Family planning services for women and couples in North Texas

Our physicians are here to help patients who want to plan for a family and receive care for birth control, infertility, pregnancy and childbirth.

Women’s Specialists of Plano offers expert care for women in their reproductive years. The overall health of a woman is the most important issue when it comes to family planning. This includes physical and mental services and management of medical activities that either prevent or enable pregnancy.

Pregnancy services

Physicians and staff at Women’s Specialists of Plano provide compassionate care for women throughout the pregnancy journey. We also manage high-risk pregnancies and provide family planning and infertility services.

Your first visit with an obstetrician

The initial appointment takes about 90 minutes and may include:

  • An ultrasound to confirm your expected due date
  • A review of your medical history and any previous pregnancies
  • A physical exam, including a pelvic exam and pap smear, if necessary
  • Comprehensive lab testing, including cultures, urine and blood. This is to diagnose any treatable infections or conditions that can affect you and the baby
  • An initial visit with one of our coordinators to review any and all maternity benefits offered by your insurance.

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your appointment so we can:

  • Make copies of your insurance card and photo ID
  • Take a photo for the electronic medical chart
  • Review HIPPA privacy paperwork

We verify all insurance benefits prior to your appointment, so we ask for insurance information when the appointment is made. We also try to order tests that are medically necessary from labs and sources that are in network with your insurance companies but cannot guarantee benefit coverage outside of our own charges.

Recommended vitamins

We encourage patients to take prenatal vitamins before attempting to conceive, as your baby needs those nutrients as soon as possible. Recommended doses are:

  • Folic acid – 1,000 micrograms
  • Calcium – 600 milligrams, twice a day
  • Vitamin D - 600 units a day
  • Iron - at least 27 milligrams a day
  • DHA or Omega 3 supplement for pregnant women

Hospital information

All our doctors deliver babies at Medical City Plano and are pleased with the level of care and service provided to our patients. Call (972) 519-1251 to learn more about labor and delivery tours and their childbirth and preparatory classes. You may also want to preregister on their website to expedite the paperwork on the day of delivery.

Prenatal visits and ultrasound schedule

12 weeks

  • First trimester screening (if desired)
  • Review lab work results
  • Listen to heartbeat with Doppler (if ultrasound was not done)
  • Check blood pressure and urine

16 weeks

  • Listen to heartbeat
  • Check blood pressure and urine
  • Draw blood for open neural tube screening (if desired)

20 weeks

  • Full anatomy ultrasound (done between 19 and 28 weeks, depending on physician preference) and review with doctor
  • Check blood pressure and urine

24 weeks

  • Listen to heartbeat
  • Check blood pressure and urine
  • Glucose test (one hour) looking for diabetes this visit or the next
  • Sign up for childbirth classes or a tour at the hospital

28 weeks

  • Listen to heartbeat
  • Check blood pressure and urine
  • Glucose test (if not done before)
  • Begin appointments every two weeks

30, 32 and 34 weeks

  • Listen to heartbeat
  • Check blood pressure and urine
  • Measure the size of the uterus
  • Complete hospital preadmission by calling (214) 473-7348 at 34 to 36 weeks

36 weeks

  • Vaginal swab test, looking for Group B strep bacteria
  • Repeat lab work, looking for anemia and certain infections
  • Check the cervix
  • Start weekly visits and discuss delivery plans

Optional testing for birth defects

If you choose to have tests for birth defects, Women’s Specialists of Plano offers these screenings:

  • Down’s syndrome and Trisomy 18
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Spina bifida or open neural tube defects
  • Other genetic conditions more commonly found in the Ashkenazi Jewish population

Remember to check with your insurance company before your first appointment to ensure coverage for these tests.

Birth control options

For patients seeking access to birth control, our doctors review all options and review the pros and cons of each. A physical examination will also be conducted. We offer:

  • Barrier methods
  • Birth control implants
  • Birth control patches
  • Female sterilization
  • Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
  • Oral contraceptives
  • Vaginal rings

Robotic hysterectomy surgery

A hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the uterus, is the most performed procedure at Women’s Specialists of Plano. There are two types of hysterectomies: total and partial.

A total hysterectomy includes removing the body, fundus and cervix or the uterus, while a partial procedure includes removing the uterine body by leaving the cervix. Women often have this procedure as a treatment for gynecological cancer, uterine fibroids or endometriosis.

Many patients are candidates for minimally invasive surgery, performed with leading-edge robotic technology. Using only a few small incisions, micro instruments take the place of a surgeon’s hands and manipulate sensitive nerves and tissues. Benefits of robotic surgery include:

  • Faster recovery
  • Less pain, bleeding and scarring
  • Faster return to regular routine
  • Fewer infections and other complications

Endometriosis care

Our physicians treat endometriosis, a painful disorder caused by the formation of tiny pieces of uterine lining or endometrial cells outside the uterus, with the highest level of care, whether that includes minimally invasive surgery or therapy, including robotic resection.

While endometriosis cannot be cured, the main goal is to provide pain relief and treat infertility, if present. In many patients, menopause (natural or surgical) will cause hormones to no longer affect the tissue. Treatment is conservative for women still seeking to become pregnant but it can include minimally invasive surgery.

Robotic myomectomy

Women’s Specialists of Plano is one of the few OBGYN practices in Collin County to perform minimally invasive surgery for uterine fibroids. Fibroids can be treated a number of ways, but if they are creating problems and future fertility is desired, we are experts in caring for them through treatments and surgery, if required.

Our practice specializes in robotic and laparoscopic procedures and takes pride in being specialists for these surgeries.