Welcome to Your Pregnancy Care at Rapid City Medical Center OB/GYN

Fetal Movement Education

Fetal Movement Counts

It is normal to worry about your baby’s health. One way you can know your baby is doing well is to record the baby’s movements one time each day. This is called a kick count.

When to Start Kick Counts

• Start at 24 weeks for an average pregnancy
• Start earlier as directed by your provider for high-risk pregnancy

How to Do a Kick Count

Here are tips for counting kicks:

• Choose a time when the baby is active, such as after a meal
• Sit comfortably or lie on your side
• The first time the baby moves, write down the time
• Count each movement until the baby has moved 10 times. This can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours. The movements can be kicks, twists, turns, swishes, or rolls
• Try to do it at the same time each day
• Get to know what is normal for your baby

Helpful Hints

• Babies are usually most active between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.
• Babies sleep an average of 20 to 40 minutes at a time
• Lay down in a quiet, undisturbed area
• Every woman and baby is different when it comes to feeling movement
• Hiccups do not count as movements

If you have tried the above and still have decreased fetal movement, or you have gone 2 hours without movement, please go to Labor and Delivery immediately via the emergency department.

Second Trimester Education

Preterm Labor

Preterm labor starts when you go into labor and are still 3 weeks or more away from your due date. An early delivery can cause your baby to have problems with breathing, eating, and keeping a normal body temperature. Knowing the signs of preterm labor can help you know when to get help and avoid a possibly serious situation.

Early Warning Signs of Preterm Labor (Before 37 Weeks)

• Contractions (the belly tightens painfully, like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
• Leaking fluid
• Bleeding

If you have any of these symptoms, please present to the Labor and Delivery department at the northwest corner of Monument Health (West Entrance – Door 6).

Pregnancy Warning Signs

• Headache/Dizziness that does not go away with tylenol (acetaminophen)
• Sudden swelling in your face, eyes, or hands
• Sudden weight gain over 1 to 2 days
• Pain or burning when you urinate
• Not urinating very much at a time
• Vomiting lasting 24 hours not resolved with nausea/vomiting medication
• Diarrhea lasting 24 hours or more not resolved with Imodium
• Vision changes – such as blurry vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, dimming vision, or sensitivity to light
• Pain in your belly below your ribs
• Vaginal bleeding-spotting is normal
• Decreased fetal movement

If you experience bright red bleeding, greater than light spotting in your second or third trimester, pleas report to labor and delivery immediately via the emergency department.

Labor Education

Labor

Labor is when the uterus contracts again and again to help the cervix open (dilate) and to thin (efface). The contractions get stronger with time. This causes the fetus to move through the birth canal. Labor usually starts 2 weeks before or after the estimated date of delivery. But no one knows exactly what triggers the start of labor.

What are the signs of labor?

Signs of labor vary from woman to woman because each woman has a slightly different labor. Some common signs of labor are:

Contractions

• True labor contractions start occurring at intervals of less than 10 minutes, are often a sign that labor has started. Contractions may happen more often and get stronger as labor progresses.
• False contractions will remain irregular

Counting contractions

Use the 5-1-1 Rule to decide if it is time go to the hospital:

• Painful contractions are 5 or less minutes apart
• Lasting for 1 minute or longer each
• Going on for 1 hour or more

Mucus Plug/Bloody Show

• Losing your mucus plug means that your body may be preparing for labor in the next few days or weeks.
• If you notice it, do not worry. You do not need to call your provider or the hospital. Losing your mucus plug is a normal process.

Rupture of amniotic sac (bag of waters).

• Labor sometimes starts with amniotic fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina. Women who have a rupture of the amniotic sac should go to the hospital right away Most women go into labor within hours after the amniotic sac breaks.

If you are not sure if labor is starting, call Labor and Delivery at 605-755-8324 or present to Labor and Delivery for evaluation

Access the Patient Portal on Your Computer

• Hover over “Patients” on the top menu
• Click the “Portal” link in the dropdown menu
• Select “Using Mobile Phone” option
  (This will allow you to bypass using a username & password)
  • User first name, last name, and date of birth for patient you are attempting to access
• Verify the last four of your cell phone number
• Enter the code texted to your cell phone
  Do not copy & paste or autofill the verification code. The code must be manually entered.
• Locate the “Latest Statement” module
• Select “Pay This Bill”
• Select Submit on the pop-up window asking to select facility
• Enter payment info in the pop-up window

Access the Patient Portal on Your Phone

• Select the three lines in the top right of the webpage
• Select “Bill Pay” in the dropdown menu
• Select “Pay Your Bill Online” option
• Select “View your health record”
  (Choosing “Pay Your Bill” will require a FULL PAYMENT on account)
• Select “Using Mobile Phone” option
  (Use first name, last name, and date of birth of the patient whose account you’re accessing.)
• Verify the last four of your cell phone number
• Enter the code texted to your cell phone
• Scroll down to “Latest Statement” module
• Select “Pay this bill”
• Select Submit on the pop-up window asking to select facility
• Enter payment info in the pop-up window