DR. JOSEPH L. BEAUDROT is a native of Greenwood, South Carolina. In 1977 he received a B.S. Degree in Biology at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1982 he was granted an M.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. In 1986 he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. While there he received the Marcos Gallego Award for Academic and Clinical Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology and also the Vincent J. Capraro Award in Recognition of Academic and Clinical Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In July, 1986 Dr. Beaudrot joined the practice of Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology, P.A. in Greenwood, South Carolina. He became a member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1988 and was recertified in 1998.

Dr. Beaudrot has served as Chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood. He is currently a member of the Self Regional Medical Staff, American Medical Association, South Carolina Ob-Gyn Society, American College of Ob-Gyn, South Carolina Medical Association and Greenwood County Medical Society.

Dr. Beaudrot has served on the Greenwood Chapter of the American Cancer Society and has also served as a deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood. He has two daughters, Margaret and Dale.

DR. CARTER joined the practice of Greenwood OB-GYN in July 1994. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in chemistry and biology and from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina. He completed his residency at the University of Florida in Gainsville, Florida.

Dr. Carter graduated cum laude from his medical school and received recognition for outstanding student teaching during his residency. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is Board Certified in obstetrics and gynecology. He became a partner of Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1996.

Originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Dr. Carter is married to Teresa, an elementary school teacher, and is the father of Noah and Rachael. He enjoys golfing in his spare time.

DR. FORREST began her practice with Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology in August of 2001. Originally from Saluda, Dr. Forrest received a B.S. Degree in biology and a B.A. degree in history from Wofford College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1993. While at Wofford, she was a four year Wofford scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston where she was an All American Collegiate Scholar and received the Merit Award of Excellence. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, North Carolina. During her residency she scored the highest CREOG score in her graduating class. She became a partner of Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology in July 2003.

Dr. Forrest has special interests in reproductive endocrinology, infertility, benign breast disease, and urogynecology. She is married to Eric Massey and they have two children, Erin and Seth. In her spare time she enjoys cycling, golf, and watercraft activities.

DR. DIXON joined the practice of Greenwood Ob-Gyn in July 2003 after finishing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Mountain Area Health and Education Center in Asheville, NC. She is a graduate of Davidson College. She received her Doctor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. During her residency, Dr. Dixon served as chief resident, received the Berlex Best Teaching Award, and was awarded the Otis Duck M.D. Memorial Award for Outstanding Research and Primary Care.

Dr. Dixon has a special interest in urogynecology and laparoscopic surgery. She is a Board Certified fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the American Medical Association and the South Carolina Medical Association. She is also committed to educating the community regarding women's health issues. Originally from Tallahassee, FL, she is married to Bob Dixon and has three daughters, Lucy, Sarah, and Mary Ruth. She enjoys sailing, hiking, and spending time with her family.

DR. RUSSELL will be continuing his practice of obstetrics and gynecology as of September, 2003 at Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Russell graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in 1987 with a degree in biochemistry. He attended medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School and did his OB/GYN residency at York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania. Dr. Russell has been board certified in obstetrics and gynecology since 1999. He has served as department chairman of the Department of OB/GYN at Self Regional Hospital and has practiced obstetrics and gynecology in the Greenwood area for the past 9 years.

Dr. Russell enjoys travel, tennis, exercising, and spending time with his family. His wife is Dr. Kim Russell, a practicing physician with Greenwood Internal Medicine. They have three children, Whittaker, Dorothy Anna, and Peter.

PRENATAL VITAMINS
You will be given a prescription for prenatal vitamins on your first OB visit. These are a dietary supplement and should be taken daily throughout your pregnancy, and after you deliver, until you have taken all of your prescription. If you decide to breast feed, we advise that you continue your prenatal vitamins throughout this time as well.

Sometimes, due to a drop in your hemoglobin (red blood cell count) we may supplement your prenatal vitamins with Iron and Folic Acid. Should it occur, we will explain this in more detail.

DENTAL CARE
You should continue your dental care throughout your pregnancy. Before any dental procedures, alert your dentist that you are pregnant.

You may find that your gums may bleed easier during your pregnancy. Therefore, it is important that you practice good dental hygiene with proper brushing and flossing.

TRAVEL
We do not recommend extensive travel during pregnancy. If you find travel necessary, we feel that the middle three months are the safest. When traveling in a car, you should stop for a break and walk around every 1 1/2 – 2 hours to prevent development of blood clots.

We do not encourage traveling in the last six weeks of pregnancy.

SEX
You may continue sexual intercourse throughout pregnancy unless you are told you are at risk of preterm (early) delivery. Sometimes complications may arise, and the doctor may feel it necessary that you abstain from sexual relations earlier.

