Pregnancy is a long process for women that endures for nine months with many changes for the body to undergo. While some of this invariably benefits the baby, others can create complications that potentially risk the baby and the mom’s life. This is a reason early pregnancy care is critical.
This involves mom seeking obstetric consult or care provided by a professional throughout the pregnancy with either a doctor or midwife specializing in pregnancy or an obstetrician who will schedule cyclic appointments to monitor the baby’s progress.
Essential early pregnancy care in London incorporates the baby’s developmental health needs with mom’s overall physical and mental well-being. The child needs to receive adequate nutrients to grow and develop, and pregnancy is the time for mom to promote the greatest healthy behaviour.
Professionals strive to protect mom’s wellness for the child’s benefit, and they will provide in countless ways for the developing baby by educating mom and partner on how to care for the baby’s well-being. How are health goals achieved? Let’s learn about antenatal care.
Antenatal Care for Mom and Her Baby
The priority with antenatal care is ensuring that baby’s developmental needs are met, and that mom progresses healthfully and without harm.
The period from conception until birth is the opportunity for healthcare practitioners to provide an adequate education to mom and her partner for sufficient health practices for baby and mom. Visit here for guidance on the first trimester. The aims most medical providers strive for with education include the following:
- Education on adequate health practices
- Screening for health conditions that could affect fetus and mom
- Recognize possible risks and complications
- Pay attention for risks associated with past obstetrics
- Focusing on being problems to be prepared
- Setting a definitive schedule and sticking to a plan
The Fundamentals of Antenatal Care
Antenatal care is the healthcare you receive in the beginning from specialists, doctors, and midwives, all the fuss as a newly expectant mom. Sometimes, it might seem excessive, but paying attention to health and wellness as the baby begins to develop is essential.
The guidance and advice offered by the midwife community and other medical professionals are invaluable at this point in learning the adequate care and keeping of yourself and the impending arrival of your new baby.
Once your pregnancy is confirmed, the gynaecologist will arrange antenatal care. Many women have the initial and extended check-up at roughly eight weeks. The earlier these begin, the better.
Get advice on conceiving and preparing for pregnancy at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/advice-conceiving-and-preparing-pregnancy.
These should follow up once each month until approximately 28 weeks and then twice each month until the 36-week mark. With the last four weeks, antenatal classes need to be every week. Where these occur will depend on your circumstances, but it can be at home, the hospital, or the surgical centre.
- The Initial Antenatal Appointment
The first appointment will be the longest, roughly an hour in duration, with the designation as the booking appointment. This will be an informative appointment with many notes that will carry over to the remainder of the appointments.
It will consist of questions and answers to assess anything that might affect the pregnancy or the baby. Some questions posed to you will include:
- Details of the medical history of you and your partner
- Last menstruation to assess possible due date
- Whether there’s a history for twins on either side
- If there’s a history of pregnancy, including abortion or miscarriage
- History of allergies
- Medication list
- History of illness or surgeries
- How you feel concerning the pregnancy, mental health history/it’s essential not to be concerned about sharing; there is only positive support available
- You could be asked about backgrounds, careers, and living arrangements. The question is to ensure no circumstances can affect the pregnancy.
- General examination
As the mom-to-be, you will have routine heart and lung checks with consistent blood pressure monitoring. Many women endure swollen ankles as the pregnancy progresses when the day comes to an end, particularly if you stay on your feet most of the day.
If you have constant swelling of your feet and hands, consult your midwife or doctor concerning pre-eclampsia. This can develop late in pregnancy, is characterised by swelling, and is related to a rise in blood pressure.
A mild variation isn’t dangerous but should be treated to avoid progression to a more severe condition. When severe, abdominal pain can develop along with serious headaches and the potential for full eclampsia, in which seizure or convulsions are possible during or following pregnancy.
Consult your provider with any concerns to ensure consistent monitoring throughout the pregnancy.
- Internal examination
With a first visit, this won’t be likely and perhaps will only be needed maybe once with labour. Still, internal exams are possible to enable the professional to gauge the uterus size to estimate the pregnancy state.
Most prefer an ultrasound with the first and most later visits. Internal exams must be carried out with full permission before proceeding.
- Weight/height status check
Your height can roughly estimate the pelvis size. It can sometimes prove to be a challenging delivery if your pelvis is small. The delivery will likely be OK if you’re taller than 5 feet. The professionals will weigh you initially and then regularly, with some clinics checking this with each visit.
If this is the procedure, try to wear a similar outfit to keep it consistent. Most weight gain will appear after week 20 and will range at roughly 20+ pounds.
Blood/urine tests
Blood and urine tests will be required. The blood test on your first visit will assess your blood group and test for anaemia and potential diseases that could harm the fetus. Urine will be taken with each visit to test for sugar and protein.
Final Thought
After week 14, you can get the “Sonic aid” test to hear the baby’s heartbeat, and each week after the 16th, you can watch as the baby continues to grow into the little human you will eventually come to know.
