A very important part of family and pregnancy planning is prenatal care. This stage during your pregnancy is the time when you must take special care of yourself so you and the baby remain healthy. This includes regular visits to your doctor. The doctor will perform physical exams and will also prescribe certain tests to monitor the baby’s health regularly.
Medical care during pregnancy
It is of utmost importance to visit your doctor regularly during pregnancy. This will ensure that you will always be aware of the baby’s progress as well as your health. You will also have the chance to ask the doctor regarding any doubts you may have. The doctor can educate you better about pregnancy, which is the first step towards taking care of your health. During your first visit to the doctor, a physical test will be done to determine if there are any risk factors that may affect your pregnancy. The doctor will also give you an idea about the delivery date.
They will ask you about your medical history and any medicine that you may be taking. The medical history of your family members will also be checked. This is because your family and pregnancy are related. Your family’s medical history or a particular illness within your family can affect the newborn too. During the first physical exam, the doctor will check your weight and blood pressure, lungs, heart, and breasts. They will also conduct pelvic exams. Certain medical tests will be performed too. These include complete blood count (CBC), RPR, rubella, HBsAg, urinalysis, and HIV screening. These tests will determine if you have any medical conditions like anemia, syphilis, hepatitis B, bladder infections, kidney disease, or anything else. Treatment steps will be taken based on the test results.
What you can do at home
To ensure a healthy family and pregnancy, only medical care is not enough. You will have to make some lifestyle changes at home as well. The fetus can be affected by your habits like drinking, smoking, or substance abuse. Hence, you will need to stop these the moment you become pregnant. Certain medicines can be harmful to the baby. Your doctor will tell you which ones you should stop taking. Another thing that you must do is to adapt to a healthy diet. Both your baby and you will require all the nutrients to remain healthy and develop properly.
You must also regularly exercise to ensure that your baby and you are in the best of health. There are certain physical activities that are more effective during pregnancy. However, it is vital that you don’t go overboard with these exercises. Following the instructions of your doctor is very important.
Lastly, any vitamins in high doses and specific herbal supplements can be harmful to the fetus. Make sure to avoid them completely, along with medicines with harmful side-effects, cleaning agents, and pesticides. Only by following these instructions carefully and listening to your doctor, you can make sure that your baby’s health is not compromised.
