Obstetrics In LA
Dr. Paddy Jim Baggot - Los Angeles Gynecology
At Guadalupe Medical Center, you will experience highly personalized pregnancy care. As a solo practitioner, board-certified LA obstetrician Dr. Paddy Jim Baggot will be the only doctor you see throughout your pregnancy. He will be there for you at each prenatal visit, perform all your ultrasounds, deliver your baby, and manage your postpartum care. You will receive comprehensive prenatal care and testing to ensure the healthiest outcome possible for you and your baby.
Dr. Baggot understands that pregnancy should be a joyful time in your life, not full of misery and sickness. That’s why he emphasizes treating nausea and vomiting throughout your pregnancy, so you can be as comfortable as possible and enjoy this special time.
Dr. Baggot also focuses on preventing miscarriage and preterm delivery. Nutrient deficiencies have been shown to contribute to miscarriage, which is why Dr. Baggot will test you for a number of vitamins of minerals and prescribe or recommend supplements if necessary to ensure a successful pregnancy and healthy baby.
With advanced training in maternal-fetal medicine, Dr. Baggot is also a high-risk pregnancy expert. He will monitor for and treat pregnancy complications such as placenta previa, placental abruption, cervical insufficiency, excess amniotic fluid, and other problems that can lead to premature birth. He will also manage any conditions that existed prior to or developed during pregnancy such as high blood pressure, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and more.
We maintain a low Cesarean rate at Guadalupe Medical Center and provide medical support for breastfeeding. For those without insurance, we offer a low-cost cash price for deliveries.
Our obstetrics services include:
- Prenatal care and education
- Pregnancy testing
- Fetal assessment and monitoring, including ultrasound
- High risk pregnancy care, including multiple births, maternal hypertension, diabetes, preterm labor, incompetent cervix, and recurrent pregnancy loss
- Emergency Cesarean section
- Cord blood banking options
- Post-partum care
- Infertility and natural family planning
High-Risk Pregnancies - Maternal Medical Conditions
Some patients may have medical disorders complicating the pregnancy. These might include heart problems such as valve problems, rhythm disturbances, and high blood pressure; lung problems such as asthma and pneumonia; hormone problems such as diabetes and thyroid disorders; intestinal problems including prior intestinal bypass surgery; blood cancer or clotting problems; autoimmune disorders and arthritis; infection such as liver and kidney infections; brain and psychiatric problems; and kidney disease. While these problems bring extra challenges and blessings, they can usually be managed in a calm, thorough manner. These problems should not be feared as they commonly have successful outcomes.
High-risk pregnancies - pregnancy problems
Some high-risk pregnancies involve problems that relate mainly to the pregnancy. These could include twin pregnancies, preclampsia and high blood pressure, premature labor, premature rupture of membranes, and recurrent pregnancy loss. These problems can be challenging, but are often managed with good outcomes.
Some high-risk pregnancies involve problems with the baby.
These could include ultrasound abnormalities, problems with screening, genetic abnormalities, infections and limited growth of the fetus. While these problems could be very upsetting, a calm and methodical approach is beneficial. Because these diagnoses are often difficult, over-diagnoses and under-diagnoses are not uncommon. Second opinions can be helpful. The problems of some babies are not as severe as initially thought. While nothing in life is guaranteed, many babies do better than expected.
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting may make life miserable for women in early pregnancy. Treatment of nausea and vomiting may not only relieve the mother's symptoms, but also prevent birth defects and improve nutrition for the baby.
Miscarriage
Miscarriage is more common than many realize. From 10-25% of pregnancies miscarry. It may often occur early in pregnancy, when women are only barely finding out they are pregnant. For the pregnant mother, a new pregnancy may be a cause of great joy. A miscarriage may be a cause of misery.
We consider the possibility of miscarriage seriously. We often check for fetal viability. We often recommend treatment to prevent miscarriage.
One woman had a series of miscarriages in her mid-thirties. She got discouraged and gave up. Then she came for treatment. She then had a series of smart and healthy babies from her late thirties up to 43. As a teacher, some of her co-workers were also pregnant. She said she had less problems with her pregnancies than her co-workers. Ironically, her co-workers with more problematic pregnancies were years to decades younger than she was.
Premature Delivery
Premature delivery is more common than many realize. As many as 5-15% of pregnancies deliver earlier than they should. Some babies delivered early may require admission to an intensive care unit. Newer treatments may prevent or delay premature delivery.
Cesarean Section
For those who have not had cesarean section, avoiding cesarean section can simplify childbearing. For those who need cesarean section, attention to pain control can make it more tolerable. In some hospital-wide comparisons, Dr. Baggot was found to have one of the lowest cesarean section rates.
Episiotomy
Dr. Baggot believes that the ideal would be to minimize or avoid painful stitches in the bottom. Many have suggested that quality would be better than a lower episiotomy rate. In some hospital comparisons, Dr. Baggot often had the one of the lowest episiotomy rates.
Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy
If one would look forward to a future pregnancy, one could hope for many drawing joys in dreams to be fulfilled. One could also fear bad outcomes such as birth defects, brain problems, or miscarriage. It has been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Thus it would be sensible to prepare for pregnancy before it begins so as to improve outcomes.
The time before pregnancy is often neglected. This should be a time to optimize preparation for a healthy pregnancy. Some mothers have medical conditions that need to be managed during pregnancy. Many maternal conditions like seizures, asthma, lupus, etc. are easier to manage when the problems are solved before conception. Since pregnancies are often unexpected surprises, it is best to prepare for a healthy pregnancy before it seems necessary. While severe nutritional deficits are rare, mild ones are common. These can cause infertility, miscarriage, birth defects. These problems are best solved before conception. Toxins can also cause infertility, miscarriage and birth defects. Studies have shown that most people have toxins. If these problems can be addressed before conception, babies would benefit.
Hormonal problems such as diabetes, thyroid problems, and others can also influence pregnancy. It is best to correct these problems before planning a pregnancy.
Some women have medical diseases which could make pregnancy more complicated. They might have maternal disorders such as high blood pressure, asthma seizures, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, or diabetes. In many cases, complications can be avoided if the maternal disorder is addressed before conception. Medications or treatments might be more suitable than others for pregnancy and it would be better to make these changes before rather than after pregnancy has begun. Thus, for maternal disorders, it would be very helpful to come for treatment before conception to optimize management of the pregnancy.
Many women would hope to avoid bad outcomes such as birth defects and miscarriage by identifying and improving nutrition before conception. Some birth defects might be very expensive to take care of and, thus, preventing them could not only save money but also minimize the burdens of motherhood. Indeed, an ounce of prevention is often better than a pound of cure.
Some women have had previous operations or previous pregnancy outcomes that may complicate the management of future pregnancies. They may have had prior premature deliveries. It would be better to review and plan for these problems than trying to deal with them at a later point.
If you’re looking for an obstetrician you can trust and have complete confidence in to handle any situation that may arise, make an appointment with Dr. Paddy Jim Baggot at Guadalupe Medical Center. Call (213) 386-2606 or you can request an appointment online. Our office is centrally located in Los Angeles, between Koreatown and the Westlake area.
