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In
the Spotlight
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| December
14, 1999 |
Planning
a Pregnancy? Or Are You Pregnant? Why An Online Medical Record Is
So Important
By
Thomas Booth MD, MS
V.P., Medical Affairs, PersonalMD.com Editor-in-Chief
Diane
Schweisguth, RN, BSN
Editor,
PersonalMD.com
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 Planning
a pregnancy? Or are you already pregnant? If so, youll probably
be making visits to your doctor or obstetrician more than you
ever have before. The reasons for this are obvious, the health
of your baby and yourself. So what can you do to help your doctor?
The answer is to make sure your medical record is complete and
up-to-date.
If
You Are Planning a Pregnancy
If
you are planning a pregnancy, use your PersonalMD.com
online health file (Use Efile
and fax in your OB records) to:
-
Keep
track of the date of your last menstrual period (LMP).
By knowing this, you will be better able to determine if you
may or may not be pregnant. Its also important to know when
you are pregnant as your estimated date of confinement (EDC),
commonly known as your due date is based on the date of
your last period.
| Calculating
Your Due Date |
| There
are several methods that may be used to calculate your due
date, or estimated time date of confinement. Here are two
quick and easy ones: |
| Minus
3 Plus 7 |
| With
this method, subtract 3 months from the month of the date
of the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP); then
add 7 days. For example, if your LMP was November 10th (11/10),
then you would subtract 3 from 11 (the month) which would
be 8, then add 7 to 10 (the date) which would be 17. Therefore
your estimated due date would be 8/17 or August 17th. |
| 9
Plus 1 |
| With
this method, add 9 months to the date of your LMP, then
add 1 week (7 days). Using the same example as above, if
the first day of your LMP was November 10th (11/10), then
you would add 9 to 11 which would be 20 (since there are
12 months, subtract 12) and you would have 8; then add 1
week (7 days) to 10 which would be 17. Therefore you estimated
due date would be 8/17 or August 17th. |
-
Update
your current health history. Youll then have it completed
and ready to take with you to your doctors office to make
sure their information about you is up-to-date.
Your
medical history is very important to your
doctor when you do become pregnant, or if
you are having difficulty conceiving. Besides
your general health history information
(allergies, medications, immunizations,
surgeries, etc.), be sure to include the
following information:
Gynecological
history. Include when you started your first period, what
your normal periods are like, if you experience premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) and what the symptoms are, and when you had your
last PAP smear, GYN exam, and breast exam and mammogram.
Also
record the type of birth control method you have used and how
long you have used it, as well as any previous infertility problems.
If you have had a history of infections, such as yeast or
urinary tract infections, or any sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs), be sure to record them as well.
Pregnancy
history. Include the number of pregnancies, number of live
births and the infants birth weight, and how the babies were
delivered as well as any complications of the pregnancies. Also
note if you have had any miscarriages or abortions.
Family
history. Include the health history of your family (mother,
father, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles),
especially if any of them have had a history of hypertension,
diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, or osteoporosis, as
well as any genetic disorders.
Health
habits. Record information about your health habits: your
diet, the amount and type of exercise you do regularly, smoking
habits, use of alcohol, and use of any nontraditional therapies,
such as over-the-counter herbal medications.
If
You Are Pregnant
If
you are pregnant, use your PersonalMD.com online medical record
to:
-
Take
to your first obstetricians visit. Your obstetrician
may not be your primary physician and therefore may not have
your complete medical record, or you may have moved since
your last pregnancy and you are now seeing a new physician.
By taking a copy of your online health file with you, youll
make sure that you wont forget any important information,
such as the results of previous lab or diagnostic studies,
or any surgeries you may have had. This information is especially
important if your pregnancy is considered high-risk . Your
family history is also very important since many genetic disorders
may be passed on to your baby. By recording this information
in your online file, youll be able to help your doctor better
screen for possible genetic or congenital problems.
| High-Risk
Pregnancy |
- Over
age 35
- Multiple
births are anticipated
- Pregnant
due to infertility treatments (assisted conception techniques)
such as in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Potential
of passing a genetic disorder onto your child
- History
of a chronic health condition such as diabetes or heart
problems
- History
of cancer or undergoing cancer treatment
- History
of chronic gynecological (GYN) problems, such as endometriosis;
troubled pregnancies, such as a miscarriage; have ever
had an abortion or an untreated or undiagnosed sexually
transmitted disease (STD); have an IUD in place; or
are a DES daughter
|
-
Take
to your specialist. If you have a high-risk pregnancy
or if you routinely see a specialist, such as an allergist,
you can use your online health file to help the specialist
keep up-to-date with the progress of your pregnancy.
-
Record
your progress. Nine months is a long time to remember
all of the details. Use your online service to record the
results of any tests performed including your babys ultrasound
picture! You can chart your LMP, weight, blood type, and other
data. You can even use it to record a diary of your pregnancy
and your thoughts along the way: when you first felt the
baby move; when you first heard the heartbeat; what you learned
at the birthing classes; what your plans are for when the
day arrives.
Your
obstetrical record is the single most important piece of medical
documentation you can provide to a treating physician, especially
in an emergency. Should a problem arise during your pregnancy,
your record will be available anywhere and at any time, so your
doctor can best help you and your baby.
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