Costometic

Antenatal care is the care that you receive from health professionals during your pregnancy. A healthy diet and lifestyle during pregnancy is important for the development of a healthy baby and may have long-term beneficial effects on the health of the child. It is also important for a pregnant woman to have regular checks with an obstetrician throughout pregnancy, to ensure that any conditions that may pose a risk to you or the baby’s health can be identified and treated. Regular antenatal care is important to ensure that both you and your baby are well.

The major goal of focused antenatal care is to help:

• Identification of pre-existing health conditions.
• Early detection of complications arising during the pregnancy.
• Health promotion and disease prevention.
• Lifestyle management counseling.
• Preparation for birth and possible complications.

A good antenatal care program should be designed in such a way that it detects problems of pregnancy that might need treatment - such as anemia, infection, vaginal bleeding, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and abnormal fetal growth. It should also incorporate a comprehensive screening program to detect fetal anomalies such as heart and brain defects and also screen for conditions such as Downs Syndrome. Hence it is important to have regular ultrasound scans done by ultrasonologists specially trained in fetal medicine. The program should also incorporate a multidisciplinary team involving an Obstetrician, Ultrasonologist and a Neonatologist so that the results of the screening tests can be discussed and appropriate actions taken when necessary. Oxford Medical Publication’s book A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth is a complete guide to take best care of your life, ensure the best for you and your unborn child.

Counseling and health promotion is a very important but often forgotten aspect of antenatal care. Counseling should begin as early as possible and in fact preconception counseling should be offered at all maternity centers where women wanting to conceive are advised about the importance of taking folic acid to prevent congenital anomalies. Preconception counseling should also include providing information leaflets about the Do’s and Dont’s of pregnancy, especially during the immediate period following conception. For example women should be advised not to take Vitamin supplements and medications without consulting their doctor during the first trimester since it can result in malformation of the heart and nervous system.

Following conception it is very important to discuss with the obstetrician about lifestyle habits such as exercise, smoking, alcohol and any medications that may affect your developing fetus.

In addition to the above a good antenatal care program should involve the services of a dietitian and physiotherapist. The importance of a healthy, nutritious diet in pregnancy cannot be stressed more "A nutritious and wholesome diet is the key to a healthy baby ". You should make it a point to spend time with the dietitian to tailor make a diet that is healthy but also acceptable to you.

A value add to any antenatal care package would be a child birth instructor who would be able to explain to you what happens during labor and birth and also teaches you exercises to keep you fit during pregnancy and help you during labor. Out of many books I read when I was first pregnant, I remember a very good book The Baby Care Book: A Complete Guide from Birth to 12-Month Old by famous Jeremy Friedman, helped me take initial precautions and prepare for the little one. The book gave me a clear picture of what to expect at the time of delivery and how to take care of the child after birth.

Finally, it’s always useful if your antenatal classes are held in the hospital where you would be delivering your baby. It gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the surroundings so that when you arrive for the delivery, you do not feel out of place. It also gives you a chance to visit the labor ward as well as the other medical facilities in the hospital such as the nursery.

Pregnancy is an important time of your life, ensure the best for you and your unborn child by availing good and safe antenatal care during this period. I think good antenatal care is not an option but a basic necessity to ensure a bright future for your child.