Pregnancy 0-9

I dedicate this article to all the working women in India. To all the women to have to go to office while they are expecting

Once you find out you are pregnant it is essential to understand some basic calculations as well as precautions that need to be taken by you.After the first sonography or say by the 6 weeks your doctor will give you a due date. However it is essential to understand how the time is calculated, and the stages that the baby grows in, this helps you take care of the baby and make sure to provide your body with the required strength accordingly.

Calculation

The due date = Last period date + 42 /42 weeks, expect the baby to arrive anytime at 39 - 42 week, some babies stay till 42 weeks, however the doctor will not allow the pregnancy to go beyond that .

There is another formula that most MIL and Mothers use to calculate due date, that is 9 months 9 days.

These 40/42 weeks are divided in 2 testimonies, say we call them 3 stages.

1. First Testimony - Week 1 - Week 13. ( Actually to be more precise it is Week 3 - Week 13, as an actually pregnancy starts only from Week 3 once the sperm and embryo has settled down)
2. Second Testimony - Week 14 - Week 27
3. Third Testimony - Week 27  - End of delivery (40/42 week)

• First Testimony - These weeks are all about the symptoms kicking in, Your body starts reacting and morning sickness and laziness, all these symptoms starts showing up. Every women has a different set of symptoms, however vomiting and nausea are the most common amongst all of them
• Second Testimony - Your symptoms will tone down a lot by now. These are the months where the baby grown rapidly and starts to grow all the body structure and gain the strength, In doing so the baby needs all the nutrients and vitamins. Mainly all the Calcium and Iron to grow bones and muscles. By the end of this testimony you will feel the baby kicking and moving inside you.
• Third Testimony - As these months pass you will grown in size, the world knows you as the pregnant lady by now. You are huge in size and tired all the time. Your baby is giving himself the finishing touches, and preparing to come to the world. The baby will move circles. You will hardly have space to breathe, a small walk will make you breathless, with every passing day it will become difficult to carry the little bundle of joy. It will take all your energy to do so.

Common doubts

1. How does the baby breathe and eat inside:- The baby has a corn connected to the mothers baby and itself, this cord provides the baby with everything it needs
2. How does the baby stay safe inside, how is it that the mother moving does not harm the baby:-  Baby is surrounded by water all around it, The water around the baby works as a caution of water that protect it from getting any harm due to the daily activities of the mother.
3. Why does the doctor not tell the pregnancy go beyond 42 weeks: - The cord mentioned above, is something the baby uses from week 2 onwards, and by end of  Week 42 the cord starts to rupture, and this wear and tear is not repairable. It can cause complications to have the baby stay inside longer than 42 weeks. As the cord may fail to provide for all these needs.
4. When does one feel the baby moving :- By the end of 5th month or by mid of 6th month, the mother can feel the baby moving. And it keeps getting stroger and stronger by every passing day. By the end of 6th or beginning of 7th month everyone around can feel the baby moving.
5. What is the meaning of being Induced :- When the doctor starts the contractions by putting a medcine, that is by artifical means it is called beind Induced
6. It is better to have a normal Delivery or C- Section:- C Section should be opted only in cause of complications, A normal delivery gives you chances or become a mother as offend as you like. With C section those chances reduce, Not only that in the operations that are chances of you loosing the gift of becoming mother again all together.

Diet

• First Testimony - With the morning sickness and symptoms. You probably wont feel like eating a lot, and it is okay to feel that way, there is no essential need to stuff yourself with food. If you eat too much, you would anyways end up throwing up a lot. it is though important to maintain a diet. Below are some options that your body is likely to accept

1.  Fruits
2. Light food, ( Rice and Curd, Soaps, Stew, Dal Water. .etc)
3. Milk
4. Salads
5. Lime and Pickle help your pallet feel taste and help with Nausea and vomiting. Again there is no need to stuff yourself with them.

