7 most common mistakes made during pregnancy and antenatal care
Pregnancy is the time when a woman experiences the most joy, excitement, nervousness and trepidation all rolled into one. While you would walk the path ahead cautiously and carefully and act meticulously on all the advice given to you, even with the best of knowledge and your honest efforts, you could make mistakes, albeit unknowingly.
Most common mistakes made by mothers how to avoid them
- You start eating for two– Women who are smart and have done their homework well while planning their pregnancy know that this is a myth. But eating for two is still the most common of all the mistakes that a pregnant woman makes. Now imagine this: Your daily calorie requirement is roughly between 1800 to 2000 calories. Do you really think that a tiny foetus growing inside you would need those many daily calories to grow and develop? The answer is no. What your baby needs is the correct nutrition. Unnecessarily piling up your plate with all the food that comes your way is not going to do you or your baby any good. The rule of thumb here is that you need only 300 calories more than your normal calorie intake. Remember gaining excess weight during pregnancy can put you at the risk of conditions like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and could necessitate you to have a C-section during your delivery. It can also lead to various other health problems postpartum.
How to avoid-
If you have been eating your heart out all this while citing pregnancy as an excuse, check your diet immediately. Remove all the excess food that your mother, sister or friend has advised you to eat and instead stick to three portions of fruits, stock on greens and raw vegetables and bank on nuts and eggs for the right kind of proteins. Go slow on sea foods, even if you are tempted. Sea foods can lead to certain infections in the stomach during your pregnancy that could lead to complications in your baby growth. The idea is to have six small balanced meals throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated. Keeping hunger pangs at bay by eating right will help you restrict your diet to only what is absolutely necessary and check your cravings.
- You try to self medicate– Did you know that you are supposed to refrain from using antacids, paracetamol or even acne creams once you are pregnant? If not, then here’s what you need to know. Self medication can have adverse effects on your pregnancy. Also many beauty treatments can be harmful to the foetus. Using over the counter medications, self medicating or undergoing harsh beauty treatments could lead to congenital abnormalities in your baby. Many women also give their prenatal vitamins and iron medications a miss as they, at times, aggravate morning sickness.
How to avoid
If you experience symptoms like acidity, headache or have breakouts all over your face and feel a need to attend to it, call your doctor for an appointment. Remember you cannot self medicate at any cost during your pregnancy. Only take pills that are prescribed by your doctor. If you have noticed that your prenatal vitamins and iron doses are making you feel nauseated, talk to your doctor for a change of brand. These vitamins and iron supplements are prescribed to you to meet the requirements and you can’t do without them.
- You sleep inadequately– If you think that sacrificing your sleep can help you get a work life balance, know that pregnancy is no time to play superwoman. The hormonal and physical changes that happen within your body during pregnancy demand more rest. Less sleep would in fact add to your pregnancy-fatigue. Also try and make good on all your sleep deficit, because your body will need you to be physically fit enough to go through the strains of labour and delivery. While resting and getting enough shut eye is a must, exercising is also of immense importance in order for your body to prepare for the arduous journey of being in labour.
How to avoid
If you have been sleeping for less than five or six hours in a day, it’s time you sleep more. Try by going to bed an hour earlier and waking up an hour later. To fix things on the home front, hire a maid or ask your family to chip in and help. Check if your employer will allow you to take a power nap during your breaks. If not, then don’t miss out on naps during the weekends. The key is to find a balance between resting enough and oversleeping. Oversleeping tends to make your body crave more sleep. This can spell trouble, post delivery, when your baby has erratic sleep cycles and your body yearns for more sleep. Sleep deprivation post delivery can lead to postpartum depression and hinder the all important mother-baby bonding. So sleep well during your pregnancy and know that oversleeping is not recommended.
- You give up on comfort foods altogether– If you have a sweet tooth it’s a good practice to limit your sweet intake a little after the second trimester, a time when you will start craving for your comfort foods. Putting a check on your sweet intake will help you prevent the chances of suffering from gestational diabetes, but stressing yourself about not having a bite of your favorite sugary treat will only increase the anxiety levels in you. Which in turn can affect your baby’s well-being.
How to avoid
Craving for something sweet? Give that sweet a miss and reach out for a bar of chocolate or a piece of sweet meat instead, but remember to do it in moderation. The same would be applicable for spicy and fried foods too. If you are not sure that you can stop at one chocolate or few fries, ask your husband, mother or a friend to sit with you and monitor your intake. Stop when they signal you. Cheating is not going to harm others but you.
- You think daily wear and tear can substitute exercise– The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are known to everybody. But few will actually try to reap its benefits. If you are a ‘non-exerciser’ you will tend to find excuses to sit back and relax. Most women would say that their daily commute, taking the stairs in their office and residence or doing the usual household chores constitutes enough exercises to burn those extra calories. But not exercising during pregnancy can harm your body like no other. Exercise helps to combat stress hormones, boosts circulation, prepares the body for labour and delivery and helps in foetal growth and development. Remember daily wear and tear is no substitute for exercise.
