Pregnancy Handbook for Indian Moms

Vinita Salvi

Description

The ultimate pregnancy book from one of India s top gynaecologists You ve decided to have a baby and for the next nine months your questions won t stop. One of India s top gynaecologists and obstetricians and a country specialist in managing high-risk pregnancies has written the ultimate pregnancy book that covers every issue, answers all your questions and tells you exactly what to expect. How to prepare your body for pregnancy A trimester-wise account of what happens to your body, and what symptoms to look out for All the tests for each trimester What to eat and how to exercise Falling ill during pregnancy Dealing with high-risk pregnancies including first-time older mothers Labour and childbirth What you should be asking your doctor Writing in a tone that is warm, humorous, clear and no-fuss, Dr Salvi will lay all your anxieties and every question to rest. So you can put your feet up and enjoy those nine months! www.drcorp.org

Sujets

• Pregnancy

Informations

• Publié par: Penguin Books Ltd
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9789351182887
• Langue: English

Extrait

Dr Vinita Salvi

THE PREGNANCY HANDBOOK FOR INDIAN MOMS
A Doctor s Answers to All your Questions
Contents
About the Author
Introduction
1. Planning a Pregnancy
2. Getting Pregnant
3. The First Trimester
4. The Second Trimester
5. The Third Trimester
6. Labour and Delivery
7. Caesarean Section
8. The Post-partum Experience
9. Diet during Pregnancy
10. Exercises during Pregnancy
11. Falling Ill during Pregnancy
12. The High-Risk Pregnancy
13. Looking after Your Baby
14. Loss of Pregnancy
Concluding Note
Appendix
A Month-by-Month Look at Your Baby s Development
Contraceptive Use in Various Disorders
Immunization Schedule
Drug Usage in Pregnancy and Lactation
Footnote
Contraceptive Use in Various Disorders
Acknowledgements
Follow Penguin
Copyright Page
PENGUIN BOOKS
THE PREGNANCY HANDBOOK FOR INDIAN MOMS
Dr Vinita Salvi is a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology who practises in Mumbai. She was professor and head of unit at the Seth G.S. Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She is an editorial consultant for Lancet , the world s leading medical journal. Because of her renown as a specialist in high-risk pregnancies, couples from India and abroad seek her help in planning conception and during pregnancy and childbirth.
Introduction
You and I are what we are today because of our parents. And, the same will hold true for your baby. Ensuring that your unborn child reaches his or her full potential requires careful nurturing from both you and your partner. Every couple who comes to me is eager to do the best for their unborn child. And, so begin the questions. Often, their tone is apologetic, as though they are asking a silly question. But, to my mind, any question that is troubling you cannot be silly; they are extremely pertinent.
What are some of the questions that pregnant women and their families frequently ask? Can I eat Chinese food? or Doc, she eats Maggi noodles all the time. Is it okay?
Another prospective parent will ask with an air of innocence, Doc, we want to buy baby clothes in advance. Should they be pink or blue? As if, they were not aware of the ban on disclosing baby s gender in this country.
And if you are waiting with bated breath for me to resolve all your doubts, you will just have to wade right through the entire book to arrive at the answers.
ONE
Planning a Pregnancy
Let s start at the very beginning! Before you conceive, you must plan for it. You must prepare your body, your mind and your finances, and visit a doctor. All couples planning to have a baby have some questions and doubts. Here are my answers to the most common of your questions.
How long will it take us to have a baby?
Modern couples are very savvy when it comes to planning a pregnancy. Sometimes a little too savvy! Some think their jobs are likely to be a little less stressful after June and plan the pregnancy for July; others decide to wait till the monsoons end in September, or till after the festival season ends in November. If only Mother Nature were so obliging. Remember: it takes anywhere from a few months to up to a year for a couple to conceive and sometimes even a little longer. If the couple have been using contraception, it takes some time for fertility to be restored. With most common methods of contraception such as condoms, oral contraceptive pills or a copper-T, fertility is restored soon after the method is discontinued. However, if a long-acting depot preparation such as a contraceptive injection has been used then it may take longer.
Do we need to see a doctor?
Most of you already know the importance of pre-conceptional counselling. Pre-conceptional counselling is usually the first visit to the health-care giver for both a good chat as well as a physical examination. The doctor discusses the couple s medical history to confirm if both parents, especially the mother-to-be, are in good health. During the initial conversation, the doctor will inquire about the menstrual history of the woman. If the couple have already had a child/children or miscarriages, the doctor will review this history. After the interview, the woman will be given a general and gynaecological health check-up.
Here are some tests you ll need to do: Blood tests to confirm that the mother-to-be s systems are up and running A routine urine test An ultrasonography Rubella IgG status. If the woman tests negative, she will need vaccination. Women with abnormal sugars (diabetes) are at greater risk of giving birth to a baby with a cardiac or a neural-tube defect-spina bifida-and defects of the brain. Thus, it is important to check the mother-to-be s sugar status and correct any abnormality before attempting a pregnancy.
Breathlessness and the tendency to get easily fatigued are commonly seen in women with anaemia (less oxygen-carrying haemoglobin in the red blood cells). Palpitations will also alert the physician to check for low haemoglobin or a heart problem. Deficiency of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is more common in women than men and can lead to tiredness, excessive weight gain and an inability to tolerate cold.