If you should have bleeding or leakage of water from your vagina following intercourse, report these symptoms to us.

CATS
We recommend that you avoid handling cat litter during your pregnancy. A disease called toxoplasmosis can be transmitted this way. If you should handle cats at any time be sure to wash your hands properly after handling them.

SUBSTANCE USE
Smoking and alcohol deplete the body of valuable nutrients and thus produce smaller babies. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause retardation. Beer and wine are not safer than mixed drinks.

Illegal drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, heroine and amphetamines have all been linked to poor outcomes. Counseling and help with addictions are available and are very important in pregnancy.

NUTRITION
A good diet provides you and your baby with nutrients that both of you need. Studies have shown that women who are well nourished and have a balanced diet when they conceive will give birth to healthier babies.

It is expected that you will gain 25-35 pounds during your pregnancy. This weight gain is caused not only by the growing baby, but also by the placenta and fluid around the baby as well as changes in your body to accommodate a healthy pregnancy. Some women lose weight during the first trimester because of decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting. By 15 weeks you should start to see more consistent weight gain each visit.

During periods of nausea, frequent small meals help, and hydration is very important. You should try to consume 10 glasses of non-caffeine beverages daily. If you cannot keep down liquids for 12 hours, please call for prescription medicine to help. Some patients need to be admitted to the hospital for dehydration.

Spicy foods and fried foods are poorly tolerated early in pregnancy and again will contribute to heartburn later. We also recommend that you stay away from frequent concentrated sweets during pregnancy.

Seafood is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which can contribute to your baby's devleoping brain and spine health. Avoid large seafood such as swordfish because of potentially elevated levels of mercury. Raw seafood is not recommended during pregnancy because of increased risk of infection. If your diet includes much seafood, vary the types of fish that you consume from week to week.

Many women have questions about the consumption of caffeine. It should be noted that caffeine-free drinks and food are available. Try to taper slowly down to a maximum of one caffeinated beverage per day. Beware that tea and some light sodas such as Mountain Dew contain more caffeine than colas.

The healthiest diet provides a balance of proteins and carbohydrates. The following is recommended daily nutritional intake:

1.  Vegetable and fruit group:
4 servings each day
Include one Vitamin C source and one deep yellow or dark green vegetable for Vitamin A.

2.  Bread and cereal group:
4 servings each day
This group includes pasta, rice, and all products made with grain. Choose whole grain and enriched products to get the most from these foods.

3.  Milk and cheese group
2 to 3 servings each day; 4 after you become pregnant
Vary selections among milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Milk used in cooked foods such as puddings or creamed soups counts toward your daily servings.

4.  Meat, fish, poultry, and egg group (includes nuts and beans)
2 servings each day
Lean, cooked meat, fish, or poultry – 2 to 3 ounces – makes up one serving; so does one egg, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, or ¾ cup of cooked dried beans.

DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY
Although you will experience many aches and pains during your pregnancy, most often these are normal and should not alarm you. Most of your questions can be answered over the phone during office hours. Please try to call during these hours.

ESTIMATED DATE OF DELIVERY
(When Will My Baby Be Born?)

Every pregnant woman would like to know the exact date on which her baby will be born. Every obstetrician wishes it were possible to tell her on what date her baby will come. Because every patient is different, all pregnancies, even though they are normal, do not last the same number of days.

We can use a few statistics to predict when your baby will most likely be born. Approximately 4% to 5% of babies will be born on the exact date given by the obstetrician as their due date. Approximately 30% of all babies will be born within a six day period which includes three days before her due date and three days after her due date. Eighty percent of all babies will be born within a period which includes two weeks before their due date and two weeks after their due date. Approximately 10% of all babies are born prematurely before 37 weeks.

Greenwood Ob-Gyn follows the latest guidelines established by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology when scheduling elective repeat caesarean sections and inductions. Elective deliveries are generally considered safe for newborns at 39 weeks and past, but inductions can only be planned if the cervical exam is “favorable”. If your pregnancy continues one week past your due date, testing will be started for fetal health to determine the best time for delivery. Sometimes medical complications make it necessary to deliver babies before 39 weeks for the health of the mother or the baby.

LAB TESTS
OB Screen

With your new OB exam and workup, we will obtain at our office certain blood tests. This important information will be used to monitor certain levels specifically pertaining to your pregnancy and is important in the management and progress of your pregnancy. We would encourage you to do this very early in your pregnancy to ascertain any possible problems pertaining to these tests. The OB Screen consists of four blood tests:

1.  Blood Type and Antibody Titer – Blood type and antibody titer pertain to your blood type which will give information pertaining to the blood compatibility between mother and the fetus. The most common types of blood incompatibilities are AB, O, and RH. Again, this is important to know early in the pregnancy for monitoring, especially in RH negative mothers.