• Second Testimony - Your baby is developing skin and features, you want to work on making a beautiful and healthy baby, eat right starting this phase and the result will make it all worth your efforts. Most of your symptoms would have toned down by now. So it is not difficult to plan a diet during this time

1. Dry Fruits ( best to have them with Milk)
2. Vegetables (Potatoes, Leafy vegetables, its essential to eat what your pallet is asking for, there is a good chance your body is asking for the vitamins it needs in the form of a taste bug )
3. Meat (Chicken, Stew, Soups, Fish. The oil that fish gives is a great source of vitamins for the baby's growing brain. )
4. Salads
5. Fresh Fruit Juices ( Juices work better than fruits because the excretion of fruits gets digested easily and the baby gets more nutrients as your body works less on digesting it for the baby)
6. Fruits
7. Milk ( Your intake of milk needs to increase with every testimony, Milk is an essential source for Calcium that is important for the growth of bones)

• Third Testimony -  No one has to ask you to eat anymore, you will be hungry all the time. The babies brain is developed, it has in fact started kicking and is also using energy so it needs a lot of food. Continue with the food from 2nd testimony, however the last 4 weeks (9th month) It helps to increase the intake of ghee, as it helps during delivery. Ghee is hot. So just about 2 spoons a day should be enough.

Note: The baby gets food and every nutrient that it needs from the food the mother eats, If the food failed to give anything that the baby requires it takes the same from the mothers body which after delivery causes weakness and physical deficiencies to the mother. Therefore it is important to have a healthy diet. And eat as much as you can  and n healthy proportions and preparations.

Food to avoid

1. Papaya
2. A lot of ripped Mangoes
3. A lot of dry Dates
4. Any Vegetable or fruit that is hot in nature should be avoided
5. Coffee
6. Tea
7. Caffeine in any form
8. Cold Drinks
9. Don't have a lot of dry Spices, Clove, Cinnamon etc. These are hot and should not be eaten raw
10. Smoking
11. Alcohol
12. Drugs

Precautions

1. Do not lift any thing heavy
2. Do not climb too many stairs
3. Do not wear heels
4. Do not consume alcohol or drugs
5. Do not eat papaya or fruits or vegetable that are hot in nature
6. Get adequate amount of rest, Do not over sleep. But it is important to get at least 8 hours of rest
7. Make sure you do not get any electric shocks, its best to stay away from electric appliances that may be faulty
8. Make sure you don't fall on your stomach or slip down
9. Drink a lot of water.
10. Do not travel on a two wheeler
11. Do not stand in smoking zones
12. Do not use facial bleach, do not smell harmful chemicals.
13. Do not caught cough or cold
14. Keep moving around and do not sit in one place for a very long time.
15. Travelling long distance should be avoided after 6th month
16. After the stomach starts showing up, its important to not be aggressive in your movements and move slowly.
17. Do not get up suddenly from bed, lay down for a while, turn to your left and get up
18. Trying to diet during pregnancy is not advisable.

Doctors Chart

1. Visits: After the first visit which probably would be after the 3rd or 5th week, when some symptoms create a doubt. or when you have missed a cycle. The doctor will do a basic checkup and advice on 3 test to be taken.

Blood/ Urine Routine

Sonography ( depending on how sure the Doctor is of your pregnancy)

After confirmation, The Doctor will schedule monthly visits up-to 2nd testimony and after that visit will be every 15 days until the last month. The last 4 weeks will be weekly visits.

Sonography :- There are a minimum of 3 sonographies that are taken.

• First sonography is to confirm the pregnancy and it gives the accurate detail of the LMD that gives the Doctor the details to calculate the due date
• Second is taken at the end of the 2nd testimony , actually at around the 18 or 20 weeks to check on the babies growth
• Third is taken close to the end of the third testimony to check on the status of the babies arrival

Sonography is a vibrational device which can trouble the baby, therefore a lot of sonographies are not advisable.

