OB/GYN at Dignity Health in Santa Cruz, CA

A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a special care nursery designed to care for newborns born at an early gestational age or full-term infants that require close monitoring or intravenous antibiotics after birth.

Breast exams are check-ups, mammograms, and other types of screenings that you may need to find breast cancer before symptoms develop.

A birth center is a diagnostic and treatment center organized to provide care to low-risk patients during pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Breastfeeding is the process of feeding a mother's breast milk to her infant, either directly from the breast or by bottle-feeding it to the infant.

Birth, also called childbirth or parturition, is the process of delivering a child from the uterus, or womb.

Caesarean section, also known as C-section, is the surgical procedure by which a baby is delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk.

Prenatal care is care that is provided to a woman during pregnancy. This includes self-care, such as eating well, taking prenatal vitamins and getting enough rest, and medical care, such as regular checkups and prenatal testing.

Childbirth classes offer your partner or labor coach the chance to understand childbirth too as well as learn how to support you during labor and discuss options for handling pain.

Obstetrics is the medical specialty of providing a woman and her baby medical care through pregnancy and childbirth. This includes all aspects of prenatal care, assisting with labor and delivery, and providing care to the mother and baby in the hours after childbirth.

Laceration specialists are doctors who specialize in the treatment of laceration wounds. This includes the cleaning and preparation of the wound and the use of steri-strips, dermabond, staples, and stitches to close the wound and promote healing.

Natural childbirth is the vaginal delivery of a child with little to no medication or medical intervention. There are a number of natural childbirth options, such as delivering at home or at a birthing center, delivering in a tub or pool of warm water, and using a variety of delivery positions.

Maternal fetal medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and after pregnancy. Maternal fetal medicine specialists are physicians who specialize in the field of obstetrics.

Newborn care is the care of an infant from birth through the first few months of life. Learning how to care for your newborn can be daunting, but there is help and support, from learning how to support baby's head, breastfeed, bathe, and change baby's diaper.

Parenting classes are educational classes that help parents learn parenting skills and techniques for children of all ages. During the classes, parents will be able to practice positive guidance and will have the opportunity to ask any questions they have in a safe environment.

Perinatology is the branch of medicine that is dedicated to the care of the mother and baby before, during, and with the few hours after birth. A perinatologist typically provides care during a high-risk pregnancy.

Mammography is when X-rays are taken of a woman's breasts. It is a diagnostic screening procedure that helps doctors with the early detection of breast cancer so that early intervention can reduce a woman's risk of serious complications.

OB/GYN stands for obstetrics and gynecology, which is a medical specialty that focuses on women's health. This includes all aspects of reproductive health, such as menstruation, as well as pregnancy and childbirth and menopause.

Women's health focuses on the treatment and diagnosis of diseases and conditions that affect a woman's physical and mental well-being.

Midwifery is the health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care of the mother and the newborn. The goal of the midwife is to help women have as natural a childbirth as possible and to prevent health problems during pregnancy and detect any abnormal conditions that may need more advanced medical care.

Fetal monitoring is a procedure in which instruments are used to continuously record the heartbeat of the fetus and the contractions of the woman's uterus.

Labor and delivery is the process a woman's body goes through to deliver a baby. Labor is made up of three stages. The first stage involves contractions and the dilation of the cervix. The second stage, or active stage, involves pushing and the birth of the baby. The third stage involves the delivery of the placenta

Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is a medical specialty that focuses on women's health. This includes all aspects of reproductive health, such as menstruation, as well as pregnancy and childbirth and menopause.

Pap smears, also known as pap tests, are screening tests that involve the collection of cells from the cervix (the lower part of the uterus) to test for cervical cancer. The test is typically performed along with a pelvic exam and it is recommended that a woman have a pap smear done every three years.