Yes! We offer free (urine) pregnancy testing at our clinic.

It is recommended to see an obstetrician for routine prenatal care. As soon as you know you are pregnant, call and make an appointment! Your first visit typically occurs when you’re around 9-11 weeks pregnant.

After that, you will typically see your doctor every 4 weeks until the last month of your pregnancy, at which time you will see them every week. You may be seen more frequently depending on any pregnancy complications you may have.

We will take both a urine and blood sample. Be sure to come well-hydrated!  You will meet with your doctor, have an ultrasound, and discuss any questions you may have regarding your pregnancy. Our goal during your first visit is to answer any questions you may have and help educate you to help you have the healthiest pregnancy possible.

The first ultrasound will be at your first in-person appointment.

Every 1-4 weeks, depending on your pregnancy circumstances. Usually, appointments are every 4 weeks through most of your pregnancy.

At your ultrasound around 20 weeks. We also offer non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) through the company, Natera. This test will tell you if the baby has the three most common chromosomal abnormalities. It can also identify the sex of your baby. We can do this test around 12 weeks. You can learn more about this testing on Natera’s website.

Prenatal vitamins are available over-the-counter in nearly any pharmacy. Generally, look for a prenatal vitamin that contains:

• Folic acid
• Calcium
• Iron
• Vitamin D

It also might be beneficial to look for a prenatal vitamin that contains vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, iodine and copper.

Unfortunately, being pregnant doesn’t mean you get to avoid ever getting sick. Sometimes you can become sick more often during pregnancy because your body is focused on the creation of your baby. Cache Valley Women’s Center has created a list of medications that can be used safely during pregnancy.

We suggest eating small, regular meals and drinking fluids (especially water) about 30 minutes before or after a meal instead of while eating. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a combination of Vitamin B-6 and Unisom for treating morning sickness in the first trimester.

Avoid raw fish and meats, high-mercury fish, too much caffeine, and unpasteurized dairy. It’s important to maintain a well-balanced and nutritious diet.

Pregnant women often have concerns about hair dye. However, the chemicals in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes are not highly toxic. Most research, although limited, shows it’s safe to color your hair while pregnant.

The type of exercise you can do during pregnancy depends on your health and how active you were before you became pregnant. It is not the time to start an intense, new workout routine.

A good “rule of thumb” is to limit exertion to about 2/3 of what you could do before pregnancy.

Regular exercise throughout pregnancy will help you maintain a healthy weight gain, reduce pregnancy-related discomfort, prepare your body for labor, and help you reach your pre-pregnancy weight following your baby’s birth.

There’s never been a safer time to conceive, carry, and give birth to multiples. Every pregnancy has its share of discomforts and worries, and when you’re pregnant with twins (or more), those worries can multiply. For today’s parents of multiples, it is easier than ever. Chances are excellent that you’ll have a healthy pregnancy, an uncomplicated delivery, and two (or more) healthy babies.

For most women, traveling during pregnancy is safe. As long as you and your baby are healthy, you can travel safely until you are 36 weeks pregnant.

If you are experiencing preterm contractions, drink a liter of water and lay down for a couple of hours. If contractions do not slow to 5 or fewer contractions each hour, or if they become more painful instead of less painful (no matter the frequency of contractions), call our office or the provider on call.

Your uterus may contract off and on before “true” labor begins. These irregular contractions are called false labor or Braxton Hicks contractions. They are normal but can be painful.

Usually, false labor contractions are less regular and not as strong as true labor. Sometimes the only way to tell the difference is by having a vaginal exam to look for changes in your cervix that signal the onset of labor.

One good way to tell the difference is to time the contractions. Note how long it is from the start of one contraction to the start of the next one. False labor contractions are irregular and do not get closer together.

Every delivery is unique and individual. Some women may even have completely different experiences with each new labor and delivery.

Labor itself is divided into three phases – early labor, active labor, and transitional labor. All women who deliver vaginally will experience all three phases of labor. When your cervix reaches the 10cm mark, you are fully dilated and can begin pushing your baby the rest of the way through the birth canal. After your baby, you will deliver the placenta.

