Category: Obstetrics

A person injecting weight loss drugs into their thigh

Weight Loss Drugs, Trying to Conceive, and You

Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy have received a lot of attention both in the media and the medical community over the past couple of years. This class of medications, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, was initially developed for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes; however, their benefits for weight loss has resulted in a sharp increase in popularity in recent months. Because of this, we are seeing higher numbers of women taking these drugs during their reproductive years. You might be wondering about GLP-1 agonist use yourself and how that pertains to TTC (trying to conceive) either now or in the near future. Let’s take a look at what we know.

Written by on April 4, 2024

A doctor conducting alpha-fetoprotein testing

What is alpha-fetoprotein testing, anyway?

At Kamm McKenzie, we offer fetal screening tests in the first and second trimesters to all of our
patients. One test that I have found raises a great deal of confusion is the blood test for alpha
fetoprotein (AFP). In the past, AFP was used as one of multiple markers in the Quad and Tetra
screens which evaluated for the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s
syndrome. Now, we almost universally screen for chromosomal abnormalities with cell-free DNA
(cfDNA) testing. With the widespread use of cfDNA, we now use AFP on its own for a different screening indication – to assess the risk of fetal structural or anatomic defects.

Written by on March 25, 2024

A new born baby to represent the questions about delayed cord clamping

Delayed Cord Clamping

Of ALLLLLLLL the things that are part of the WakeMed labor classes, we get so many questions and requests for delayed cord clamping information.  It is usually number 1 or number 2 on that list of questions on patients’ cell phones (right next to questions about episiotomy or epidurals) that they bring up around 34-36 […]

Written by on February 27, 2024

Side view of a pregnant woman in office, touching belly and trying to reach binder to represent pregnancy myths

Pregnancy Old Wives’ Tales #5 and #6: Arms Up and Drano Myths

Time to address two strange old wives’ tales:  1) Putting your arms over your head can cause the baby to wrap around its umbilical cord. 2) Mixing urine with Drano can help predict your baby’s gender. I am not joking when I tell you that I have received a page on the emergency line at […]

Written by on February 5, 2024

Baby shoes in pink and blue to represent the idea of morning sickness and gender

Pregnancy Old Wives’ Tale #4: Morning Sickness and Gender

In our fourth installment of discussing common pregnancy myths, we’re looking into the relationship between morning sickness and gender. One pregnancy myth is that if a woman has morning sickness, there is a higher chance that she is having a girl.  The theory is that one or more of the pregnancy hormones may be more […]

Written by on January 29, 2024

a woman holding a newborn to represent the relationship between heartburn and hair growth

Pregnancy Old Wives’ Tale #3: Heartburn And Hair Growth

In our next installment of pregnancy old wives’ tales, we’re discussing the correlation between heartburn and hair growth. Everyone has heard it… if you have heartburn during your pregnancy, your baby will come out with a full head of hair.  Well, heartburn is EXTREMELY common during pregnancy.  The hormones that increase during all pregnancies cause […]

Written by on January 15, 2024