Maternity and Pregnancy

At Ochsner, the dedicated maternity and pregnancy team is here to provide expert, compassionate care at every stage of your pregnancy. Led by skilled obstetricians, family medicine physicians, maternal fetal medicine specialists and certified nurse midwives, Ochsner specialists work together to create a comprehensive care plan tailored to you and your baby’s needs.

The team at Ochsner also includes specialists like dietitians, lactation consultants, and highly trained nurses, providing you with the support you need for a healthy pregnancy and a positive birthing experience.

If you have additional health needs or concerns during your pregnancy, you can count on seamless access to a vast network of specialists at Ochsner. Whether you need care from a cardiologists, nephrologists, urologists and pediatric surgeons, Ochsner ensures that you and your baby receive the highest level of coordinated care. This collaboration ensures your health and safety remain the top priority, giving you peace of mind throughout your pregnancy and delivery.

A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, and during that time, you will need regular check-ins with your care team. Known as prenatal care, these regular visits with your obstetrician or certified nurse midwife allow your care team to monitor your baby's development and address any health concerns early. During these visits, you’ll have regular weight checks to help ensure you’re gaining the right amount of weight. You’ll also have regular screenings of you and the baby to test for health issues that could complicate labor and delivery or place the baby’s health or development at risk.

These regular prenatal check-ups are also opportunities to discuss any questions or concerns regarding nutrition, exercise and overall health, ensuring both mother and baby thrive.

For pregnancies considered low-risk, your care schedule will typically follow these general guidelines:

• First trimester (Weeks 1-12): You will typically have one appointment with a care team member during this time.
• Second trimester (Weeks 13-27): Visits generally occur about every four weeks.
• Third trimester (Weeks 28-40): Starting around week 30, appointments increase to every two weeks, transitioning to weekly visits from week 36 until delivery.

To make prenatal care more accessible, Ochsner offers Connected MOM, a convenient, virtual maternity monitoring service that reduces the number of in-office visits while staying closely connected to your care team.

In addition to regular check-ups, Ochsner offers a variety of educational resources, including classes focused on childbirth preparation, breastfeeding and newborn care. Participating in these classes can enhance your confidence and readiness for labor and delivery while also connecting you with other expectant families.

Ochsner's maternity and pregnancy classes include:

• Breastfeeding class: Learn the basics of breastfeeding, including positioning, latching, early feeding and milk production. This class also addresses questions about hormones, breast anatomy and breast pumps.
• Breastfeeding for working moms: Gather information about how to continue breastfeeding when you return to work. Specifically, you will receive helpful tips about breast pumping while working.
• Grandparents’ prenatal class: Find out what has changed in labor and delivery. This class at Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion is designed for grandparents interested in learning about the latest developments.
• Prenatal class: Learn about general prenatal health, labor anesthesia, delivery options and post-delivery care for mom and baby. You can also take a tour of Ochsner's labor and delivery unit.
• The ABCs of low intervention childbirth: Pick up valuable information and resources to prepare for childbirth. Topics include the mind-body connection, labor support techniques and low-intervention birth.

When it’s time for your baby’s arrival, whether through spontaneous labor, a scheduled induction or a planned C-section, you’ll head to the hospital you and your maternity care provider have selected.

All of Ochsner's Family Birthing Services units are designed with your comfort and security in mind. These family-friendly environments ensure you and your loved ones feel supported throughout the birthing process. Ochsner's dedicated team of physicians, advanced practice providers, anesthesiologists, nurses and lactation consultants will provide personalized care at every step.

Pain management services are available, tailored to your preferences, and supported by skilled anesthesiology specialists. If additional care is required for your baby, onsite or nearby neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) provide expert support to ensure your baby receives the highest level of care from the very beginning.

