Antenatal Care

Antenatal Care

Antenatal Care helps decrease risks during pregnancy and increases the chance of a safe and healthy delivery. Regular prenatal visits can help your doctor monitor your pregnancy and identify any problems or complications before they become serious.Babies born to mothers who lack prenatal care have triple the chance of being born at a low birth weight. Newborns with low birth weight are five times more likely to die than those whose mothers received prenatal care.Prenatal care ideally starts at least three months before you begin trying to conceive.

Antenatal Care and Assessment has been a revelation ensuring that a woman enjoys a safe and healthy pregnancy sans any complications. There are regular health check-ups, diagnostic and screening tests and prenatal counseling for the pregnant women and their families. The initiatives have been truly noteworthy, bringing about a significant reduction in the incidences of miscarriages and other pregnancy-related complications.

Some healthy habits to follow during this period include:

• quitting smoking and drinking alcohol
• taking folic acid supplements daily (400 to 800 micrograms)
• talking to your doctor about your medical conditions, dietary supplements, and any over-the-counter or prescription drugs that you take
• avoiding all contact with toxic substances and chemicals at home or work that could be harmful

Postpartum Care

While most attention to pregnancy care focuses on the nine months of pregnancy, postpartum care is important, too. The postpartum period lasts six to eight weeks, beginning right after the baby is born.During this period, the mother goes through many physical and emotional changes while learning to care for her newborn.

Postpartum care involves getting proper rest, nutrition, and vaginal care.

Getting Enough Rest

Rest is crucial for new mothers who need to rebuild their strength. To avoid getting too tired as a new mother, you may need to:
Sleep when your baby sleeps
Keep your bed near your baby’s crib to make night feedings easier
Allow someone else to feed the baby with a bottle while you sleep
Eating Right

Getting proper nutrition in the postpartum period is crucial because of the changes your body goes through during pregnancy and labor.The weight that you gained during pregnancy helps make sure you have enough nutrition for breast-feeding. However, you need to continue to eat a healthy diet after delivery.Experts-Best Gynaecologist in Rohini recommend that breast-feeding mothers eat when they feel hungry.

Make a special effort to focus on eating when you are actually hungry — not just busy or tired.

• Avoid high-fat snacks
• Focus on eating low-fat foods that balance protein, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Vaginal Care
• New mothers should make vaginal care an essential part of their postpartum care. You may experience:
• Vaginal soreness f you had a tear during delivery
• Urination problems like pain or a frequent urge to urinate
• Discharge, including small blood clots
• Contractions during the first few days after delivery

Schedule a checkup with your doctor about six weeks after delivery to discuss symptoms and receive proper treatment. You should abstain from sexual intercourse for four to Six weeks after delivery so that your vagina has proper time to heal.