Maternity Cases
Pre-pregnancy (before pregnancy): Counselling, investigation, and treatment for a healthy baby. In our center, special investigations are advised before conceiving or planning pregnancy. A couple is asked to take special medicines so that baby gets optimum nourishment for all-round growth and mental development. Congratulations on having positive B HCG or positive pregnancy test. It means you have conceived and having a pregnancy. Your progress and management of pregnancy will be as follows.
1) First Three Months (1st Trimester): 0 to 13 weeks
Investigations advised:
- Urine and blood report: If you miss your expected date of menses, you will be advised urine for pregnancy test or B HCG blood report. This will confirm pregnancy.
- USG (sonography): At 6 to 7 week’s first TV sonography is done to confirm the viability of pregnancy and marker of a healthy pregnancy.
- Antenatal profile– blood investigation is suggested: Blood grp, CBC, Urine examination, SGPT, S. Creatinine, blood sugar, thyroid test, blood clotting report and infection profile. Hb electrophoresis is also suggested to rule out thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Medicines advised:
In the first trimester, folic acid and pyridoxine vitamins are very important. In case of risk of abortion or high-risk cases, supportive treatment in the form of progesterone tablets and injections will be suggested. Sometimes many more medicines are needed which will be decided according to your case requires.
2) Second Three Months (2nd Trimester): 13 Weeks to 28 Weeks:
Investigations advised:
11 to 14 weeks NT scan (see sonography segment): Very important scan. To rule out anomalies and screening USG for Down’s syndrome.
Anomaly and 3 D 4 D scans (see sonography segment): Another important USG to rule out morphological abnormality of fetus. In this sonography brain, heart, lungs, limbs, kidneys and GU system, stomach and GI system, spine and many more organs are examined in detail.
Double marker did at 11 to 14 weeks and a triple marker is done between 16 to 18 weeks. Chorion biopsy and Amniocentesis: Advised in specific cases.
Medicines advised:
- Iron and folic acid for increasing and maintaining hemoglobin level and general health of mother and baby
- Calcium supplementation is especially important for better growth of fetal bone and avoiding backache problems to mother
- Protein powder with DHA: for maintaining muscle mass and for avoiding unnecessary fat deposition, DHA is considered good for better brain development of a fetus.
Don’ts:
- Tight clothes,
- Frequent and deep intercourse,
- Outside food and too much junk food,
- Long distance traveling, two-wheelers driving after 20 weeks, four wheelers driving after 28 weeks. Avoid traveling to unsafe areas and roads.
- Avoid eating too much at a single sitting, avoid fasting.
Do’s:
- Small to medium size Frequent meal (6 to 8 times), Keep chocolates & cookies with you as during pregnancy metabolism is faster and you may feel giddiness and fainting sometime,
- light slow walking,
- drink adequate water,
- keep your house and room clean, keep mosquitos away
Last Three Months (3rd Trimester): 29 Weeks to 40 Weeks:
Investigations advised: 1. Blood sugar, TSH, CBC (antenatal profile)
- Growth USG to know the growth and weight of the baby ( See sonography section)
- Color Doppler USG to know the weight, position, and presentation, amount of liquor (fluid), oxygen supply to the baby
Medicines advised: Same medicine as in the second trimester, there can be some changes according to the requirement of your case
For simple problems can I take OTC tablets
What to do if I have a fever or headache or body ache: you can take paracetamol one to three times;( medicine / calpol / stomach) before you can consult the doctor. Don’t stretch your problem too much and contact the doctor as early as possible. What to do if I have excessive sneezing and the common cold: you can take anti allergic tablet i.e Avil or cetirizine (L -do-1) and then consult a doctor.
What is premature delivery or premature labor pains?
Delivery if occurs after 24 weeks of pregnancy and before 38 weeks is called premature delivery. If it occurs between 24 to 28 weeks it is too risky. Chances of premature delivery are higher in the case of incompetent os (cervical length of less than 30 mm). If premature delivery for any reason happens in third-trimester chances of survival of baby is good. But all possible efforts have to be made to avoid premature delivery ( tocolytics medicine). All possible measures are taken to enhance maturity ( Inj. betenesol and Inj. magsulf) of a baby so it becomes easy for a neonatologist to treat the child. If premature delivery occurs baby needs to be admitted in the NICU. The number of days is decided according to the weight and maturity of the baby.
When will baby move or when will be the baby’s movement felt for the first time?
Baby’s movement is felt by 22 weeks +/-2 weeks (completion of 5 months or the beginning of 6 months) to most of the mother. If it doesn’t then the most common cause is the wrong date.