Pregnancy is a joyous time but it does bring with it a need for extra care. Maternity care is just one side of pregnancy care. There’s a lot more that women should take care of when they find out that they’re pregnant. We’ll discuss a few important aspects of early stage pregnancy in this blog.
Psychological and emotional care for pregnant women
Hormonal changes in women’s bodies during pregnancy can bring a lot of mental and emotional behavior changes. Mood swings are just a small part of it. Pregnant women might also feel other emotions such as fear, stress, worry, etc.:
Anxiety: in addition to the mental and emotional signs caused by hormonal changes, pregnant women might also experience anxiety – fear and worry over things. If taking stress and worrying is a natural nature of the pregnant woman, the chances of anxiety are more. Worry could stem from a lot of things such as worry about whether or not your pregnancy will be smooth, whether you’ll be a good mother, whether the baby will be okay, financial worries, work-related fears, among others.
Depression: feeling low, irritable and sad are common feelings during the first few weeks and months of pregnancy. The reason for depression could be internal – related to things going on inside the woman’s body or external. E.g., if a woman is not happy about being pregnant, if there are other worries related to finances, family, or work, etc.
Stress and other issues: some pregnant women have panic attacks, some have eating disorders, some feel anger, and some even have more serious mental issues such as bipolar disorder.
They may need the following care and help:
- Prescription medicine recommended by their gynecologist or doctor.
- Consult a therapist, talk to experts, friends and family members about their feelings.
- Engage in other activities such as yoga, regular exercises, special pregnancy exercises, meditation, and more.
Regular medical checkups from the start of pregnancy
Early maternity checkup and medical care helps mothers-to-be and their babies have a smooth pregnancy. Here are some checks and tests that your doctor/gynecologist may recommend:
On your first visit
- The doctors will conduct checks to confirm if you are pregnant.
- They will then ascertain how many weeks pregnant you are and then ascertain your due date.
- An ultrasound might be one of the processes.
- Patients must ask their gynecologist about Rh factor and incompatibility. It’s a situation where the mother’s and the baby’s blood group do not match. If the woman is Rh negative during the first pregnancy, it may affect her second pregnancy if treatment is not given during the first pregnancy.
- The doctor will check your height, weight, and blood pressure.
- Blood tests to check for conditions such as anemia, immunity, hepatitis B, HIV, etc.
- Urine test to check urinary tract infections if any.
- Cervical screening.
- Vitamin deficiencies.
During the following few weeks
- Tests to check blood pressure.
- Measurement of the abdominal girth and abdominal palpation to check the baby’s growth.
- Ultrasound to check the baby’s physical growth and development.
- Doctors also check for weight gain, swelling in the feet.
To discover a pregnancy is a moment of happiness for most women. These moments are full of questions, especially if it’s a first pregnancy. Whether you are a first-time mother-to-be or have had children before, it’s important to seek maternity care early. Consult your gynecologist and ask them questions so you and your baby can have a healthy delivery.