Our obstetrics/gynecology team is devoted to helping women live full and healthy lives.
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At Lompoc Health, we are honored that women trust us with their medical care. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive women’s health services across the lifespan and helping women achieve optimal health.
An obstetrician/gynecologist (often referred to via the shorthand “OB/GYN”) is a medical doctor who has undergone specialty training that focuses on women's care before, during, and after their reproductive years. This training commonly takes four years following traditional medical school. Many OB/GYN physicians have additional training in a specific area of women’s health, such as reproductive endocrinology, maternal-fetal medicine, or gynecologic oncology.
All board-certified OB/GYNs are qualified to provide medical and surgical care for women of all ages. Some OB/GYNs focus primarily on obstetrics or gynecology, and some perform more surgical procedures than others. However, many OB/GYNs enjoy the diversity of problems that they can help women overcome by seeing and treating the entire range of conditions within their field.
There are other types of medical providers that work in the OB/GYN field, as well. These include nurse practitioners (NPs or CNMs) and physician assistants (PAs); both types of medical providers are also highly qualified to provide women’s health services.
Our OB/GYNs are committed to fostering nurturing and trusting relationships with their patients and are committed to helping them achieve overall wellness. When it comes to keeping women healthy throughout their lifespan, routine surveillance is key. A test as simple as a Pap smear can help promptly detect potential problems (such as cancer), leaving ample time for complete and effective treatment.
Outside of pure gynecologic surveillance, an OB/GYN provider often functions as a woman's primary health care provider, providing women with guidance on medical matters that are not directly related to obstetrics and gynecology as weight (BMI) management and blood glucose monitoring.
Obstetrics refers to the medical field that focuses on caring for women during pre-pregnancy planning stages, pregnancy, childbirth, and directly following childbirth. The following is a partial list of obstetric conditions that OB/GYNs can diagnose and manage.
Our OB/GYN team operates with a patient-centric mindset, ensuring that women develop a trusting relationship with their care provider that encompasses the entirety of their pregnancy experience, from the contemplation stage to prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum stages. We are motivated to support women through each pregnancy milestone while understanding that every woman (and every pregnancy) is unique.
Our OB/GYNs are highly skilled at helping women undergo vaginal deliveries, and they are motivated to help women bring their children into the world most safely and effectively. For women who require a cesarean section, our OB/GYNs provide comprehensive C-section care and management. Our OB/GYNs can help women have a vaginal birth after a cesarean section (VBAC).
During a women’s pregnancy, she may also need advanced procedures such as amniocentesis (a procedure that removes amniotic fluid from the uterus) or a cervical cerclage placement to reinforce the cervix. Our OB/GYNs have significant expertise in these procedures and make them as seamless as possible.
At Lompoc Health, we are wary of unnecessary procedures, especially when it comes to childbirth. Our OB/GYN team is conscientious about the rising percentage of women in the United States who deliver their babies via C-section. We make every attempt not to perform this high-risk surgery unless necessary.
C-sections can be lifesaving in emergencies; however, they do not represent an “easy alternative” when compared to vaginal deliveries. C-sections pose significant risks to mothers (such as a higher rate of bleeding, the higher necessity of blood transfusions, surgical infections, and postpartum blood clots), as well as to their babies (such as respiratory difficulties, infections, and the necessity for care in a neonatal intensive care unit/NICU).
Ultimately, our OB/GYN team ensures the highest comfort and safety level whether a woman delivers her child vaginally or through a C-section.
Women who embark upon a pregnancy journey can benefit greatly from prenatal planning and support. At Lompoc Health, our OB/GYN team can help women access a wealth of resources surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. We are devoted to educating women to feel as prepared and as confident as possible in their transition to motherhood.
One of the most enriching opportunities we offer to pregnant women is our Prenatal Lactation Class. During this class, which occurs in a group setting, a professional Lactation Consultant provides practical advice and tips to help women succeed in nursing their newborn babies. The class allows moms-to-be to get all their breastfeeding questions answered in a judgment-free zone. The setting is supportive, and many women enjoy the discussion.
Our breastfeeding support continues after childbirth, with our Outpatient Lactation Clinic and Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group, as well.
Our gynecologic team helps support women throughout their lifespan, from the onset of puberty to well after menopause. Gynecologic health includes all of a woman’s reproductive organs, including the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina, and vulva. Gynecologists also consider the relationship of other organs, such as the bladder, to gynecologic health.
Here is a partial list of the gynecologic conditions that are managed by our OB/GYNs:
It might feel difficult or embarrassing to talk about your gynecologic or sexual health with your medical provider. However, our OB/GYN team is highly adept at making you feel comfortable and helping you get to the bottom of any gynecologic symptoms or problems you may be experiencing.
At Lompoc Health, we provide comprehensive women’s health care, including all matters of gynecologic surgical procedures. Some of the procedures we offer include:
We work with women to consider all of their potential treatment options to feel confident in their care plan before undergoing any procedure or surgery.
Our philosophy at Lompoc Health is that optimal medical care comes from engaging our patients as partners in health. Especially when it comes to women’s health, patients must be involved in making decisions about their medical care, right alongside their medical team.
For comprehensive and holistic women’s health care, look no further than Lompoc Health. Our providers see patients from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. To learn more, contact us today.
