
Pregnancy Care: Pre And Post Delivery Care
Pregnancy Care consists of care before the birth of the child called prenatal care and care after the birth of a child called postpartum care. This care is given to all mothers expecting to give birth. Pregnancy care includes treatments and training to ensure that the health of the mother and the baby are taken care of before pregnancy, during pregnancy, labor, and post-delivery.
Pre Delivery Care
Pre Delivery Care or Prenatal Care is the care given to expectant mothers before they give birth to the baby. It is done to reduce the risks during pregnancy and enhance the chances of a healthy delivery. During pre-delivery care, the expectant mother is required to visit the doctor regularly to monitor the pregnancy and identify any complications, if any, before they get out of hand.
Pre Delivery Care is important as it ensures that the baby is healthy. Those who don’t get prenatal care have higher chances of giving birth to babies of low birth weight. Pre-delivery care, in most cases, starts in the last trimester of pregnancy. Some of the changes which doctors recommend during pregnancy include:
- Quitting smoking
- Stopping the consumption of alcohol
- Informing your doctor about your medical condition, dietary supplements, and any on-going medications
- Taking folic acid supplements daily
- Avoiding contact with any toxic or chemical substances
Doctor visits during pregnancy are very important. The expectant mother should visit the doctor at least once a month during the first six months of pregnancy, once every two weeks in the seventh and eighth months and every week during the last month.
The doctor visits may include:
- routine tests and screening
- blood pressure monitoring
- measuring weight gain
- monitoring the baby and its heart rate
During these visits, the doctor will also help you prepare for birth by discussing with you the basic skills required for taking care of the baby along with what to expect and what to not expect.
In cases of high-risk pregnancies, the expectant mother will need to visit the doctor more frequently and get special care.
Post Delivery Care
Post Delivery Care or Postpartum Care is done after the delivery of the baby. Postpartum care is as important as prenatal care. The postpartum period lasts anywhere between 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth.
This period is crucial as the new mother goes through several changes- physically and emotionally while taking care of the newborn baby. The most important factors that make postpartum care include getting proper rest, nutrition, and vaginal care.
- Rest: the new mothers need to get rest as it helps them rebuild their strength. The mother will need to sleep close to the baby, sleep when the baby sleeps, and take help when sleeping with feeding the baby with a bottle.
- Eating right: the new mother needs to get proper nutrition as her body goes through changes during pregnancy. The weight gain helps to check if the body has enough nutrition for breastfeeding. Doctors recommend avoiding high-fat snacks, drinking lots of fluids, and eating a balanced diet.
- Vaginal Care: Mothers should incorporate vaginal care in their lifestyle after giving birth. After birth, mothers can experience vaginal soreness, urination problems, discharge with small blood clots, and contractions for a few days.
Doctors suggest no sexual intercourse for at least 4 to 6 weeks after delivery for the vagina to heal properly.
Is the egg retrieval painful?
During egg retrieval, you will be sedated and given medication so that you don’t’ feel the pain. After the surgery/procedure, you may feel cramps, soreness, or fullness.
Is bleeding expected after egg retrieval?
After egg retrieval, vaginal bleeding/spotting is common. It is similar to bleeding in periods. In case of excess bleed, you should contact the doctor immediately.
How long do I have to stay in the hospital during and after the procedure?
IVF Procedure does not require any hospitalization. It only requires frequent visits from time to time.
How soon can I return to normal life after IVF?
Once the embryo transfer is done, you can resume your normal life. You may experience cramps because there might be a minor swelling in the ovaries. Stick to a mild routine and avoid exertion as it may affect your chances of getting pregnant.