Nutritional needs are higher during pregnancy. As a mother-to-be, it is important that you get the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy, plus the nutrients your baby needs for proper development. Even if you eat a wide variety of foods, it is difficult to get all the nutrients you and your baby need from… Read more
By Marcia Hughes I’m here to help you understand how insurance works. In this age of rising premiums and deductibles, it is more important than ever to understand your benefits and what financial responsibilities you will have prior to having medical services. HMO’s (The Good Witch) spoiled many of us years ago with small copays,… Read more
By Ilene B. Goldstein, M.D. Happy Springtime! In the spirit of April showers and May flowers, lets talk about POOP! While a little taboo to discuss at the dinner table, bowel habits are an important topic to address with your health care providers. March is Colon Cancer Awareness month. Aside from wearing blue and running for your… Read more
We often see mothers eagerly waiting for the day that their bodies change enough for it to be obvious they are pregnant. Many of which do not take into consideration the amount of change that occurs to their body’s structure. Some these changes of pregnancy are weight gain, postural, and hormonal effects which create relaxation… Read more
By Mary Antoinette Burns, M.D. Most women reading this title know what I mean by bladder infection! It is pretty common! It is estimated that half of all women will experience at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) in her lifetime. According to the American Urological Association, UTIs account for more than 8 million medical office… Read more
By Reena Talreja-Pelaez, MD It’s time of year for new beginnings and New Year’s Resolutions! Many patients share their New Year’s goals and aspirations with us. Often health-related, these resolutions range from exercising more to eating healthier to taking vitamins. And as we all know, many of these resolutions fall by the wayside within weeks… Read more
What if we told you that there was an elixir on planet earth that could help protect your baby from ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and many other ailments. What if this so-called elixir lasted into your child’s teenage years thus reducing his/her risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and allergies. Would… Read more
Pregnancy can take a toll on a woman’s body. So we put together some tips that will help with the healing process after delivering a baby. This by no means is a substitute for what your doctor advises you to do. Rest This is a pretty obvious tip, but can often be forgotten or ignored…. Read more
In the past, many women thought of menopause as a sign that their lives were nearly over because they no longer felt useful. That they could no longer enjoy intimacy or bear any children. This was the past and fortunately today, women view menopause as a new and exciting phase of life. Maintaining a healthy… Read more
Your last delivery was a C-Section and you are pregnant again. Should you attempt a vaginal birth this time? The answer requires an in-depth look at what prompted the need for a C-Section in the first place, your personal wishes and how your pregnancy is progressing. Once all of the facts are known, making a… Read more
Now that you are pregnant you are literally eating for two. While most of the emphasis on nutrition will be on providing your baby with all of the nutrients needed to support growth, there are some foods which can potentially cause harm to you and your baby. Some of these foods are common and would… Read more
Obstetrics and gynecology are medical specialties that focus on two different aspects of the female reproductive system. At Virginia Beach OBGYN we provide care to women in all phases of their lives whether they are having a baby or are past menopause. Obstetrics deals with the care of the pregnant women, the unborn baby, labor… Read more
The Zika virus has been in the news lately and many of our maternity patients are confused and alarmed due to conflicting data and heartbreaking photos of South American babies born with smaller than average head size. The facts about Zika are simple; the virus only can affect a woman if she is already pregnant…. Read more
“Molly Lovebug” Eight weeks ago today was my due date. Forty-eight hours later, Molly was born. Two months of crying (both mom and baby), laughing (with and at each other) and I am finally ready to blog about it all. I tried to write a post about two weeks postpartum, but my husband gently commented… Read more
My entire life has been a series of planned behaviors broken down into four year increments. Here’s how I see it: during four years of high school, I planned how to get into a good college. And the next four years of college focused on attaining access to medical school. Next, four year of medical… Read more
In the last ten years practicing obstetrics, I’ve heard countless women state they entered pregnancy with a higher body weight than they would have liked. I’ve counseled patients in the preconception time period regarding optimizing health prior to pregnancy and for many this includes recommendations for weight reduction to enhance the ability to conceive and… Read more
So I officially have that “waddle” thing going on. By the end of each day, it looks like a bonifide limp. I wish we called it the pregnancy “saunter” or maybe even “swagger”, something that sounds a little less like the movements of a large marine mammal. I now weigh more than my husband, a… Read more
Let’s talk about … Wait, what?!? It’s OK, I’m your gynecologist. You can talk to me about … (sex!). The vast majority of my patients have the “logistics” of it down, it’s the libido part (or lack thereof) that plagues most of us. Well … I’m going to tell you something that maybe no other… Read more
My husband is very thoughtful. He is the better cook and despite his propensity to create meals with chili powder and Sriracha, he has taken to making me deliciously bland foods as third trimester heartburn rages. He tracks each week of pregnancy with his fruit/vegetable comparison calendar and tries to incorporate that item into a… Read more
Yes, most of us know we should lose weight. Our doctors tell us. Women’s magazines tell us. Our mirrors tell us. We know losing weight will reduce our risk of medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. We will have more energy. We will fit more comfortably in our clothing. The problem is getting… Read more