Matters of Motherhood

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• Deciding to expand your family is one of the most
  significant decisions one makes in a lifetime. A
  great number of variables come into play. It
  might be your own choice to walk into this new
  experience, perhaps you might be swept into this.
  Regardless of the decision you take, care and
  guidance is important in embracing the new found
  emotion of motherhood.
• PLANNING
• The preconception period (three months prior to
  pregnancy) is the time to make changes in your
  lifestyle that can help boost fertility and
  reduce problems during pregnancy. Preconception
  health refers to the health of women and men
  during their reproductive years, which is
  normally between the age of 23 and 31. Women are
  said to be at the peak of fertility during this
  period, though it dips as the women crosses the
  35 year mark, whereas that is not the case with
  men.

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• Preconception health is essential for every woman
  irrespective of planning a pregnancy. It means
  living well, being healthy and feeling good about
  oneself. It is a precious gift to your babies it
  means that the parents have taken those important
  steps to get healthy and ensure a healthier
  future. Such babies are less likely to be born
  early (premature) or have low birth weight. They
  are also more likely to be born without birth
  defects or other complex conditions.
• Women who are overweight or obese are highly
  prone to complications during pregnancy. They
  have a high risk of many serious conditions,
  including complications during pregnancy, heart
  diseases, pregnancy induced type II diabetes. It
  is every womans prerogative to achieve healthy
  weight through healthy diet and regular exercise.

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• After all this, the first and the most important
  step is to visit your doctor and discuss your
  medical history, family history and any other
  pertaining medical conditions. It is important to
  share any previous pregnancy problems, medicines
  that one has been taking as well as the
  vaccinations taken in the past. It is recommended
  that a woman starts preparing for pregnancy three
  months prior to conceiving.Taking folic acid
  supplement everyday while trying to conceive and
  up to twelve weeks of pregnancy is advised. Folic
  acid reduces the risk of the baby having a neural
  tube defect, such as spinal bifida where the
  spinal cord of the fetus does develop normally.

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• Smoking during pregnancy is a big NO and can some
  cause serious problems for the woman such as
  difficulty in getting pregnant, separation of
  placenta from the womb resulting in bleeding,
  miscarriage and is also linked to a variety of
  problems to the baby like premature birth, low
  birth weight and breathing problems in the first
  six months of life. No level of alcohol has been
  proved safe for women trying to get pregnant and
  moreover it can reduce chances of conceiving. It
  is a well established fact that drinking
  excessive alcohol can cause birth defects,
  particularly when the organs of the fetus are
  developing. There is also risk of mental
  retardation linked to alcoholism.

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• MEDICATIONS
• It is important to talk to the doctor about the
  medications to be avoided and the ones that are
  safe to be consumed. Some are completely safe
  while others may be harmful. Medicines used to
  treat infections, epilepsy, blood clots, and some
  cancers can be risky. It is important to inform
  the healthcare provider about the pregnancy. Do
  not stop any medicines that you already are on
  till you speak to your doctor. Also avoid new
  drugs as most of them have not been tested for
  their impact on pregnant women and the fetus.
  While, what is safe is acceptable dosage of
  paracetamol and the golden rule here is to always
  discuss and check with your obstetrician.

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• Anemia
• During pregnancy, hemoglobin in the blood is
  important for transportation of sufficient oxygen
  to both the mother and the fetus. If there is an
  insufficiency in hemoglobin it is called anemia.
  Most pregnant women experience some level of
  anemia. Anemia in pregnant women can cause the
  fetus to receive little oxygen to support normal
  development. To prevent these problems, the
  hemoglobin levels tests should be taken before
  and during pregnancy. A balanced diet with fruits
  and green leafy vegetables helps to prevent
  anemia.

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• Gestational diabetes
• Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy
  and like other types of diabetes, gestational
  diabetes affects how your cells use sugar
  (glucose). Gestational diabetes causes high blood
  sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your
  babys health. It is generally diagnosed between
  the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. Thus it is
  important to take an Oral Glucose Challenge Test
  (OGCT). Normal blood glucose levels peak within
  30 to 60 minutes after drinking the glucose
  solution. A higher than normal blood glucose
  level does not always mean you have gestational
  diabetes. In case of an abnormal OGCT, an Oral
  Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is conducted.

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• Urine Routine
• Urine tests provide your doctor with the
  important knowledge of diseases and conditions
  that could potentially affect the mother or the
  fetus. A sample of the urine will be collected
  during your prenatal visit. The urine tests
  detect sugar, protein, bacteria, ketone (fat
  broken down for energy instead of carbohydrates).
• Ultrasound
• The commonly known test during pregnancy is the
  Ultrasound which shows you and your doctor the
  position, movements and development of your baby.
  The first scan is done at 6-7 weeks of gestation
  will check the babys heart beat. The nuchal
  translucency scan or NT scan is conducted between
  the 11th week and 14th week. In most cases, this
  is combined with a blood test- Double marker or
  First Trimester Screening ( FTS) for increasing
  accuracy.

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• During the second trimester anomaly scan is
  performed in the 20th week. In the third
  trimester growth scan is performed during the
  30th week of pregnancy to check for the babys
  size, amniotic fluid amount and the blood flow
  adequacy to the baby. It is repeated around the
  37th week of pregnancy.
• NUTRITION
• Key points Ensure you follow a balanced diet.It
  is important to include high fiber food during
  pregnancy.At least two fruits a day should be a
  default inclusion and it is important to consume
  it as a fruit and not in the form of juice. Fresh
  Fruit juices or tetra pack only increase your
  sugar levels and do not provide you with the
  necessary important nutrients.Most importantly,
  it is a mandate to consume at least 3 liters of
  water per day to keep Urinary tract infections
  away .

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• Food to be AVOIDED
• Junk and fried food.
• Sweets, chocolates, pastries.
• Excess rice, excess ghee/butter.
• Juice (Both Fresh Tetra Pack).

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• EXERCISE
• Physical activity and exercise can help relieve
  stress, anxiety, depression. It helps in
  maintaining a healthy weight, helps you sleep
  better, boost your energy levels, boost the
  immune system, build stamina which is necessary
  during labour. Heavy activity exercise maybe be
  avoided during the first few weeks of pregnancy
  and in case of complications, as advised by your
  obstetrician
• Activities that are Good to Do Activities to be
  avoided Walking Aerobics, Zumba Routine
  activities like cleaning your house Lifting
  weight, Climbing steps Lamaze ( advised and
  helpful during labour) Contact Sports Yoga
  Breathing exercise.

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Activities that are Good to Do Activities to be avoided
Walking Aerobics, Zumba
Routine activities like cleaning your house Lifting weight, Climbing steps
Yoga Breathing exercise Contact Sports
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Thank you..