Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Our office is devoted to providing the very highest quality personal care for you. This is best achieved as a cooperative effort between you and us and the following information may help us achieve our common goal.

In this private practice, we desire to know each patient very well and to perform the delivery personally for each individual. Rather than turning you over to a large call group, we endeavor to care for you ourselves. 

We believe in personalized prenatal care to be essential for the well being of your unborn child. We may also ask to see you in the office more frequently than other pregnancies. We may request more testing or different testing in your particular pregnancy. If so, rest assured that this is intended to ensure the health of your baby. We design our testing on the basis of what is optimal for each individual patient, rather than what works most of the time for most of the patients.

We are pleased to utilize the most advanced ultrasound system to study your fetus and ensure its well being. This is the "4-D" ultrasound, which amplifies upon the 3-dimensional technology to provide real-time full movement studies. This increased resolution and detail has greatly enhanced our prenatal program.

We have expanded our maternity options with the fortunate addition of Roseann Tibbs, Kathy Wingland, Diane Milstead and Denise Ellison, Certified Nurse Midwives. They bring a great deal of experience to our practice and add another aspect to the birthing process. The midwife can be in attendance throughout the labor to provide massage for relaxation, encourage timely use of the shower or hot tub and provide generous amounts of comforting verbal and physical support - a truly "high touch" birth experience. Dr. D remains available in a backup role for these births, which, of course, still have the option for pain medicine or epidural as needed.  You will meet Roseann, Kathy, Diane and Denise along the course of your pregnancy since they participate in the prenatal care of all our pregnant patients. They have a special interest in patient education. If you so desire, you can ask for Roseann to be your main practitioner for the delivery. 

During pregnancy, we advise avoiding all drugs, including tobacco, alcohol and caffeine. An occasional cola or cup of coffee would be acceptable. Attempt to avoid all synthetic sweeteners such as Nutra Sweet.

The first thirteen weeks (FIRST TRIMESTER) are accompanied by many physical changes. Fatigue, nausea and pain on the side of the pelvis are not unusual. When the pain on the side becomes uncomfortable, the best treatment is putting your feet up. Tylenol is acceptable for the aches and pains of pregnancy. Nausea may be alleviated by avoiding foods that are unpleasant to you and by trying crackers or dry cereal before getting out of bed in the morning. We recommend small frequent meals for this as well.

In pregnancy, light spotting in the first trimester is not uncommon. Should that occur, we recommend bed rest and avoidance of sexual relations. Should the flow become heavier or persistent for more than two days, we would need to be notified.

Headaches are common in pregnancy. If they are not relieved by Tylenol or if they are severe or persist for more than a day or two, please contact us. Constipation may be relieved by increasing your water intake, eating fruits and vegetables and occasional use of Milk of Magnesia, which will not harm the baby. Your vitamins contain iron and are very important. Should we identify you as anemic during the pregnancy, we may prescribe for you an iron supplement. 

Childbirth classes are recommended for all patients. These classes help tremendously in labor and delivery. Please refer to the information in your OB packet to sign up for classes. You can also call the hospital OB department directly for information.

Ultrasounds are performed as needed and most pregnancies do not require an ultrasound. The most common reasons are size-greater-than-dates or to evaluate the possibility of twins.

A beautiful book is available at most bookstores: "A Child is Born". It has fascinating pictures of the developing pregnancy.

With the onset of labor, when your contractions are six to seven minutes apart and persisting for more than two hours, please notify the office. Also, should your bag of water break, please notify our office. We can be reached day or night by calling the same office number 805-648-2717.

I hope this information will prove valuable in helping you enjoy your pregnancy. Should you have further questions, please bring them with you to your office visit where we can discuss them. Of course, we remain available for further questions as they arise, as do my nurses.

Best wishes from all of us for a beautiful birth experience, with each birth "hand crafted"!

Yours in health,

Patrick W. Diesfeld, M.D.

Roseann Tibbs, C.N.M. 

Diane Milstead, C.N.M.

Kathy Wingland, C.N.M.

Denise Ellison, C.N.M.