Maintaining a healthy pregnancy, tips from El Paso OB-GYN

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- Ensuring a healthy pregnancy is a top priority for expecting mothers and taking the right steps early are critical. 

ABC-7 spoke to Dr. Violeta Maldonado a OB-GYN at The Hospitals of Providence East Campus, who advises women to begin taking prenatal vitamins at least three months before planning for pregnancy.

Regular check-ups are also crucial, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, to monitor conditions like diabetes and hypertension. 

As part of routine prenatal care, doctors at Providence Hospitals conduct general labs, including screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and anemia.  Additionally, genetic testing is offered to identify risks for disorders such as Down syndrome, and to determine the baby’s sex early on. “If you find out that you're already pregnant, getting in to see the doctor early is always important. Try not to wait until you're late in pregnancy. That way you're getting monitored early,” emphasizes Dr. Maldonado. 

Maintaining a balanced diet and staying active are also key. Dr. Maldonado recommends eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein while limiting fatty foods and caffeine intake. “You want to just make sure that you're staying active. If you haven't been active prior to pregnancy, it's more important to just start walking and being a little bit more active than before,” she says.

For many women in El Paso, pregnancy can come with additional risks. High-risk pregnancies can be caused by a variety of factors such as age, obesity, and chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Dr. Maldonado notes that about 20% of her patients are considered high-risk, often due to diabetes.

Gestational diabetes, which is developed during pregnancy, is a big concern. “Moms with gestational diabetes can have bigger babies, which can lead to C-section. The other thing is that for the baby, once they're born, they can have difficulty managing their sugars,” says Dr. Maldonado. “In order to prevent it, you want to just make sure that you're watching your diet. You're trying to exercise, you're not eating out too often. You're limiting things like soda to decrease your sugar intake. We want to just make sure that even if you do have diabetes, we're monitoring your blood sugars and that they're staying normal.”