A journey of 40 weeks of pregnancy begins with one doctor’s visit—one that will be indelibly etched in your memory and part of the fabric of your family’s folklore forever.

Here, Healthy Woman Dr. Borislava Burt gives us the inside scoop on the many medical milestones of pregnancy from verifying that you are indeed pregnant to the ultrasound that can show you the sex of the baby to the not-so-beloved glucose test (gulp!) and beyond.

Pregnancy is an amazing event that culminates in the most wondrous gift of all: the birth of your child. Being pregnant is indeed amazing, but it can also be confusing especially for a first time mom-to-be. Besides the myriad of questions that continually pop up into your head (What type of food should I eat; What are the best vitamins to take?; Can I drink coffee or color my hair?), many women wonder about how soon they should see their doctor and what to expect from visit to visit.

Here’s what to really expect when you are expecting:

The Dating Scene

Accurate dating is of the essence in managing pregnancy. There’s a lot more to it than just knowing your due date. For a doctor, a patient’s estimated due date is very important for monitoring fetal development and knowing when to interfere if something is worrisome. Most patients may not realize that the earlier the due date is established, the more accurate it is. The best time to see your doctor is at approximately six to seven  weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period. Dating is done based on your cycle as well as an ultrasound.

First Things First

Once your pregnancy and due date are confirmed, your first visit will involve you and your doctor discussing your medical history along with a full physical examination. Your doctor will try to identify any factors in your health that may pose certain risks during your pregnancy, such as a history of preexisting elevated blood pressures or diabetes. The first visit will also incude baseline pregnancy blood testing as well as referrals for ultrasounds. Blood work will assess your level of immunity and/or exposure to certain infections, such as hepatitis and rubella, as well as establish your blood type and check whether you have anemia.

Testing! Testing!

Thanks to modern science, you will also be offered testing for some of the more common chromosomal anomalies, such as Down syndrome. This can be done via blood tests and/or ultrasound or more invasive testing, such as amniocentesis or CVS (chorionic villous sampling). Predictability of these tests ranges anywhere between 76 to 100 percent, depending on the method chosen.

Ultra Cool

At roughly 20 weeks into your pregnancy, you will be scheduled for a very detailed ultrasound, which, besides giving you a glimpse of your little miracle, will check to make sure that all fingers and toes are there as well as assess the rest of his or her anatomy. This is also the most common time to find out whether the stork will be dropping off a little boy or a little girl on your doorstep.

Oh, Sugar!

Several weeks later, more blood work will be done, including the dreaded glucose testing. But have no fear ladies, it’s really not that bad – drink it cold and fast and it will be over before you know it.

The Heart of the Matter

Then soon to follow are more frequent physical examinations in order to assess whether your body is getting ready for delivery. And as for the rest—all those questions and concerns—your doctor will be sure to address them all and give you the guidance you seek. From the first visit to the last, your doctor will be there with you every step of the way—through the nausea, through the weight gain, through the heartburn, through the uncomfortable and sometimes incessant nudging underneath your ribcage. But despite all that, you will forever remain in wonder of this beautiful, indeed amazing process of pregnancy—and you will never tire of hearing the galloping, thumping sound of another human being’s heart inside your beautifully growing belly.

About Borislava Burt-Libo, D.O.

Dr. Borislava Burt-Libo grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a major in psychology and a minor in biology. She then received her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, where her medical education emphasized administering to each patient as a whole individual and caring for one’s health and well-being comprehensively and thoroughly, rather than treating just one symptom at a time. Dr. Burt then completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and went on to practice in a private setting in Brooklyn and Manhattan for two years. Dr. Burt now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. She is fluent in Russian.

And guess what? There’s also a lot to know before you get pregnant.

So, if you’re thinking about getting pregnant or newly pregnant, please join the Healthy Woman doctors on Tuesday, June 21 from 7 to 8 pm at CentraState Medical Center (Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus Conference Center, Room C, 901 West Main Street, Freehold) for the inside scoop on what you need to know to prepare for pregnancy.

The evening’s hot topics include:

• What to expect at your preconception visit with your OB
• Exercise, immunizations, and lifestyle changes before pregnancy
• Nutrition, prenatal vitamins and supplements
• Understanding fertility, ovulation and conception
• Identifying and managing risk factors
• CentraState’s childbirth and parenting classes, including CPR

Baby-on-the-brain bonus: It’s free!

Register here.

What’s the Boy Scouts’ motto? Be prepared? Yeah, that sounds about right. Be prepared—we think they’re on to something.

We are looking forward to seeing you on the 21st!