The woman with a positive pregnancy test, without necessarily having a request from her family doctor, schedules an appointment at our dedicated surgeries or by phone, choosing the Gynecologist from which to be followed throughout the pregnancy.

The first examination should be performed between 7-8 weeks of gestation. It is strongly recommended to take folic acid about 3 months before conception.
During the first examination, trans-vaginal ultrasound is performed to highlight the location of the gestational chamber, its morphology and its upgradeability.
The physician also prescribes the general examinations to determine the state of health of the mother and the examinations of the TORCH group.
Usually the obstetric examination is scheduled every 4-5 weeks, as well as blood tests and urine tests at the same interval. The tests to be performed are defined by the attending gynecologist from time to time, depending on the time of pregnancy, according to the guidelines of scientific societies and protocols in use on the ward.

The WHO, the World Health Organization, recommends that the first ultrasound is performed at 12 weeks of gestation, which is necessary for dating the pregnancy, and the second examination must be completed between 20-21 weeks of gestation to screen for fetal malformations and the third one must be carried out between 30-32 weeks of gestation to assess fetal growth, fetal presentation and position of the placenta. By the 20th week of pregnancy onwards, it is good to perform cervicometry, an ultrasound examination of the cervix performed by trans-vaginal way, which allows to identify pregnancies at risk of preterm delivery.

The literature has widely documented that the use of ultrasound does not cause damage to the tissues and organs of the fetuses subjected to ultrasound.

It's recommended not to apply creams on the skin of the abdomen 4-5 days prior to the execution of the obstetric ultrasound because the gel used frequently interferes with the picture on the screen, limiting the diagnostic value of ultrasound vision.

The load curve is a survey that shows women with gestational diabetes. The screening test is carried out between 24-28 weeks of gestation. You run a blood test on an empty stomach, and the following two samples within an hour after taking, by mouth, 75 mg of anhydrous glucose. During this examination, it is recommended to stay close to the department without eating, while you can drink plain water only if necessary.
According to recent International Classifications, it is sufficient that only one data has been altered to be defined as suffering from gestational diabetes.
In the event of a positive test, you will be prescribed a low-calorie and low sugar diet and you must perform checks at the Anti-Diabetic Centre (CAD).
In most cases, a controlled diet and modest physical activity are sufficient to keep the problem under control.

During pregnancy, the ideal weight gain would be about 1 kg per month. However, the majority of women have a weight increase of 12-13 kg, which can be considered the standard increase in pregnancy.
It's a good idea to monitor the blood pressure every month, even if there are no risk factors.

At 36 weeks of gestation, a vaginal and rectal swab is performed for detecting the presence of beta-hemolytic streptococcus. The positivity of the swab indicates that you need to perform antibiotic therapy at the beginning of labor or there will be a premature rupture of the membranes.

As per our protocol, widely distributed across the Emilia-Romagna region, it is recommended to start the procedures to induce labor at 41 +3 weeks of gestation. Every indication is increasingly widely shared and discussed with the woman.

The woman can easily choose who can accompany her during labor and childbirth. The partner is the person who normally we recommend, but the woman is free to choose a person of her confidence along the way that will lead her to childbirth.

None of these procedures today is absolutely mandatory. For example, the removal of the genitals hair is no longer performed, as well as the enema. The episiotomy is instead performed only if strictly necessary in an emergency situation, if it takes therapeutic character for the completion of the fetus. Also, the timing compliance of the labor severely limits the execution of the episiotomy.

The baby will be entrusted to the care of his/her mother, under the guidance of experienced skilled midwives and nurses (roaming in). The promotion and support of breastfeeding are one of the peculiarities of our department.

Ample spaces have been identified. Herenew mothers can receive visits from relatives and friends. It is recommended to respect the privacy of other women and the tranquility of children. The partner can stay with the mother and child throughout the day.

The first few days are extremely important for the success of breastfeeding and mother-infant attachment, so it is essential to ensure a quiet and peaceful environment. For this reason, it is recommended that in the early days the visit of relatives and friends are limited as much as possible.

The new family will normally have to return home after three days from the birth. At discharge, the baby is visited by the pediatrician that provides all the information for breastfeeding and infant care.
The mother is visited at discharge from the gynecologist who provides her the guidelines for the functional recovery of the perineum. The new mother will have to perform a check after 30-40 days after delivery at the surgeries on the third floor.

During the nursing period, it may be taken with a progestin-only contraceptive. The literature has amply demonstrated that the treatment in question does not create any disturbance to the baby and does not adversely affect breastfeeding.
It's possible to insert, as an alternative to the pill, an intrauterine device (IUD or coil), when the uterus has returned to its normal size.
The couple's life can be resumed after performing the postpartum checkup.