2.  Rubella – A Rubella titer is used to rule out susceptibility to German measles or Rubella virus. Approximately 85% to 90% of all females are naturally immune to the virus. If the titer is absent, a vaccine may be recommended on discharge from the hospital.

3.  Serology – This is required by South Carolina law to obtain on all pregnancies. It is a screen for syphilis.

4.  Hepatitis Titer and AIDS Titer – In order to keep current and offer you the best prenatal care available, our office has added to our perinatal screen hepatitis titers and AIDS titers. Transmission of the hepatitis-B virus from the mother to the infant during the perinatal period represents one of the most efficient modes of viral transmission and often leads to severe and longterm sequelae. Current Center for Disease Control recommendations would include all pregnant women to be routinely tested for hepatitis during the early part of pregnancy. If positive, the baby can be treated at the time of birth to help prevent transmission from the mother to the infant. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) screening, as well, will also be done. This blood test will enable the mother and other health care professionals to take the proper precautions in the control and spread of this potentially lethal virus. All of our recommendations and precautions are done for your protection as well as the protection of your baby. However, should you have any objections to any of our prenatal screening bloodwork, please discuss this with your doctor.

PAP TEST

A Pap test is done on the initial exam and six weeks post-partum. This is otherwise known as a “cancer smear” and will look for abnormal cells on the cervix or mouth of the womb. Occasionally, a little spotting is noted after a Pap smear which should not affect the pregnancy.

URICULT
Since bacteria are found in the urine of as many as 15% to 20% of pregnancies, a culture  will be done initially and as needed during pregnancy. If the culture is positive, an antibiotic may be prescribed. This will help prevent further progression into serious kidney infection.

RH FACTOR AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOUR PREGNANCY

Just as there are different major blood groups, such as A and B type blood, there is also an Rh factor. This is a type of protein on the red blood cells. Most people have the Rh factor and are said to have Rh positive. Others do not have the Rh factor and are thus Rh negative. Today, a simple lab test quickly determines whether you are Rh positive or Rh negative.

The Rh factor does not affect a person's general health. However, it can cause problems during pregnancy. The Rh factor is something a baby inherits from its parents. Problems only arise when the mother is Rh negative and the father (and subsequently the baby) are Rh positive. The Rh negative woman's body may produce antibodies which then attack the Rh positive red blood cells of the infant. This condition is called hemolytic disease of the newborn. It can become severe enough to cause serious illness or even death in the fetus or newborn.

Today, hemolytic disease of the newborn can, for the most part, be prevented due to the discovery of a special drug given to the mother. This drug is Rh Immune Globulin (RhIG or RhoGAM), and is a blood product that can prevent sensitization of the Rh negative mother. This drug, RhoGAM is usually given around the 28th week of pregnancy to the Rh negative mother to prevent sensitization for the rest of the pregnancy. Shortly after birth, if the child has Rh positive blood, the mother should receive another dose. This treatment eliminates nearly all chances of the mother developing antibodies to the Rh positive cells of the infant. No treatment is needed if the infant is also Rh negative.

This is why it is so important that every pregnant woman know what her Rh factor is and receive the proper treatment during her pregnancy. This treatment eliminates nearly all chances of Rh sensitization and subsequent hemolytic disease of the newborn. The Rh factor test is one of the many tests that we do in this office during your pregnancy to ensure the best possible outcome of your pregnancy.

“QUADRUPLE SCREEN”

At 16-20 weeks, you will be offered a blood test that helps identify spine and brain problems as well as some genetic abnormalities. A test has recently been developed that will identify women who might be carrying a fetus with a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects are malformations of the brain and spine and include three main types of defects.

1.  Spina bifida is a condition which usually occurs in the lower spine and is present when there is an opening along the spine and a protrusion along the spinal cord and its nerves and covering.

2.  Anencephaly is a partial or complete absence of the skull bones, and the brain is not properly developed.

3.  An encephalocele is a protrusion of the brain and its covering membranes through a defect in the skull.

In the United States, approximately one or two infants in every thousand pregnancies will have a neural tube defect. For some unknown reason, this section of the United States, which includes South Carolina, has increased incidence of these infants. Approximately two to three infants per thousand pregnancies will have a neural tube defect.

Alpha fetoprotein is a protein made by every fetus as it grows. Some of this protein is normally passed in to the amniotic fluid that is present in the waterbag that surrounds the developing infant. A small amount of this alpha fetoprotein is present in the amniotic fluid and this is in the mother's blood. In the alpha fetoprotein blood test, we are measuring the amount of alpha fetoprotein that is present in the mother's blood.

