It is commonly recommended for pregnant women over age 35.

Fetal Monitoring

Biophysical Profile

Biophysical profile testing uses both fetal non-stress testing and ultrasound evaluation to assess fetal health during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Biophysical profile testing is used for high-risk pregnancies or patients that are having certain symptoms. Biophysical profile testing is a non-invasive method of evaluating fetal breathing, movement, muscle tone, heart rate and amniotic fluid.

Non-Stress Test

Fetal non-stress testing (NST) is a simple test to measure the heart rate of the fetus to determine if it is receiving enough oxygen and is not in distress. Fetal non-stress testing may be performed after 28 weeks of gestation if a developing baby is overdue or has moved less than usual, to check placenta functioning, or for other reasons associated with high-risk pregnancy. The test involves placing belts on the mother’s abdomen that measure fetal heart rate and contractions. As the name implies, this pregnancy assessment is not stressful for the mother or fetus.

High-Risk Pregnancy Management

We manage high-risk pregnancies carefully because they carry more risks to the mother and developing baby. A pregnancy may be termed high-risk for women over the age of 35 or women with certain medical conditions. With careful monitoring and management, most women with high-risk pregnancies deliver healthy babies.

Cervical Cerclage Placement

Cervical cerclage placement is used to prevent the cervix from opening early during pregnancy. If the cervix opens too early, it may lead to preterm labor or delivery. Cervical cerclage may be recommended for women with a weak (incompetent) cervix or who have had certain problems with prior pregnancies.

Management of Multiple Pregnancies

Our caring obstetricians keep a close eye on the progression of multiple pregnancies. Mothers and developing twins, triplets, and more require extra special attention during pregnancy to make sure that everyone is healthy. Rest assured that our doctors have many years of experience managing multiple pregnancies from early pregnancy screenings to multiple deliveries.

Alere Homecare Services for Pre-Term Labor

We participate in Alere Obstetrical Homecare Services to help monitor women at risk for pre-term labor while they remain in their homes. Alere includes telephonic and home-based nursing assessments. Alere provides our patients with 24-hour support in the comfort of their own homes.

Delivery Options

Our compassionate obstetricians have the expertise to help make our patients’ pregnancies and deliveries as easy as possible. We monitor the health of both mothers and developing babies carefully throughout pregnancy. As the time grows near, we discuss delivery options, such as vaginal birth, C-section, natural childbirth, and the use of pain-relieving medications so that when the magical day arrives, we are well-aware of your preferences.

Additional Services

Women's Specialists of Clear Lake also offers:

  • Office-based circumcision
  • Cord blood banking options - Cord Blood banking is the process of saving a newborns stem cells from the umbilical cord. Stem cells are the body’s master cells which create tissues, blood, organs and the body's immune system. By saving the stem cells, this provides your family the benefit of possibly saving your loved ones life. For more information visit Cord Blood Registry and Viacord.