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www.manchestermemorial.org
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T
HAT LITTLE STICK you took into the bath-
room has just confirmed what you’ve suspected all
along—you’re pregnant!
Next up: phone calls to family, friends and, most impor-
tant, to your healthcare provider.
Early and regular prenatal care is essential for both you
and your baby. Your healthcare provider will keep a close
eye on your health and the health of your unborn child. If a
potential problem comes up, there’s a good chance it will be
caught early, before it becomes serious.
Those prenatal visits are even more essential if you have
a chronic condition, such as diabetes or asthma. Your treat-
ments may need to change, and you’ll need to work closely
with your provider to monitor your illness.
What you can expect
Most pregnant women need monthly checkups at first. You’ll
see your healthcare provider more often as you get closer to
your delivery date. You might also need more frequent check-
ups if you have a high-risk pregnancy or are older than 35.
Your first prenatal visit will likely be the longest and
most involved. Your provider will:
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Calculate your estimated due date.
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Ask about your personal and family health history.
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Do a complete physical.
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Take blood and urine samples for testing.
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Check your blood pressure, height and weight.
Later prenatal visits will include some of the same basic
checks, such as taking your blood pressure and weight. Your
provider will also listen to the baby’s heart and measure
your belly to see if the baby is growing well.
In addition, you’ll have the chance to learn about things
that can help ensure a healthy pregnancy, such as eating
right, exercising, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.
Your prenatal visits are also the perfect opportunity to
talk to your provider about any questions or concerns you
have about your pregnancy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Your family’s health
Expecting?
Our childbirth classes can help you prepare for the
big day. Each of the months below begins a new,
four-week class.
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June 6, 13, 20, 27
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August 8, 15, 22, 29
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October 3, 10, 17, 24
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December 5, 12, 19, 26
Also check out our Baby Club!
By attending free childbirth classes and delivering
your baby at Memorial Hospital, you can become a
member of the Baby Club and receive free gifts! Call
Carol Jordan at
(606) 598-5104, ext. 3361
to register.
Memorial’s newest
OB-GYN physicians
The start of 2012 brought new things to Memorial
Hospital andWillowbrookWomen’s Center as they
welcomed two new OB-GYN physicians to the medical
team. Sandra Murphy, MD, and Ian Sink, MD, began at
Willowbrook on January 2.
Sandra Murphy, MD, OB-GYN
Dr. Sandra Murphy is from Ocala,
Fla., and looks forward to living in
the small-town atmosphere that
Manchester provides. She began
work in the medical profession at age 16, was a regis-
tered nurse for 10 years before going to medical school
and has worked as an OB-GYN for the past 14 years.
“I look forward to growing the OB practice here
and sharing in the joy of the local families,”Dr. Murphy
says. “We will provide a loving, caring environment for
women of Manchester to grow their families, and we are
doing this with the convenience of local care.”
Dr. Murphy is a board-certified OB-GYN and chose
this as her specialty because she loves to help improve
a woman’s health and share in the joy of families as they
bring new life into the world.
Ian Sink, DO, OB-GYN
Dr. Ian Sink is fromToledo, Ohio, and
was drawn to this area for its size and
rural appeal. Manchester is similar to
his small hometown of Cullowhee in
the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina. Dr.
Sink first entered the field of medicine by becoming a cer-
tified nursing assistant. After time in the Navy for medical
service, he went to school to become a physician.
“I worked on a labor and delivery unit as my first
assignment as a corpsman,”Dr. Sink says. “I was amazed
by the joy of bringing life into this world. Obstetrics
sparked my interest in women’s health, but once I began
training I learned to appreciate the ability to surgically
intervene to help treat women suffering from medical
problems that affect their daily lives.”
He is excited about the opportunity to work in Man-
chester and hopes the community will come to expect
that their loved ones will be treated fairly, respectfully
and with sound medical practices just as he would treat
his own family.
To make an appointment with one of these
physicians, call
(606) 598-7900
.
On April 15, our hospital will begin implementing
Kangaroo Care for newmoms.
Kangaroo Care is based on the widely held belief
that skin-to-skin contact betweenmothers and infants
promotes breastfeeding and bonding. The basic concept involves plac-
ing a newborn chest down on themother’s or father’s bare chest, which
generates warmth and provides access to breastfeeding from themother.
The program was initially developed to care for preterm infants in
areas where incubators are either unavailable or unreliable. Since that
time, more medical facilities have adopted the practice for both preterm
and full-term babies because of its benefits.
Prenatal care—
why it’s a
must