With multiple Family Birthing Services locations, you have the flexibility to choose a hospital that fits your needs and is convenient for you:

• Family Birthing Services: Baptist at Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion in New Orleans
• Family Birthing Services: Baton Rouge at Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge
• Family Birthing Services: Kenner at Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner
• Family Birthing Services: St. Anne at Ochsner St. Anne Hospital in Raceland
• Family Birthing Services: West Bank at Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus
• Family Birthing Services: Ochsner Lafayette General at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center
• The Women’s and Children’s Center at Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center in Shreveport
• The labor unit at Ochsner LSU Health - Monroe Medical Center

To give you even greater peace of mind, all Ochsner locations also offer TeleStork, an innovative 24/7 virtual monitoring service. Created by Ochsner, TeleStork tracks fetal heart rates in real-time and is monitored by registered nurses across the Ochsner system. This advanced system ensures additional oversight and expert monitoring throughout your labor experience.

Your care doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Postpartum care is a critical part of your recovery and wellness, ensuring you feel supported as you adjust to life after delivery. Within the first few weeks after giving birth, you’ll visit your care provider for a scheduled postpartum evaluation, an essential step in monitoring your recovery and overall health.

Your provider will focus on your physical recovery and address any challenges you may be facing. You’ll also have the opportunity to discuss any symptoms or concerns, ensuring that your recovery stays on track.

An important component of the visit is a screening for postpartum depression. Your provider will work with you to identify any signs of postpartum depression and recommend strategies or treatments to help you feel your best.

Additionally, this appointment is the perfect time to discuss birth control options. Whether you’re considering short-term or long-term solutions, your care provider will help you find the option that fits your goals and lifestyle.

Connected MOM is a program available through Ochsner Digital Medicine that helps expecting mothers monitor their blood pressure throughout pregnancy to catch potential issues sooner.

The Connected MOM program stands for Connected Maternity Online Monitoring. It provides members with a wireless blood pressure cuff to submit readings to their Ochsner Health OB-GYN team from home.

Learn more about the Connected MOM program and speak to your Ochsner obstetric care provider to enroll for extra peace of mind during your pregnancy.

Yes. Many of Ochsner's locations offer individual or group tours, and group tours are provided as part of Ochsner's childbirth classes. Virtual tours are also available at Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion and Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner. Contact your hospital to learn about opportunities for tours.

After receiving a positive pregnancy test at home, it is important to see a doctor to confirm pregnancy. A missed period is often the first clue that you might be pregnant, but there are other symptoms including headache, fatigue and breast tenderness. You may also experience nausea and frequent urination, food aversion or cravings, and mood swings.

After a positive pregnancy test, you should immediately book an appointment with a doctor or midwife to discuss your options.

During your first pregnancy appointment with a doctor of midwife, blood tests are done. Blood tests pick up the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG), which is a hormone produced by the placenta. This hormone is detected earlier in pregnancy through a blood test versus a urine test. Blood tests can detect pregnancy about six to eight days after ovulation.

A false-positive pregnancy test result is very rare. You may get a false positive test result if you’ve recently been pregnant, are taking certain medications or you have certain medical conditions, such as ovarian cysts, a urinary tract infection or kidney disease.

Pregnancy is the period you are pregnant. Maternity is the period after you give birth.

Maternity leave is time granted off work to be with your newborn baby. Some women take maternity leave anywhere from a week to a month prior to birth. Your OB/GYN will be able to work with you to decide the best time for you to begin your maternity leave, which can last for weeks or months depending on your needs and work schedule.

A birth plan is a written document that helps you express your wishes for labor and delivery, and it’s a form of two-way communication with your care team. Your birth plan may contain information about who you want present during labor and delivery, pain management preferences, monitoring of the baby and how you plan to feed your baby (breastfeeding or formula). While your birth plan outlines your preferences, it’s important to understand that your care team may need to deviate from the plan to keep the delivery as safe as possible.

Menopause and pregnancy have several symptoms that are similar including weight gain, a missed period, mood swings and bloating and cramping. If a patient is sexually active, it is recommended that they consult their physician for diagnosis.

Menopause is official once a patient has gone through an entire year without a period. Prior to this time, the patient is in the stage of perimenopause, which has symptoms including irregular periods, hot flashes and night sweats. During perimenopause, pregnancy is still possible.