Pregnancy care involves both before birth (prenatal) and after birth (postpartum) care. This care helps the expectant mother to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery without any complications. Both prenatal and postpartum care are entirely different from each other.
Prenatal Care: This first trimester is a time where the pregnant women have to be extremely careful for a smooth pregnancy ride. Apart from visiting your doctor during prenatal at home care is also essential. Regular visits to your doctor helps the doctor monitor your pregnancy and help you determine any illness or disorder and treat it at the right time. Even before you get pregnant, you should seek prenatal care. It basically starts three to four months prior to the pregnancy. During this time you need to quit smoking and consumption of alcohol, take supplements suggested by your doctor, taking folic acid as per recommended dosage, and avoid any things or materials that can be harmful to your body. Consult the Best Prenatal Doctor to ensure you are in safe hands. There are few tests involved to determine the health of the baby like:
- Ultrasound helps determine the baby’s growth and this also helps in establishing a due date.
- Gestational diabetes is a common complication in pregnancy. Monitoring glucose levels through glucose tests can help identify gestational diabetes.
- Blood tests are done to determine normal foetal blood.
- Fetal echocardiography to analyse babys’ heart beat.
- Blood examination for anemia.
- Tests to determine sexually transmitted diseases.
- Amniocentesis to check for any birth defects or disorders.
- Nuchal translucency test to check and analyse the baby genes.
- Blood tests for blood groups like Rh and ABO.
- Tests to determine any previous chronic illness.
Before doing any of the activities, always choose to consult your doctor. Your family history can also play a major role in pregnancy. Pelvic is also examined for its stretchability and strength. Visiting your doctor can change depending on the months of pregnancy.
- You will be required to visit the doctor every month for the six months.
- Once in 2 weeks for every 7th and 8th month.
- Then every week in the 9th month until delivery.
After the 22nd week the baby is checked whether its growth and development is normal. Women who are at risk for gestational diabetes are who previously delivered a baby about 4.1 kgs, family history of diabetes, and who are obese. If the doctor confirms that there are no complications in your pregnancy you can perform your regular exercise. Being active throughout your pregnancy can help you during your labor and delivery. You need to consult your doctor regarding how much weight you can gain, as gaining a lot of weight can be difficult during delivery. Choosing the right hospital is very crucial as there is no room for any error. Always consult the Best Hospital in Coimbatore for normal delivery who can help you with pregnancy and delivery. Even medical institutes can be chosen for a happy pregnancy. Nowadays even online assistance is available for women to avoid long hours of traffic and waiting.
There are few few concerns related to pregnancy :
Gestational Diabetes: Usually after the first trimester this condition is seen. The placenta carries necessary nutrients required for the baby to nourish and also the hormones that alter the function of insulin. This causes high blood sugar levels.
Preeclampsia: After the sixth month of the pregnancy women experience preeclampsia or toxemia of pregnancy which causes high blood pressure, edema, or protein in the urine.
Rh negative mother: Most women have Rh factor in their blood. Such women are called Rh-positive and people without Rh factor are called Rh negative. In Rh negative mothers the foetus may be Rh positive there are chances that foetus blood flows into your bloodstream and your body destroys the red blood cells.
Get Plenty of rest: Always remember your body should rest. Take naps whenever you get tired. As the days pass you may experience sleepless nights.
Whenever you feel like you need a helping hand, ask for assistance. Don’t strain yourself to accomplish all the tasks. Request assistance from relatives or friends with daily duties. Practical help can make a major difference.
Balanced Food: In addition to getting enough rest, you should follow your doctor’s diet recommendations based on your body’s needs. Make you take all the necessary nutrients and vitamins that your body requires to grow.
Exercise: Not everybody is allowed to exercise during pregnancy. Avoid excessive activity and remember to go at your own pace. Always consult your Best Gynecologist Doctor to know whether you can exercise regularly.
Expectant mothers have to be extremely careful and always require constant support and expert advice. Childbirth entirely changes your routine. Feel free to seek help. Any mental or physical changes you experience will fade with time.