Congratulations! Your trip towards motherhood has started. When you give birth to some bonny baby, your li’l you will take priority over everything and everybody else. But for now, your focus needs to be for you: the body, your wellbeing, your well-being. To make sure your child is incorporated in the pink of health, good antenatal care is essential.
So what is antenatal care?
Antenatal care (also known as prenatal care) is a kind of preventive healthcare whose primary aim would be to monitor the healthiness of expecting mums via regular check-ups. This enables doctors to deal with and stop potential complications helping women receive an informed and comparatively stress-free pregnancy.
six to eight days pregnant? Here we are at the first trip to the obstetrician.
This is exactly what Dr. Veena Mulgaonkar Body of Mumbai’s leading obstetricians – says: “Unless you possess an alarming complaint, you shouldn’t go to your obstetrician before you are in least 6 days to your pregnancy. In all probability, your obstetrician will schedule monthly check-ups within the first couple of trimesters, fortnightly check-ups between 20 and 36 days and weekly check-ups after that.
Unwanted weight, height, pulse and bloodstream pressure is going to be monitored and through the first visit, an interior vaginal checkup is going to be conducted to ratify pregnancy. Further confirmation tests together with a pregnancy test in urine and rising B HCG levels in bloodstream will also be transported out at this time.”
Check-ups have to be thorough. Very thorough.
They are saying ‘God is incorporated in the details’. Good obstetricians always do a detailed study from the mother-to-be. Past obstetric, medical and surgical history including menstrual background and current complaints for example nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, fatigue, bleeding, genealogy and private good reputation for smoking, tobacco usage and consuming is going to be considered. This will be relevant as smoking and consuming while pregnant happen to be proven to make Cot Death. The physician may also look for indications of pitting edema (swellings because of fluid retention), jaundice and anaemia amongst other things.
Routine bloodstream / urine examinations and investigations may also be done to eliminate Diabetes, Hepatitis B and HCV and Aids infections. Double marker and quadruple marker tests may also be transported out routinely to identify abnormalities like Down’s Syndrome along with other allied ailments.
Ultrasound scans are ultra-important.
Is the baby’s heartbeat normal? Could it be searching as an ectopic pregnancy (getting pregnant in which the foetus develops outdoors the uterus)? Do you know the likelihood of a missed abortion? An ultrasound scan around eight to ten days might help invest these doubts to relax.
Around 12 days, a Nuchal scan can also be advised to eliminate neural tube defects and multiple pregnancies (in the end most moms are pleased with only Karan – there is no need of Arjun!)
At 18 to 19 days an anomaly scan is performed to eliminate hereditary abnormalities within the foetus.
The final ultrasound scan is performed at term. This shows the positioning, maturity and development of the foetus as well as reveals the quantity of amniotic fluid round the foetus – an essential element for any smooth preganancy.
In case your obstetrician feels that there’s any danger towards the foetus, a Doppler Utrasound may also be done at this time. In some instances, a non-stress test of the people can also be completed to identify early threats towards the baby’s existence.