Pregnancy Care at Honu Women’s Health

At Honu Women’s Health, we celebrate the fact that no two pregnancies are the same and that each woman’s pregnancy journey is different and beautiful. We believe in pregnancy assistance as a natural part of life, not treating it as an illness. Among our top priorities in being a provider of women’s health care is to deliver personalized pregnancy care that meets your individual needs rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to pregnancy assistance. At Honu Women’s Health, we partner with you and take on your pregnancy-related care goals as our own. Keeping your goals in mind, we will work together with you to develop a birth plan that gives you confidence throughout your pregnancy care experience.

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Pregnancy Care – What to Expect

Throughout your pregnancy journey, Honu Women’s Health is here to help provide a happy, healthy, and overall exceptional birth experience. Our board-certified OB/GYN, Dr. Aya Sultan, brings more than 20 years of experience in women’s health care and a dedication to providing personalized, high-quality care and expertise to every patient at every appointment. Dr. Sultan embraces the fact that each woman experiences pregnancy differently and different symptoms of pregnancies require varying levels of care.

We understand that pregnancy is an exciting, but sometimes overwhelming time for mothers, whether it is with a first baby or a subsequent pregnancy. As our patient, you can rest assured that we are with you every step of the way. To ensure that you receive the absolute best care for every pregnancy, our patients receive full-service care including, but not limited to:

  • Nutrition counseling
  • Important health tests, including genetics tests, gestational diabetes tests, and other tests as needed
  • Consistent monitoring for anemia, blood pressure, and weight gain

During most pregnancies, mothers will have monthly appointments up to 28 weeks, bi-monthly appointments from 29 to 36 weeks, and weekly appointments beginning at 37 weeks.

Pregnancies with Twins or Multiples

There are few moments in life that are more exciting than finding out you are pregnant with twins or multiples. Along with the excitement can come concerns for the health of your babies. Fortunately, for mothers expecting twins or multiples, pregnancy care looks a little different. For example, twin pregnancies require around one thousand extra calories per day more than single-born pregnancies—so to help you accommodate this caloric need, we provide further in-depth nutrition counseling.

Additionally, in order to monitor your health and the health of your babies, we also adhere to an appointment schedule with more frequent visits that are monthly up to 24 weeks, bi-monthly up to 34 weeks, and weekly starting at 34 weeks. We will also conduct ultrasounds for growth monitoring and fetal testing as needed.

Late-Term Pregnancy

While every pregnancy is unique, the average pregnancy is forty weeks and pregnancies that last longer than this are considered “late-term.” Even though there are some risks associated with carrying late-term pregnancies, most women who give birth after their due dates have healthy babies and experience an uncomplicated labor and delivery. If your pregnancy goes past forty weeks, we will closely monitor your health and your baby’s health and we will perform any needed tests that will help determine if there are any potential complications. If your health status or the health of your baby deteriorates, moving forward with induction which involves using medication or other methods to start labor may be the safest course of action.

Cesarean Sections

At Honu Women’s Health, we support mothers who want to avoid having a cesarean section (C-section). C-sections are sometimes necessary for health reasons, including emergency pregnancy complications or if a baby is breech.

In the event of a breech baby, meaning the baby is not in the head-down position for birth, Dr. Sultan can perform an external cephalic version, or ECV, in an attempt to avoid performing a c-section. To perform an ECV in the safety of the hospital, Dr. Sultan will place her hands on your abdomen and apply external pressure to encourage the baby to move into a head-down position ideal for delivery.

In the event of an unavoidable C-section, your care and recovery will be closely monitored every step of the way. Recovering from this surgery while caring for a newborn can be difficult, but we are here to support you in every way possible.

Understanding Your Birth Choices and Options

We understand that every mother has her own pregnancy goals and it is important to discuss those goals with a detail-oriented, board-certified OB/GYN like Dr. Sultan who will partner with you to understand and meet those goals. Dr. Sultan takes the time to understand individual patient needs, to answer questions, and to develop a custom-fit plan for each delivery. Please be advised, however, that we do not participate in home births.

Doulas and Birthing Coaches

We fully support our patients who desire to have a natural childbirth in the hospital or to have the presence of a doula or birthing coach. Working together with you to make sure that you are receiving the highest quality, safest care possible is our ultimate goal. Doulas and birthing coaches are welcome during your hospital labor as long as they do not interfere with standards of medical care. We will always respect a patient’s wishes for a natural birth and can intervene, if necessary, in the event of complications.

Concierge OB™

When it comes to patient care, our focus is quality – not quantity. For mothers desiring the most closely monitored care, we are proud to offer our Concierge OB™ program for a truly unique antepartum, labor, delivery, and postpartum care experience. This program includes options including:

  • An ultrasound at each visit
  • A direct phone number for 24/7 access to Dr. Sultan
  • Unrestricted number of appointments (does not apply to those appointments that are medically necessary)
  • Priority appointment scheduling
  • Choice of location for hospital delivery
  • Guaranteed presence of Dr Sultan at delivery

To begin your pregnancy journey or to improve your pregnancy care at Honu Women’s Health, schedule an appointment today.