Pregnancy is a thing of joy especially when your doctor has confirmed you are pregnant. There is this inner and unending joy you will have after realizing you are pregnant. For me, it’s one of the best moments I have had with my patients. The excitement gives me a feeling of fulfillment as a medical practitioner.
But then, for the expecting mother, it is rather a period of preparation to welcome a new baby into the family that makes both parents feel real good. This is the expectation of every home as some married women who are not yet pregnant feel incomplete.
Before you can take care of your unborn child, you need to first take care of yourself.
The 40 tips to help you prepare to welcome your unborn child:
- Eat enough variety of healthy food. In the quest to eat good foods, avoid too much weight at this time because too much weight during pregnancy may increase the chances of developing gestation diabetes and high blood pressure. But gaining a healthy weight becomes easier for your delivery.
- Get enough rest! Naturally, pregnant women tend to sleep often. Do not struggle with nature, always have a good nap when you feel like it.
- Avoid hard work like lifting and carrying heavy loads during this period.
- Quit smoking and alcohol. It’s possible! Smoking and alcohol are harmful to pregnant women. It puts your health and that of your unborn child at risk by smoking or living in an environment where others smoke, drink alcohol, or use hard drugs. If a pregnant woman smokes, her child is likely to have a low birth weight, have poor brain development, and also more likely to have coughs, colds, croup, pneumonia, or breathing problems.
- Ask your doctor about the medicine to take. Some medicine is not good for you. They may be harmful to you or your unborn child.
- See your doctor often. Everybody including expecting mothers has the right to health care. With every pregnancy, there is a risk that something may go wrong. It is difficult to know when these problems will come.
- A pregnant woman needs to be checked by skilled health workers at a healthcare center or clinic at least 8 times during every pregnancy.
- Check your blood pressure, blood sugar level, blood level, and urinalysis test.
- Educate yourself on breastfeeding
- Avoid chemicals that may harm your unborn child. Find out if there are dangerous chemicals around your home, neighborhood, and workplace that can harm your unborn child.
- Brush your teeth daily
- Drink a lot of water
- Talk to your doctor if you are HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and C positive.
- Avoid violence, especially beating a woman during pregnancy is very dangerous.
- Do not skip your medication
Risk Factors Before, During, and After Pregnancy.
Factors for concern before pregnancy:
16. An interval of fewer than two years after an earlier birth before you take in another.
17. When a girl is under 18 or a woman is over 40 years.
18. Previous experience of premature birth
19. Previous experience or Caesarean birth or a ruptured uterus.
20. Previous miscarriage or stillbirth.
21. When the woman weighs less than 38kg
22. The woman has other medical conditions e.g sickle cell anemia diseases, diabetes, hypertension, HIV, etc.
Factors for concern during pregnancy:
23. Failure to gain weight (at least 6kilograms should be gained during pregnancy)
24. Anemia
25. Breathlessness
26. Unusual swelling of legs or face
27. The fetus (baby in the womb) moves very little or not at all
28. Spotting or bleeding from the vagina
29. Severe headache or abdominal pain
30. Severe or persistent vomiting
31. High fever
32. Convulsion
33. Loss of consciousness
34. Prolonged labor (longer than 12 hours)
35. Lower abdominal pain
Factors for concern after pregnancy/delivery:
36. Profuse or persistent bleeding after delivery
37. Infections
38. Cardiovascular diseases
39. Anesthesia complications
40. Placenta complications
