Prenatal Care During Pregnancy

When a woman becomes pregnant, she needs a lot of care and attention to avoid any complications. As such, family members, friends and doctors pour in their share of advice to the expecting woman on factors that she needs to take care of during the pregnancy or the prenatal stage. Prenatal is the period when an expecting mother prepares herself, both physically and mentally to deliver a child. The prenatal care during pregnancy holds great importance for the development, growth and health of both the unborn child and the mother. Considering prenatal care at an early stage helps tremendously in keeping both mother and child healthy. However, for those of you who think that prenatal care is only about health care, prenatal care includes education and counseling about various aspect of pregnancy like physical activity, nutrition intake, basic skills for caring the just-born baby and so on. Visiting the gynecologist regularly and discussing about your health, birth, parenthood, etc also comes under prenatal care. Find out aspects of prenatal care for healthy pregnancy in the following lines.

Prenatal Care For Healthy Pregnancy

Before Pregnancy

When a couple decides to have a baby, there are certain factors which need to be accomplished to ensure a healthy pregnancy. These factors may include some changes in the lifestyle of the couple such as shifting to a balanced diet, working out, quitting alcohol and smoking, and so on. Also, some pregnancy tests are required to determine whether the body is functioning normally without any defects or not. If there are some defects, then the pregnancy may become dangerous for both the mother and the baby. As such, these need to be sorted out before considering conceiving.

Screening

When the pregnancy is confirmed, the very first thing to do is to visit a specialist. A gynecologist will check and examine your body. This examination would include blood pressure check up, measuring the weight, and so on. After this first trip to the doctor’s clinic, visiting your doctor regularly is essential. Discuss the different aspects and problems (if any) during your pregnancy. In case of any complications, the doctor can resolve the issue. Adhere to the tips and advice given by the gynecologist during the course of pregnancy, as these would help you have a healthy pregnancy.

Vaccinations

If you are planning to get pregnant, you must ensure that you are immune to certain diseases. If not, go for vaccinations. The most common disease that can strike is rubella. If a pregnant woman catches this disease, then the fetus is at the risk of acquiring some dreadful diseases such as heart problem, deafness, etc. Rubella is also responsible for mental retardation. So, proper vaccination is required during pregnancy. Pregnant women must also undergo immunity test.

Diet

Remember, that the unborn is entirely dependent on the mother for nutrition. The prenatal nutrition completely determines the health of the baby in the womb. And thus, the diet during pregnancy has to be healthy and balanced. The diet must include vegetable, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc in abundance. A pregnant woman must always avoid having any artificial or synthetic food. Very spicy or oily food generates heat and is a great cause for indigestion. Processed food is responsible to increase the weight and may lead to more complications. Having a balanced nutritious diet and drinking plenty of water are essential for a healthy pregnancy. Adding a lot of folic acid in your diet helps in getting pregnant and enhances health during pregnancy.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle is also an important factor in defining the health of the baby. Including a special exercise routine in your lifestyle will help gaining the best of health. There are some pregnancy exercises that help to keep the woman fit and, in turn, the baby also. Including meditation session, listening to nice soothing music and reading books also help the woman to become stress-free and have a relaxed mind. Sound sleep is another requirement which must be fulfilled for a healthy pregnancy.

Other Factors

There are certain precautions which need to be take care during pregnancy such as taking the advised supplements on time (usually of iron and protein) and regularly attending the pregnancy classes. You need to stay away from substances that contain harmful chemicals like paints and pesticides.

Prenatal care during pregnancy is extremely essential to avoid any kind of complications in those crucial nine months. It ensures a healthy future for both mother and baby.