How to avoid
It is wise to start exercising from the initial days of your pregnancy. If you are a beginner, discuss your plan with your doctor and how you should go about it. If you have already started hitting the gym, have a detailed discussion with your trainer on how you can alter your regimen to suit your special needs. Remember not to do anything drastic or take up any new challenges during your pregnancy. Most importantly avoid putting any pressure on your core (stomach muscles). If you are well into your pregnancy and have not exercised enough, start to make time for it. Take walks after dinner or in the morning and slowly graduate to pregnancy yoga, but get yourself a coach or practitioner to help you stay on the right track.
- You chose a hospital and a doctor without much research– If you are visiting your doctor and have made arrangements at a hospital because your friend or sister has had a great experience there, you are probably not making the right decision. Pregnancy is a time when you need special care, that is specific to you; what worked for others might not be what you need.
Here are some things to consider, ask yourself what kind of birth you prefer and if your doctor and the hospital has the means to support your decision. Birthing is a personal emotional experience and you wouldn’t want it to be ruined by not expressing your desires. Read up on the various types of birthing and choose what you would prefer for yourself. If it is hypnobirthing or water births that you prefer, check if your hospital can help you with one. If not you surely should look elsewhere.
How to avoid
Write a neat and clear birth plan on what you need and how to meet the criterion. Even if you are in your last trimester, just don’t give up hope. Ask yourself if you are comfortable with your doctor, if you feel at ease at the hospital or if your questions about birthing and delivery have been answered appropriately by the hospital staff. At HMC, we understand and value the importance of every step of antenatal care for the mother as well as the baby. Our highly trained doctors and hospital staff are empathetic towards the needs of the mother-to-be and the baby and provide emotional and technical support in every way possible to maintain physical and mental health.
- You think antenatal classes are a waste of time– Everybody told you there is nothing to be learnt from your antenatal class, and you will learn more about pregnancy experiencing it on your own. But ask yourself, ‘Do you know enough about postnatal care?’ ‘How to breastfeed right?’ ‘What to eat to lactate well?’ ‘What exercises should you do during pregnancy?’ ‘How to manage labour?’. Sure there will be family to help you. But there is no harm if you want to do it on your own and here is where antenatal classes come in handy. Antenatal classes will give you all the information you might on pregnancy and childcare and prepare you for the onslaught of delivery.
How to avoid
Pick up a class during your first trimester when things are still in the nascent stage. In this way you will have a lot of time to learn and do the right things for you and your baby. If you have missed out then look for a crash course in an antenatal program. You sure won’t be disappointed.
Apart from these, our doctors advise other essential “do’s” that expecting mothers must keep in mind for a healthy baby and mother and to sail comfortably through all trimesters.
Do take folic acid and vitamin D
Folic acid reduces your baby’s risk of neural tube defects to almost nil. It is ideal to start taking it three months before conception but if it’s too late for that, don’t worry but start taking the recommended daily amount now and continue taking it until the end of the first trimester (week 12 of your pregnancy).
Vitamin D helps your baby develop healthy bones, teeth and muscles. It helps to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in your body. You need these to keep your bones and teeth healthy.
Taking a daily vitamin D supplement is even more important if you are at risk of vitamin D deficiency:
- if you have darker skin
- if you get less sunlight, for example you stay inside a lot, or if you usually cover your skin for cultural reasons.
These two supplements are the only ones you need in pregnancy unless your doctor or midwife diagnoses a deficiency, such as iron deficiency.
Do monitor your baby’s movements
Your baby’s movements are a sign that they are well. Start monitoring movements at around week 24 and if you notice a reduction in movement seek help immediately.
Do be aware of these symptoms
There are some symptoms that should always be checked with a doctor as they could be a sign that the baby is unwell.
- Bleeding from the vagina
- Painful urination
- Sudden, sharp or continuing abdominal pain or cramps
- Persistent or severe headache
- Swelling in face, hands or legs
- Blurred vision, spots in front of eyes
- Itching, especially on hands or feet
- Baby’s movements slowing down or changing
- Excessive or smelly vaginal discharge or if you think your waters have broken
You should also contact your doctor if you feel that something is wrong with you or the baby, even if you don’t know exactly what it is. It’s important to trust your instincts in pregnancy.
Our internationally trained and experienced doctors at the department of gynecology at HMC provide counseling and care for planning pregnancy- including pre-pregnancy ultrasounds and laboratory tests, comprehensive care for normal and high risk pregnancies (gestational diabetes, hypertension, history of multiple miscarriages), options for normal deliveries and cesarean sections and a host of other facilities to choose from, depending on your comfort.
To know further or book an appointment, you can visit us at- https://www.hmcmedicalcenter.com/services/gynecology/