One-third of babies in the United States are born via Cesarean delivery. Your baby may need to be delivered by C-Section for certain medical conditions, including:

• Heart disease

• High blood pressure

• Diabetes

• Kidney disease

• Any disease that makes vaginal delivery dangerously stressful to your body.

• Infections such as HIV or active genital herpes

• Your baby’s health

• A large baby

• Your weight

• Your age

• Breech position

• Multiples

• Placental problems

A hospital stay after a cesarean birth is usually 2–4 days. The length of your stay depends on the reason for your C-Section and how long it takes for your body to recover. When you go home, you may need to take special care of yourself and limit your activities.

While you recover, the following things may happen:

• Mild cramping, especially if you are breastfeeding
• Bleeding or discharge for 4–6 weeks
• Bleeding with clots and cramps
• Pain in the incision

If you have had a previous cesarean delivery, you have two choices about how to give birth again:

1. You can give birth vaginally. This is called a VBAC.
2. You can have a scheduled cesarean delivery

​For women planning to have more children, a VBAC may help them avoid certain health problems linked to multiple cesarean deliveries.

Unfortunately, the odds of getting a vaginal tear are fairly high. First-time moms have a 95% chance of experiencing some form of tearing during delivery. After your first vaginal birth, tearing becomes less likely.

Each of our physicians, Dr. Noorda, Dr. Fowers, Dr. Kirkman, and Dr. Blackett are incredibly experienced and safely deliver next door at Logan Regional Hospital.

Any woman can become depressed after having a baby. New mothers may feel embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty about feeling depressed when they are supposed to be happy. They may also worry they will be seen as bad mothers. It doesn’t mean you are a bad mom. You and your baby don’t have to suffer. There is help. Please reach out to us.

Most women get the “baby blues,” or feel sad or empty, within a few days of giving birth. However, for many women, the baby blues go away after a few days. If you feel sad, hopeless, or empty for longer than 2 weeks, you may have postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression is common and occurs in 1 of 9 women after giving birth. You might feel unconnected to your baby and these feelings can be mild to severe. Please talk with your physician if you begin to feel sad and hopeless. We are well equipped to help you.

No. PPD lasts longer and is more serious than baby blues. Baby blues are feelings of sadness you may have after having a baby. Baby blues can happen 2 to 35 days after you give birth and can last up to 2 weeks. You may have trouble sleeping, be moody or cranky, and cry a lot. If you have sad feelings that last longer than 2 weeks, tell your provider.

Some normal changes after pregnancy can cause symptoms similar to those of depression. Many mothers feel overwhelmed when a new baby comes home. But if you have any of the following symptoms of depression for more than 2 weeks, call your doctor, nurse, or midwife:

• Feeling restless or moody
• Feeling sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed
• Crying a lot
• Having thoughts of hurting the baby
• Having thoughts of hurting yourself
• Not having any interest in the baby, not feeling connected to the baby, or feeling as if your baby is someone else’s
• No energy or motivation
• Eating too little or too much
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Trouble focusing or making decisions
• Memory problems
• Feeling worthless, guilty, or like a bad mother
• Losing interest or pleasure in activities you usually enjoy
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Headaches, aches and pains, or stomach problems that don’t go away

When a couple has been unsuccessful at achieving pregnancy after one year of trying. We ask that both partners undergo a comprehensive physical and medical assessment.

For women, tests are very comprehensive and can include exams for:

• A hormone imbalance
• A tumor or cyst
• Eating disorders
• Alcohol or drug use
• Thyroid gland problems
• Excess weight
• Stress
• Brief menstrual cycle
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Polyps in the uterus
• Endometriosis or fibroids
• Scar tissue or adhesions
• Chronic medical illness
• A previous ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• A birth defect
• DES syndrome (the medication DEC, given to women to prevent miscarriage or premature birth can result in fertility problems for their children)
• Abnormal cervical mucas

For men, we test a semen sample.

Women and men are each responsible for 50% of all infertility cases. According to the Center of Disease Control, around 10% of women (6.1 million) in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. Learn more about Cache Valley Women’s Center infertility testing and treatment.