Intro: Riverside Healthcare puts the health and wellness information you need well within reach.

Host: Welcome back to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host, Helen Dandurand. And today, I'm going to be joined by Holly Ward-Collins, Site Supervisor at Riverside Women's Health, to talk about what you need to know when finding out you are expecting.

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Host: And we're back with Holly. Thanks for joining me today.

Holly Ward-Collins: Thank you. Yeah, of course.

Host: Could you start by maybe telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?

Holly Ward-Collins: So, I have been a nurse for 24 years specializing in women's health for the last 18 years. I recently came aboard with Riverside this last fall, and I'm loving it.

Host: Great. So, you've got a lot of experience under your belt to talk about this subject, right?

Holly Ward-Collins: Absolutely.

Host: Okay. So, let's get started then. When someone first finds out they're pregnant, what should their first step be?

Holly Ward-Collins: They should find a women's health provider. And then, if they don't already have one, give them a call, make sure they're taking patients and make an appointment.

Host: Great. How can someone go about making their prenatal initial appointment like with Riverside? Is there certain information that they need to know before calling to schedule?

Holly Ward-Collins: So, they should know when their last period was. And they should know what type of insurance they have and if it's a network.

Host: Okay. Cool. Is that something that if they aren't sure on that they could call? Or did you recommend they call their insurance or...?

Holly Ward-Collins: So, they should check with their insurance just to make sure. But then, you can always call us and double check because we have no problem checking.

Host: Okay, great. I do know too, our list of insurances are on our website too. So, there's multiple ways, I think, to check that out. So, at what week of pregnancy will they then make that initial appointment for?

Holly Ward-Collins: We'd like you to call when you first find out, so anywhere from four to six weeks. And then, we see you for your first initial visit anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks. And then, depending on your situation, it goes from there.

Host: Okay. Great. We are going to take a quick break to talk about primary care.

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And we are back. So, are there common questions that you find that you get when someone calls to make this appointment or, I guess, after that appointment and the time between calling and the visit?

Holly Ward-Collins: Absolutely. Usually, number one question is, "Can I exercise?"

Host: Okay.

Holly Ward-Collins: Absolutely. You can exercise. Just listen to your body. If you're too tired, don't do it. If you feel like you're cramping more, stop. Another one is, "Can I eat lunch meat?" You absolutely can eat lunch meat. We just caution that you purchase it from the store and bring it home yourself and not eat it out at a picnic.

Host: Sure. That definitely makes sense. Anything else that people kind of ask?

Holly Ward-Collins: The other thing that we usually get asked is when will I know my due date? And that's something that we will determine at your first visit.

Host: Okay. Do you usually get a lot of calls in between from, you know, they make that appointment and then they call back to say, like, "Hey, by the way, or send a message, or how does that typically work?"

Holly Ward-Collins: Yeah. We tend to get a lot of phone calls, or myChart is a really good avenue. You can send any message and it goes to your provider and your nurse. Questions with that usually is, "I have a cold, what can I take?" Well, we have a whole list of medications that you can take. "I have allergies. Can I do that? I have a headache. Can I take a Tylenol?"

Host: Yeah.

Holly Ward-Collins: So, those type of things, which is a great avenue to use that myChart for.

Host: Awesome. So, what are some key things that once you make this appointment and you're kind of staring at that month or so of waiting to go see the doctor that you should start doing, maybe avoid doing when you find out that you're expecting.

Holly Ward-Collins: Things you should probably start doing is always increase your water intake. If you're not a water drinker, really push the fluids. We say you should drink anywhere from 10 to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water a day, so you should definitely work your way up to that if you're not. Things that you should avoid, of course, is smoking, drugs. But anything else really, if it's something you've done in your normal everyday life, continue, just listen to your body.

Host: Yeah, that totally makes sense. And then, I'm sure too, like a prenatal, is there a certain kind of prenatal vitamin that you guys recommend or just find one that works for you?

Holly Ward-Collins: So basically, find one that works for you. Any over-the-counter prenatal as long as it says prenatal is perfectly fine, because we want you to have that extra folic acid and that's in the prenatal. They tend to be cheaper than if you would get them through your insurance. So yeah, anything that you can buy over-the-counter. Just make sure it says prenatal.

Host: Awesome, awesome. And then, how can a patient prepare for their appointments? Are there things they might need to track, bring, or write down to be prepared?

Holly Ward-Collins: So, my suggestion after these 18 years is get a notebook. Get a little small notebook that you can keep in your purse, any questions that you think of when you're not at a visit, write them down. When you come in, you have the notebook and you can write them down. Pregnancy brain is a real thing. So if you think you're going to remember it, you're probably not. So if you write it down and you bring it in, you always have it there to be able to ask.

Host: Yeah, I do that all the time with just my notes app. I have like lists of multiple things, like when I go see my primary care, when I do this, when I do that, and just have my lists there. So yeah, whatever way you can write it down. I definitely think that's a great piece of advice.

Holly Ward-Collins: Absolutely.

Host: Are there, like I said before, certain things that you're like, "Oh, you should definitely track this," or is that not really a thing?

Holly Ward-Collins: Not really a thing. One thing with prenatals, again, the water intake. So, some women do find that they track their water either through an app or on paper. If you're old school, like some of us, you know, I love my list that I can check things off. no, not necessarily anything pertinent and that stands out, but just definitely know what your body's saying.

Host: Great. Okay. So then, you're finally getting to your first appointment. What can someone expect from that appointment?

Holly Ward-Collins: So during the appointment, you will get a full exam. So, head to toe exam. The doctor will want to evaluate everything. Most of the time, you would get an ultrasound either in the office or we would send you for one. You'll get all of your questions and a whole realm of information that comes at you. Another reason to have the notebook. It's a really good idea to jot those things down. A visit usually lasts anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. So, we always say, you know, kind of plan accordingly. You can definitely bring your significant other or your mom, or whoever you would like to come with you. But yeah, you know, just a good health exam and then all your questions answered.

Host: Yeah. And then, typically once you get that ultrasound, whether it's at that appointment or you go after, is that then when you find out your due date and things of that nature?

Holly Ward-Collins: Yeah. So, that would be what would tell us the exact due date. So, we go off of your period date, and then we just make sure that we're getting the ultrasound to confirm that. Because everyone can ovulate earlier or later, so your dates can be off just a little bit. But usually, if you're within a week of your period date from the ultrasound, we don't change your due date from your period.

Host: Awesome. Awesome. Well, so why would you say in your professional opinion that prenatal appointments are so important?

Holly Ward-Collins: Oh, goodness. They're so important to be able to make sure that you are healthy, number one. We want to make sure that your blood pressure is doing fine, you're not spilling any protein or glucose to know if you would be at-risk for any of those complications. And just to know that your baby's in there and active. One way to know that is at the visits and listening to the heart tones. So, it's really important to get good prenatal care for the health of you and your unborn baby.

Host: Awesome. Well, I think we covered everything I had. Is there anything that you're like burning people need to know this about? "I'm pregnant. Now what?"

Holly Ward-Collins: I don't think so.

Host: We hit it?

Holly Ward-Collins: That was pretty good.

Host: Okay, good. Well, thank you so much for joining me today.

Holly Ward-Collins: Yeah. Thank you for having me.

Host: Yeah. And thank you listeners for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org.

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