An obstetrician is a doctor who specializes in all aspects of conception, pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care. They have been to medical school and an additional four years of training (called residency) to become specialists. All the obstetricians at WHA are, at a minimum, board eligible OB/GYN physicians, which means they passed written board exams after completing their residency program. Most are board certified, which means they’ve passed their written board exams, have been in practice for at least two years and have passed their oral board exams. Obstetricians are also trained surgeons, which means they can perform Cesarean section deliveries, when necessary, as well as other types of gynecologic surgeries.

What does an obstetrician do?

An obstetrician cares for women and transmasculine, gender nonbinary and genderqueer people through pregnancy, but they are also trained to provide gynecology and wellness care, which means they typically care for people throughout the lifespan. Obstetricians care for healthy people with routine pregnancies, but they are also trained to manage complications that can occur, such as:

• Multi-fetal pregnancies, such as twins or triplets
• Ectopic pregnancies
• Gestational diabetes
• High blood pressure (also called hypertension)
• Preeclampsia
• Preterm labor

Obstetricians may consult with maternal-fetal medicine specialists to manage some of these complications. WHA’s obstetricians attend births at seven regional hospitals and see pregnant patients at 12 Portland-area clinics.

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