Medications

1. Doctor gives medications for the symptoms. Nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
2. There is a protien supplement that is taken with milk
3. Iron and calcium supplements are given for the kid. As the baby needs a lot of calcium, in case the food fails to provide the same the baby takes it from the mothers body which create gum problem and weak teeth. To avoid that supplements are given
4. A rountine of Folic acid is also taken, this is for the water around the baby. Folic acid creates that liquid.
5. Constipation and Acidity are common problems there are medicines available and prescribed for the same if need be
6. In cases where the mother gets fever or tooth ache, Half crocin or parasitmal is prescribed. however these medicines cannot be taken in greater proportions. Therefore it is essential to avoid any such situation
7. Cough and cold medicines are given along with a medicine to avoid premature contractions. Cough and cold cause the stomach to strain that in turn can cause premature contractions.
8. There are no prescribed medicines for back ache, as they would require pain killers which harm the baby. Therefore ointments should be used to heal the back pain.
9. Olive oil should be rubbed on the belly with any sign of stretch marks that are creams avilable in the market like pregnacream that help with the same

Movement of the baby

At around the end of 2nd testimony you would feel the babies movements, and in the third testimony every one can feel the baby moving

It is essential to keep a tab on the babies movements, it is the best way of knowing everything inside is okay, The baby should move at least 10 - 15 times starting the 7th month and 5-6 times in the 6th month

Exercise

Walking is the best exercise and should be continued throughout the Pregnancy. Moreover there are a lot of exercises your doctor can suggest. As it depends a lot of the individual what they can do. Its best to get suggestions from the Doctor.

MIL and Mothers suggestion on exercising

To your surprise, it is believed that washing clothes that is sitting down and washing clothes up-to 7th month is a very good exercise. Your back  moves backward and forward motion and that rubes your belly in a position to create greater chances of a normal delivery.

How do I sleep

After the 6th month one encounters great difficulties sleeping. The best way to sleep is either straight facing the ceiling or turning to your left side. Left side sleeping is advised as the heart manages to pump blood and oxygen without any trouble.

How does the baby grow

1st Month

2nd Month

3rd Month

4th Month

5th Month

6th Month

7th Month

8th Month

9th Month

(All the pictures are at the end of the month)

Taking the final Steps

Packing for the big day: Things you would need for the babies arrival

1. A set of soft clothes for the baby
2. Dozens of diapers : Its best to make cotton and bandage diapers till the baby comes home, Procedure given below
3. Baby talc
4. Oil for the mother
5. A scarf to cover the mother ears and head after Delivery
6. A plastic sheet to give below the babies bed

Disposable home diapiers are made with the first aid bandage:- cut the bandage in square in a size that will cover the baby, fold the square to form a triangle. Spread cotton before folding it to half. One you fold it to a traingle. Leave a litle extra bandage that can be lifted up before raping the baby and the two side edges are used to tie the knot. Its easy once you cut the square and fold it to a triangle.

Don'Ts as per the Doctor

1. Dont massage the baby
2. Don't feed the baby Honey on birth
3. Dont Shampoo the baby
4. Don't keep a pillow
5. Dont tie the baby
6. Don't make the baby wear kajal
7. Be careful with Diapers, If the baby does not pee in the diapers and only does it after removing the diaper, Its best not to use it them. It can make the babies bladder enlarge
8. The baby should not be given home redeies or solid food of any kind.
9. Only mothers milk for at least 3 months

Medical Formalities

• Check with your HR on the below

1. How many days of ML can be availed , as per Labour Law it has to be 82 days or say around 3 months
2. Check on how the payment is made, as per law the payment should not be stopped when a person goes on ML. However there are different ways they calculate in some companies. Some pay an extra amount some remove a particular payment like shift allowance or performance bonus etc.
3. Check what all your medical Insurance covers, if it covers the disposable medicines in case you have a c section. If there is a minimum and maximum bracket on room rent. If there is a hospital list that they cover etc. Best is get the number for the insurance company and talk to them personally and get everything in writing before you go on your leave
4. Check when the policy was last changed, and if there were chances of the policy changing soon
5. Check if there is a co partner policy with the company
6. Apply your leaves in advance, make sure to create a good back up system as you will be on leave for a long duration. It is essential to have everything documented
7. If you wish to continue working after delivery make sure to pass the message to your bosses. Bosses assume you to be an attrition.

Some companies give a fixed amount and that covers everything, Bills need to be submitted and they reimburse any cost upto a certain amount.

There is only one perfect child in the world, and every Mother has it. All the best. Happy Parenting

• Written by preeti vaswani.
• In category Personal Care.
• 15 years ago.

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