Keep in mind

The pelvic ultrasonogram can be a double-edged sword. While a normal ultrasonogram is reassuring, an abnormal finding, though often innocuous, can send couples into a tizzy. The commonest example is a fibroid. Fibroids are seen in many women and are not necessarily dangerous. They should be medically or surgically managed only if they are thought to pose a reasonable threat to conception and pregnancy.
How do I prepare my body?
De-stress
Modern life is stressful and irregular hours are not exactly conducive to conception. The long working hours and inevitably long commute can successfully kill the drive of even the most ardent couples. Before attempting a pregnancy, you should work on reducing your stress levels as much as possible. Regular exercise is an excellent way of beating stress. Group workouts might be the answer for some, while others may prefer a more solitary routine. A brisk morning walk for 30-45 minutes can work wonders. Yoga and meditation are also great stress-busters.
Spring clean your bad habits
Addictions come in various forms. Alcohol, nicotine, drugs and, to a lesser extent, even caffeine are dangerous for a woman desiring to conceive. Social drinking in the form of an occasional glass of wine or a peg of some other alcoholic drink will not harm a baby but regular tippling is a big no-no. While occasional nicotine use is not harmful, regular consumption is definitely going to affect your baby s growth. A dangerous form of nicotine consumption that often goes unrecognized is passive smoking. So, when the doctor recommends cessation of smoking, it applies to the whole family and, if you can help it, even at the workplace.
Party drugs are another group of substances that are unquestionably dangerous for a pregnancy. If you have been using drugs, you need to stop at least 2-3 months prior to attempting a pregnancy.
Take folic acid
Today, it is universally recommended that a woman should consume folic acid-the suggested dose is 0.4 mg daily-for at least 2-3 months prior to conceiving as it ensures a 70 per cent reduction in birth defects. Taking methyl cyanocobalamin along with folic acid also helps with the same. Women who have already given birth to a baby with a birth defect should take 4 mg of folic acid every day. In Western countries, food items such as breakfast cereals are routinely fortified with folic acid but the same does not hold true in India and so most women have to consciously remember to take folic acid separately.
Will my age be a problem?
Many women today, especially working women, delay childbearing till they are well into their thirties and sometimes even beyond that time. In many instances, such women suffer from high blood pressure or have abnormal sugars even before they conceive. These can adversely affect conception and the baby and thus need to be addressed prior to attempting a pregnancy. Moreover, hypertension and diabetes worsen during pregnancy, and, in older mothers, result in a higher incidence of complications in labour and other problems. Older women are also at greater risk of miscarrying and having smaller babies. Caesarean deliveries are also more frequent.
Being an older mother also increases the chance of the baby being born with Down s Syndrome (characterized by low IQ and particular facial characteristics such as a depressed bridge of the nose and eyelids which have a distinctive epicanthal fold and palms with a single crease termed Simian crease). Double, Triple and Quadruple Marker tests are done at various times during the pregnancy to determine whether the woman is at risk of delivering such a baby. If one needs a definitive diagnosis, then the pregnancy tissues such as the amniotic fluid (the water around the baby) or a bit of the future placenta (the circular piece of tissue that connects mother to baby via the umbilical cord) can also be extracted and sent for testing.
But even with the best care, there is a 2-3 per cent chance of the baby having some anomaly which may not necessarily be detected prior to delivery. The only real proof of normalcy is when the baby actually starts growing up and doing well.
If a woman understands all the consequences of a late pregnancy and still opts to have a baby, she deserves the complete support of her family and caregivers.

Keep in mind

With the advent of good health-care services and the use of modern technology, the risk involved in childbirth has significantly decreased. But even today things can sometimes go drastically wrong whether you are an older parent or not. Sometimes modern couples expect foolproof results but, I am afraid, there is no such thing. And before you embark on this journey, you must acknowledge this.
Why is my partner not more excited?
Pregnancy can create a maelstrom