Understand What Pregnancy Care and Delivery

Involves

There are millions of women giving birth each year. About one-third of these develop some
type of complication related to their pregnancy. Any woman that doesnt receive prenatal care
properly can be at risk of these complications. Especially if its not detected early and treated.
This may cause potential consequences that can be serious for a mother, as well as the baby.

Prenatal care is very important and women should start with it early in their pregnancy. Thus,
ensuring a better health for baby and mother. It usually consists of healthcare before birth, plus
after birth. For mothers that are pregnant, it may include training and treatments to make sure
mother and baby will be healthy during pregnancy, labor, as well as the delivery and after.

Prenatal care
This helps to decrease any risks while you are pregnant while also increasing the chances of
having a healthy and safe delivery. With regular doctors visits, they can monitor the pregnancy
and will be able to identify any complications or problems before it develops into a serious
condition.

Without proper prenatal care, babies are at a higher risk of being born with a birth weight that is
low. Typically, low birth weight can lead to death. This risk is found to be about 5 times higher
as among babies of mothers that received care. Care should ideally begin about 3 months prior
to trying or to falling pregnant.

Habits that are healthy must be followed within the period, such as:
Avoid making contact with any toxic chemicals and substances at work or home which might
be harmful.

Discuss medical conditions with the doctor. These are like prescription or over-the-counter
drugs, and dietary supplements you may be using.

Its important to take a daily supplement of folic acid between four and eight hundred
micrograms.

Yet, the most important is to quit drinking alcohol and smoking.

What to do while you are pregnant?

During your pregnancy, its important to schedule regular appointments for healthcare through
every stage.

Visits you schedule that might involve seeing the doctor:

Monthly within your first 6 months during pregnancy.

Then every 2 weeks during the 7th and 8th months.

During the 9th month, its necessary to go once a week.

The doctor can check up on the health of you and the baby during these regular visits.

Your visits can include:

Some routine screenings and tests, like your blood type, to make sure you dont have anemia,
plus screening for HIV.

Recommend special exercises and diet if required.

Monitoring your babys heart rate and growth.

Measure how much weight you gain.

Make sure your blood pressure is fine.

With your visits later in the pregnancy, the doctor will also check on the position of your baby
and note any changes within your body while preparing to give birth.

The doctor might offer specific classes during different stages while you are pregnant:

Explain what you might experience during pregnancy.

Make sure you are prepared for giving birth.

Teach and show you the basic skills in taking care of your new baby.

Pregnancies that are generally considered as a high risk may be due to health conditions or a
womans age. If so, this can require visits more frequently along with specific care. In this case,
it might even be necessary for you to consult with a doctor that specialized in high-risk
pregnancies.

After birth care

Although care during pregnancy is mostly focused on the 9 months, the afterbirth care is also
very important. This care can last for a period of 6 -8 weeks, starting directly after the birth of
your baby.

During these weeks of aftercare, you may experience a lot of emotional and physical changes.
Plus, you need to take care of your new baby.

About resting properly

Its crucial that you rest properly, in order to build up your energy and strength. While making
sure you wont get overtired, its important to do the following:

Allow another person to bottle feed your baby if you need to get some sleep.

The crib of your baby must be close to your own bed, it will be easier for feedings at night.

Its also important to sleep at times when the baby sleeps.

Ensure that you eat right

Due to changes in your body during the nine months of being pregnant and your labor, its
important in the period after birth to consume proper nutrition.
Because of weight, you gain while you are pregnant, you will produce sufficient nutrition that is
needed to breastfeed. However, its important to keep it up after your baby is born with a diet
that is healthy.

The experts customarily recommend that when you breastfeed to eat anytime you might feel
hungry. You should focus eating just if you really are hungry and not only when you are tired or
busy.

Drink sufficient fluids.

Focus to eat foods low in fat that can balance your body such as protein, vegetables, fruits, plus
carbohydrates.

Avoid any snacks high in fat.

Take care of your body

After birth care of your body is essential, as you might experience the following:

When your baby is born, you could experience some contractions for a few days still.

Discharges from the vagina can include some blood clots that is small.

Problems with urination, such as an urge to frequently urinate or pain.

During your delivery, if you tear or had to be cut, you can experience soreness or pain for some
days afterward.

Checkups should be scheduled within 6 weeks after your baby was born. If you have any
symptoms, they need to be discussed to ensure you receive proper treatment. Withhold from
intercourse for between 4 6 weeks to provide time for your body to heal.