Pregnancy is never easy, and the pandemic has brought on new challenges for pregnant mothers.
Dr. Jessica Gibbie, an OB/GYN with Mercy Health Physician Partners, talks about women's health and maternity care through the pandemic, as well as how they're helping women through their health journey.
An OB/GYN is a physician who specializes in women’s health, providing maintenance services which allow for early cancer detection/prevention and counseling. As an obstetrician, they have the unique ability to provide pre-conception counseling to best prepare a woman for their pregnancy and then can guide them through the pregnancy and any issues that arise.
Then they are there to help a woman welcome their child in the safest way possible with surgical skills to back this up when needed. Their unique surgical skill set that allows them to help women with many benign gynecologic conditions that can affect their daily life.
Other services an OB/GYN provides include:
o Obstetrical care:
- Management of pregnancies both uncomplicated and complicated
- On-site ultrasound
- Lactation support and counseling
o Gynecologic care which includes services:
- management of abnormal pap smears
- contraception care/counseling
- surgical services to manage abnormal bleeding and benign gynecologic pathology – this includes laparoscopic procedures, robotic surgery with the Da Vinci surgical system, endometrial ablations, management of prolapse
- menopause care
- infertility evaluation
- management of pelvic pain
Women's health care changes as they age. As a teenager/young woman, OB/GYNs can address various issues that span from menstrual problems, contraception needs, screening, and management of STDs. As a woman ages and pregnancies occur, OB/GYNs usher them through this with a unique medical and surgical skill set to address any needs that arise along with management of benign gynecologic conditions.
As reproductive goals then end and issues such as menopause arise, we can then help them manage changes in their hormones and health conditions that are associated with menopause/later life.
Dr. Gibbie has the unique experience of being both the patient and physician through the pandemic by welcoming her second son in May. Her takeaway from this experience is that the best thing she could do was discuss her concerns with her spouse, family, and physician as they navigated doctor’s visits, the hospital stay, and outpatient care.
To request an appointment with a Mercy Health OB/GYN please visit, MercyHealthMaternityCare.com.
