Pregnancy care
Pregnancy care denotes health care for mothers and children before, during, and after childbirth. It is an approach to keep mothers and their children strong and healthy. Mothers will have opportunities to gain basic maternal skills from experienced healthcare personnel, recognize what is harmful to the health of the children in the womb, and understand how to take care of themselves and their babies after birth.
Pre-pregnancy care should begin at least three months before getting pregnant. During that time, the mothers can modify their lifestyle and adopt healthy habits, including:
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid supplements daily.
- Discuss your preexisting medical conditions and the medications or dietary supplements you take with the doctor.
- Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals and toxic substances at home or the workplace.
Prenatal Care
Once pregnant, prenatal care is what every woman should have. It is a crucial step as they can receive regular health checkups, lower the gestational risks, and improves the probability of safe and successful childbirth. The doctor can provide ongoing pregnancy monitoring and prevent and treat complications that may occur.
Mothers who do not have prenatal care are at a threefold higher risk of giving birth to low-birth-weight newborns that are five times more likely to die than those whose mothers receive prenatal care.
During Pregnancy
- Every month during the first 6 months of pregnancy
- Every two weeks during the 7th and 8th months of pregnancy
- Every week during the last month of your pregnancy
- Blood or urine tests
- Blood pressure measurement
- Pregnancy weight gain determination
- Fetal growth and heart rate monitoring
The doctor may check the fetal uterine presentation during the last month of pregnancy. The hospital offers prenatal classes that mothers can attend during their pregnancies. They will learn the bodily changes in each successive month of pregnancy and how to prepare for childbirth and care for their babies, such as bathing and breastfeeding.
Postpartum Care
Immediately after childbirth, mothers have to cope with many physical and emotional challenges. They must know how to care for themselves, get adequate sleep, eat healthily, and maintain vaginal health.
Getting adequate sleep
Because of the new responsibility, mothers can feel overwhelmed. To have enough sleep, they should try to sleep in sync with the baby's periods of sleep, keep the baby crib near their beds to facilitate night feedings, and allow others to bottle-feed the baby when they are resting.
Eat healthily
Because of maternal bodily changes during and after pregnancy, nutritious postpartum meals can help mothers regain strength and start breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mothers should eat whenever they are hungry. However, they should choose healthy foods instead of high-fat snacks and drink plenty of water. Their meal should consist of a balance of 5 food groups.
Vaginal Care
During and after pregnancy, mothers should maintain their health and keep every doctor’s appointment for the health and safety of both mother and child.
Dr Pimpagar Chavanaves
An obstetrician & gynecologist specializing in reproductive endocrinology and menopause
Doctor profile
Fertility and Genetics Clinic