Pregnancy
PREGNANCY is a period of hope, expectancy, and jubilation. But it is also a time of intense changes in the body of the mother. At this time, a woman requires expert medical care.
Antenatal care
The systematic care given during the pregnancy period is called antenatal care. It makes your pregnancy smoother and detects complications in pregnancy at the earliest, thereby entailing early treatment.
Antenatal care should be started at the earliest, in fact as soon as you realize that you are pregnant.
WHY?
In order to calculate the expected date of delivery, it is important to know the date of your last period. In case there is a problem with this, an early ultrasound will give an idea of the expected date of delivery.
Folic acid supplementation is also an essential part of the care of early pregnancy and should be started as early as possible. Folic acid prevents neural tube defects in the baby and hence, is good for the baby.
There are certain routine and necessary investigations like blood group, hemoglobin, blood sugar, hepatitis B antigen, HIV, thyroid function test etc.
You may also require certain special investigations like testing for rubella, hemoglobin electrophoresis (to rule out thalassemia) etc.
Certain tests like a triple test, level 2 scan are done at a later period to ensure that there are no congenital anomalies in the baby.
Throughout the antenatal period, the complete emphasis is laid on
Requisite investigations,
Healthy diet,
Proper antenatal exercises and
Medications to ensure maternal and foetal wellbeing.
Sometimes a pregnancy may be fraught with risks like severe anemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, repeated abortions etc. These pregnancies are called high-risk pregnancies. An expert at handling such cases, Dr. Madhu tries to minimize hospitalization and treat the patient in a comfortable manner.
A large part of the pregnancy care involves establishing a comfortable rapport with the patient
Normal delivery is encouraged and to achieve this patient is encouraged to remain active throughout the pregnancy. Patients are also offered the option of painless delivery. However, where required, in the interest of mother and the baby, a cesarean section is done.
Tips for pregnant mothers
- Eat small frequent meals
- Loose comfortable cotton clothing
- Regular exercise regime
- Plenty of fluids
- Regular medical checks
Normal delivery – It takes a lot of mental and physical strength to have a normal delivery. The process has to be initiated in the antenatal period itself with proper encouragement, trust, and self-belief. Dr. Madhu Goel encourages normal delivery for all her patients.
Caesarian section – Where required a caesarian section is offered to the patient. Due precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the mother and her baby.
What to get in the hospital at the time of delivery
- Clothes for the baby
- Complete medical records
- Baby soap
- Baby lotion
- Baby oil
- Baby hair oil
- Towel
- Personal toiletries
Original Source: https://drmadhugoel.needstreet.com/post/pregnancy/518