You must remember that the alpha fetoprotein blood test is only a screening test. It is not perfect. If the alpha fetoprotein level in your blood is elevated, the first step is to repeat this blood test to make sure of the reading. If the second test is elevated, the next step is to do an ultrasound examination of the head and spine. More than likely, an amniocentesis will also be done. Amniocentesis is a procedure in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is withdrawn from the mother's womb so it can be examined. The testing of the alpha fetoprotein in the amniotic fluid is much more accurate than the testing of the alpha fetoprotein in the mother's blood.

You will be scheduled for an AFP Test during your 17th week of pregnancy. It requires a blood sample to be taken in our office. We will then send the sample to the Greenwood Genetic Center for analysis. This test is optional, but our doctors encourage you to have this done.

ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Ultrasound has contributed greatly to the efficiency of the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. It has been used in medicine for approximately 35 years.

Ultrasound involves the use of sound waves to visualize tissue and structures within the body. There has been no demonstrable damage to tissues with the wave length or the current method of use of the ultrasound in medicine. The use has been approved by the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine and the American College of OB-GYN in cases with definite indications.

In an early pregnancy, ultrasound helps to determine the location of the pregnancy. For example, whether the pregnancy is inside or outside the uterus.

Fetal heart activity is first noted at 5-6 weeks. Frequently, this is an excellent prognostic sign as far as the progression of the pregnancy.

Most ultrasounds are done near 17 weeks. The growth of all fetuses is essentially the same during this interval. This permits rather accurate dating for the expected date of confinement. More importantly, it provides a base upon which the subsequent growth of the fetus can be calculated. This is extremely important when questions of growth retardation of the fetus are considered.

This examination has also produced early diagnosis of twins. This, alone, has permitted special care for the mother and the babies. We now note that more of our twins are progressing to term.

Ultrasound has added to the safety of the amniocentesis. The placenta can be located, and the position of the baby noted. This allows for safer insertion of the needle.

Patients who have bleeding problems can have the placenta located and measures instituted to help prevent subsequent bleeding.

At times, the sex of the baby can be determined. Frequently, this is extremely important to the geneticist as he counsels the patient.

These are just a few of the uses of this most valuable modality in obstetrics. We feel it is most useful in caring for our patients and their babies. Your husband or one adult may be with you during the ultrasound procedure.

LIVE THREE DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND

We are very proud to be the only office in the area to offer this very new and innovative ultrasound tool. Three dimensional Ultrasound (3-D) allows you to see a detailed, lifelike image of your baby in real time for a more accurate look at his or her anatomy. This ultrasound image is normally taken between the 28th and 34th week of pregnancy for an optimal view of your baby's progress. This service is optional and is not usually covered by most insurance companies. For more information, please contact our office.

DIABETES IN PREGNANCY AND SCREENING FOR DIABETES

Diabetic pregnancies make up approximately 1% to 2% of all pregnant women in South Carolina, but they account for a much larger percent of perinatal High Risk complications. Problems concern both the mother with diabetes but more significantly, the fetus of the mother with diabetes. Therefore, identification of the diabetic or pre-diabetic patient is essential since her prenatal care, intrapartum care, and postpartum care will require close supervision for the most optimal outcome of both mother and baby. Therefore, our office has taken an aggressive approach in identifying diabetic and pre-diabetic pregnancies by screening all patients between seven and eight months for diabetes. This is done by means of a Glucola or sugar loaded drink and subsequently drawing a blood sugar level one hour later. Occasionally this test is elevated and requires a more specific three-hour Glucose Tolerance Test. Although this does require more time and patience on your part, we feel that identificiation and adequate treatment for diabetes is of the utmost in providing quality care for you and your baby.

You will be scheduled for a Glucola Test sometime between your 24th and 28th week. Please try to keep this appointment, as it is necessary, that for accurate results, it be done prior to your 28th week of pregnancy if possible.

We sincerely appreciate your selection of Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology for your medical care during your pregnancy. We want to do everything we can to provide you with the very best of medical care. Please let us know if you have any objections or problems with the care you receive at our office. We hope you will feel free to communicate this with any of our doctors. We would like to hear suggestions and comments from you so that we can make your medical care better and better.

This section of our website was designed as a reference for you to use during your pregnancy, as we hope you will use it frequently. We feel the instructions and comments are very important toward guiding you to a successful pregnancy. During the last part of your pregnancy, we plan to give you booklet entitled “Planning Your Delivery at Self Regional Hospital Birthing Center”. We believe this booklet will be valuable in helping you plan your hospital stay and delivery.