Prenatal care

Prenatal care is the term describing the needed health care a pregnant woman should receive till delivering her baby, it’s very important to keep following up with your doctor or a certain health care provider to ensure a good health for you and your baby. Committing to your doctor’s visits at their times in addition to following his advices gives him a great chance to detect any possible problem earlier, and gives your baby a greater chances to stay healthy, starting his life on strong bases.

Prenatal care covers routine checkups and tests by your health care provider, in addition to valuable advices that you shouldn’t ignore for the safety of your baby.

Stages of pregnancy

Pregnancy has three stages called trimesters, a first second and third trimester each one consists of three months, making a total of nine months of pregnancy.

During your visits to your doctor, it’s common that he may use the term “week” in calculations instead of month or even trimester to time your pregnancy.

First trimester

This prenatal care is what you receive once knowing you’re pregnant and till you reach week 14, getting an early visit to your doctor is the main step you must do to check on your health.

At your first visit, you should expect that the doctor will be asking about your overall health, family history, any possible medications you might be receiving, your lifestyle whether being sedentary or active, any previous pregnancies, if you smoke or drink alcohol and finally if your partner may have a certain genetic disorder or hereditary medical condition.

The next step would be a general examination, doctor will need to measure your blood and sugar levels, a blood sample will be drawn to make a complete blood count and to know your Rh type, he may also want to make a pelvic test or even taking smears to check for any possible infections.

After doing the general examination, here comes your big chance to ask your doctor whatever comes in your mind, doctor usually will care about increasing your awareness about the new situation you are in, for example:

• How to make critical changes in your lifestyle, this would include dietary and physical changes.
• You will be warned not to lift any heavy objects, over exhausting yourself and taking extra care to avoid sudden falls.
• How to be managing some normal pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness through some diet alterations.
• Prescribing you a prenatal multivitamin, including folic acid (From 400 – 800 mcg daily) and iron supplements

In the first trimester, your doctor will ask you to set an appointment every month or every 4 weeks to be increased after in the second and third trimester, note that your visits maybe increased if you’re over 35, having chronic medical conditions as hypertension or diabetes, or having a previous history of miscarriages. At every visit or follow up he’ll be checking your blood and sugar levels as well as recording your weight, urine sample may be taken to test the presence of sugar or protein which is abnormal, if so; this may point that you may be developing gestational diabetes (High blood sugar levels during pregnancy).

Your doctor will also try to listen to the baby’s heart sounds, the fetal heartbeats are usually noticed starting from the 6^th week, he will also carry an ultrasound test using sound waves on your stomach, which enables him to see the baby on a special screen. This will help in ensuring the birth date of your baby.

Genetic test may be performed if doctor suspects your baby to have one, from families’ history, if you’re over 35 or having a same previous pregnancy case, he will talk with you in regard to his concerns and the best time for carrying the test if needed.

Second trimester

In the second trimester starting from week 14 till week 28, you will be having a visit per month. You will notice that visits are becoming shorter in duration but with great importance and help.

As routinely, doctor will take your blood, sugar and weight readings, he will start to measure your abdomen to keep following the baby’s normal growth.

Doctor will give much concern about your hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is known to be the vital part in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen to be delivered to different body tissues. Since hemoglobin is mainly made of iron, low hemoglobin levels indicate your shortage in iron intake.

If your Rh type was found to be Rh-negative during the blood sample test, your doctor will give you a certain injection called RhoGAM at the week 28.

In this second trimester your baby’s growth should be progressed, and consequently, you may experience some back pain, sleeping problems, heartburn or fatigue that you should inform your doctor about, heartburn is because of your digestive system tending to retard a little while being pregnant. Remember that you can always call your doctor if you felt any unusual signs, vaginal discharge, fever with painful urination or your need to take a new medicine.

Doctor will ask you to perform another ultrasound but this time to check baby’s internal organs as kidneys, heart and limbs. Asking you to lay down on your back and using a special device on your stomach with a specific jelly substance, he can visualize your baby on a special screen and in that specific moment you can also see your baby for the first time!

Doctor will be able to define any possible abnormalities in baby’s growth at this time, he will also ask you about your desire in knowing your baby’s sex. Some people prefer to keep it as a surprise till labor, you can discuss this matter with your partner.

Third trimester

In the third trimester starting from week 28 till around week 40, you will be having two visits per week increasing to a visit each week from week 36 till your baby’s birth date.

Doctor will inform you about experiencing an increased pain in your lower back and legs, this is normal as your baby is growing and putting extra weight on your body, hence, you will probably be needing more resting times and restricting your daily activities.

Doctor will keep doing his routinely tests in every visit you do with an additional exam which is the pelvic exam, this is important to notice the dilation happening in your cervix.

While you’re home, your doctor will ask you to do a simple task which is observing your baby’s movement. You should be monitoring and counting his moves to 10, you will notice times of being still or active that mostly being at the evening. Movements can be as rolling up to strong kicks, a ten moves is said to be normal in twenty minutes for most women, if you counted less than ten moves in two hours, try lying down for a while or eating a light meal, if still not feeling him, call your doctor immediately.

Delivery

Your doctor will inform you about the expected labor time and signs you may feel to know you’re going into labor (Regular closed strong contraction that each may last up to one minute, radiating to the back or abdomen), you may need to discuss with him your options about managing labor pain as by using epidural block (Anesthetic injection in the back to numb the lower body part), Episiotomy (Widening the vagina opening during labor) or C-section (Surgical cut at the lower mother’s abdomen for baby delivery) should be discussed if there were possible needs to perform during labor. Doctor may have to perform any of them depending on the mother’s health condition, baby’s size or health or being abnormally upside down (Legs are coming out first).

Doctor will also advise you to prepare your hospital bag in a while before labor, writing down things you may need is very helpful to avoid forgetting something. Your partner, closed friends and family members have to be around at this time for help and support. He will also aware you about the possibility of inducing labor if you passed your suggested labor date or have reached week 39 till 42.

Things to do while being pregnant

• Taking folic acid in a daily dose of 400 – 800 mcg during all pregnancy trimesters, it’s important in reducing some birth defects.
• Consult your doctor before starting a new medicine, medicines are very harmful to your baby especially in the first trimester, if you’re already taking one, inform your doctor about it.
• Stay on healthy diet, whole grain products, green vegetables and fruits. Stay away from saturated fats that could be substituted with healthy good ones.
• Divide your meals along the day instead of having two or three large meals, will help in reducing morning sickness.
• Drink plenty of fluids and water (2L per day).
• Take iron supplements to avoid anemia plus other prescribed prenatal multivitamins.
• Cease smoking or alcohol.
• Keep your weight ideal following your doctor’s advices, try to keep on regular light aerobic schedule.
• Perform yoga or meditation to get rid of stress. Get enough rest and sleep.
• Avoid exposure to chemicals, fumes or insecticides. Plus, stay away from pet cats or rodents for the risk of getting Toxoplasmosis (Parasitic infection that can cause abortion or mental retardation to the fetus).