Introduction
Just like every good thing in the world, child birth comes with its set of responsibilities too. Rather, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is one of the biggest responsibilities females have to face in their life. You feel so responsible that you start feeling that you simply cannot afford to go wrong anywhere.
The vitamins have to be taken on time, the food has to be nutritious enough, the doctor/midwife visits have to be done on time and while all of this, you are dealing with your hormonal upheavals too. Now, we know how much you are struggling with managing all of it and so we thought that we’d create a small document for you to refer to!
While our app will do it way better than this doc, let us give you a brief on what your prenatal care plan would look like.
Prenatal care plan
The good thing for all of us living in the UK is that we have a state sponsored midwife who shall be checking on us regularly. Some of the major care provisions under this would include:
- 2 pregnancy ultrasounds between 8 to 14 weeks and between 18 to 21 weeks
- There will be dedicated antenatal screening tests in your prenatal care plan to ensure that your baby doesn’t have any conditions like Down’s Syndrome or deteriorated mental health in general.
- Blood tests will also be done to check for syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis B
- Screening for sickle cell anaemia and Thalassaemia shall also be included in your prenatal care plan
- There is also a possibility of antenatal classes, and breastfeeding workshops to be included in your antenatal care plan.
Parallely, your midwife/doctor shall also:
- Keep a check on your and the baby’s health
- Provide you with information to assist with a healthy pregnancy which would include sharing a diet and exercise chart with you
- Discuss the options and choices for labour
- Address any of the queries that you could possibly have.
And yes, in case you aren’t as comfortable with speaking in English, make sure that your midwife knows it. Do not, even for a second hesitate in putting your requirements across!
Why Prenatal Care though?
The one liner for this is- because you want a healthy baby and a happy you!
But, just in case you want some extra convincing, here are a few science facts. As per a recent research by the John Hopkins’ University School of Medicine, mothers who receive adequate prenatal care have a 97% reduced risk of giving birth prematurely or having babies with some deformity. In addition to these, the babies thus born have lower risk of low birth weight, have stronger build and immune systems and hence have significantly reduced risk of infant mortality too.
In all honesty, prenatal care isn’t a complex ask yet reaps wonderful rewards.. It is a very routine procedure that you have to stick to. We understand that the initial trimesters are a big messy affair, however, prenatal care matters more in them too. These months are the foundation stone of how seamlessly your pregnancy would go. Thus, it makes absolute sense to be extra cautious.
Let us give you an example.
Food cravings are common in pregnancy. We are sure that you must be experiencing a lot of them too. Also, your friends and family must have told you that you need to take at least 300 to 500 calories extra per day to ensure a healthy child. Now, you may feel that those extra burgers and that additional scoop of ice cream would do the trick.
But then, would it? We don’t think that you want to end up with additional fat and of course an unhealthy and obese baby. So, your cravings need to be satiated in a way that they turn up to be healthy for you as well the munchkin on the way and this is where a good prenatal care plan comes into play.
Some Parting Thoughts
You see, we care about you! You are such a brave and beautiful mommy-to-be that we cannot help being extra caring towards you and hence, while you will be sticking to your prenatal care plan, here are a few flashes of suggestions for you.
- Increase your folic acid intake to at least 400mcg per day.
- Maintain a healthy weight and please stick to the prescribed limits
- Stay away from drugs, smoking, and alcohol.
- In case you are feeling too stressed or anxious- talk it out with other moms or even your midwife/doctor- just don’t keep it to yourself.
PS: Nurturey’s PinkBook, as one of the finest maternity applications, provides the same intuitiveness and creativity to its pregnant consumers. Whether it’s scheduling an appointment with a GP surgery-linked midwife, receiving reminders of upcoming scans and tests, promoting a kick counter tool to monitor baby’s movements, or receiving trusted advice directly from the NHS, the PinkBook seamlessly assists women as they navigate their pregnancy adventure.
