Prenatal Care – Looking After Mum and Baby

If you are a happy mother to be, there are some things you need to know about the baby and yourself, so that you can enjoy a healthy pregnancy experience. A mother goes through a lot of physical and emotional changes throughout her pregnancy, which if not handled in the right way, may affect her health and the health of the baby as well.

Whether you are a pregnant woman or a caring husband who wants the best for his wife and unborn child, you need to take care of the mother and the baby, throughout the pregnancy in order to prevent any health issues, weakness, birth defects or problems. The following includes some important steps an expectant mother and a supportive father-to-be need to follow, to ensure optimal pregnancy care.

Prenatal Care for the Mother and the Child

This is the most important time to take great care of the mother and the child. Proper prenatal care ensures a decreased risk of any issues during pregnancy, and a safe delivery for both the baby and the mother.

It is important to make sure that a pregnant woman makes regular visits to the doctor, so that the pregnancy is monitored and the doctor is able to identify any serious problems or complications in the initial stages of the pregnancy.

Studies conducted and statistics released by the United States department of Health and Human Services, relate that babies born to women who didn’t have access to prenatal care, had three times more chances of facing the problem of low birth weight.

If you are a mother or are caring for an expectant mother, it is important to note that prenatal care starts around 3 months before one even starts to conceive. Some of the healthy habits an expectant mother needs to adopt when pregnant include,

Avoid any contact with chemical and toxic substances, both at home and work
Quit alcohol and smoking
Take folic acid supplements
Consult doctor about any existing medical conditions and ask about using any supplements and over the counter prescription drugs

Taking care of the baby and the mother with expert prenatal care is critically important to the health and safety of both.

Expert Care during Pregnancy

Once a woman becomes pregnant, it is essential for her to regularly visit a doctor. It is advisable to visit a physician, midwife or gynecologist, who will schedule regular appointments to monitor the health and safety of the mother and the baby, in each stage of the pregnancy process.

As an expecting mother you will need to visit the doctor regularly and schedule your visits. The following visits should be noted as standard for every expectant mum;

Every month within the first 6 months of your pregnancy
Every two weeks in the 7^th and the 8^th months of your pregnancy
And every week within the most important 9^th month of your pregnancy.

These regular visits are vital to the health of the mother and the baby. During your visits, the doctor might,

Measure your gained weight
Talk about adopting a special balanced diet and simple exercise routine
Monitor your blood pressure
Take regular tests and routine screenings, which might include blood test for anemia, blood type and anemia
Monitor the growth of the baby and the heart rate

Most of the tests in the later stage of your pregnancy will include checking the position of the baby and noting any and all changes in the body of the expectant mother, as she prepares to give birth.

It is quite common for doctors to advise certain classes to expectant mothers, at different stages of their pregnancy. Expectant mothers might be advised to attend classes, where they will discuss and prepare for,

What to expect when they are pregnant
Prepare how to give birth
Learning all basic skills about caring for the newborn

If your health or age puts you at a high risk during pregnancy, it is advisable to opt for special care and more frequent visits to the doctor. In high risk cases, expecting mothers should consult doctors who specialize in working with high risk pregnancy cases.

Postnatal Care for the Mother and the Newborn

While you need to take special care of the mother and the baby during the prenatal and pregnancy period, the afterbirth care is also very important.

The postnatal phase is also a critical segment of the care regime for the baby and the mother. Besides the nine months of the pregnancy, it is important to take extreme care during the postnatal period as well, which starts right after a mother gives birth to her child.

The postnatal period lasts for around 6 to 8 weeks and during this time, the mother experiences a lot of emotional and physical changes, as she learns to take care of her new baby. Postnatal care includes getting a lot of rest, proper nutrition and adequate vaginal care.

Get Enough Rest

It is important for new mothers to get proper sleep, so that they can rebuild the strength to take care of their child. Make sure that the new mother doesn’t get too tired, and take care that she sleeps with the baby, has the baby cot near to her for easy night feedings, and takes some rest while someone else feeds the baby with the bottle.

Take Proper Nutrition

The body goes through a lot of changes. For this reason it is important for new mothers to take care of their diet. Doctors advise mothers to eat whenever they feel hungry, and drink plenty of fluids, avoid fatty snacks and take a balanced nutritional diet.

Vaginal Care after Birth

Vaginal care is essential for new mothers. They may experience,

Vaginal soreness
Discharge of blood clots
Urination problems, and,
Painful contractions

It is important that a new mother makes a visit to the doctor six weeks after delivery. Regular visits to the doctor during the pregnancy are critically important. If you need any advice or wish to discuss any childcare solutions, Nanny Options offers its extensive services to help you get through this phase of your life.