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Topics in Obstetrics

Obstetrics is a field of medicine that specializes in the female reproductive system, pregnancy and postnatal care. Doctors normally provide obstetric care; however, certified nurse midwives also practice in this area. Obstetricians are lifesavers. In fact, a town in rural northern Japan was so desperate for obstetricians that it promised a horse to any obstetrician willing to go there. The field of obstetrics encompasses several different topics or focus areas.

  1. Fertility

    • Obstetricians diagnose and treat fertility problems. Obstetricians typically evaluate patients for infertility issues if patients have had six months to one year of unprotected sex that did not result in pregnancy. Obstetricians test patients to determine the underlying causes and prescribe treatment accordingly. Obstetricians may administer hormone shots or arrange for in vitro fertilization.

    Prenatal Care

    • Obstetricians provide comprehensive education to patients who are pregnant. Topics of education include nutrition during pregnancy, instruction in labor techniques and basic infant care like dressing and diaper changing and breast-feeding. Obstetricians also provide prenatal medical services like monitoring the uterus's growth, screening for pregnancy-related medical conditions like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure and conducting ultrasound assessments of the growing fetus.

    Labor and Delivery

    • Obstetricians perform labor coaching and deliver babies. Such physicians perform vaginal and cesarean births and monitor vital signs for the mother and baby throughout the process. Obstetricians manage emergency situations that threaten the life of the mother or baby. Obstetricians are trained in using various tools and techniques to assist in difficult labors as well as providing follow-up care for trauma that occurs during labor.

    Postpartum Care

    • Obstetricians also focus on postpartum care, monitoring both the physical and emotional recovery of patients. Topics in postpartum care include assessing signs of postpartum depression, pain management, birth control methods, nutrition, wound care, incontinence, treatment of hemorrhoids and pelvic strengthening. Postpartum care typically continues for two months following delivery.

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