Post pregnancy – Clinical And Homely Care
The post pregnancy stage is as important as the earlier phases of pregnancy. Depending on whether the delivery was a normal one or caesarian as well as depending on the overall state of the patient, the post pregnancy treatment needs to be determined.
CLINICAL & HOMELY CARE
So, what are the important aspects to be looked into during the post pregnancy period? Well, these include the medical (clinical) care as well as the homely environment. Both aspects ensure early recuperation for the mother besides giving the proper nursing to the baby.
It needs to be noted that the mother and the baby require intensive follow-up action insofar as their health aspects are concerned.
SHOULD I EXERCISE IN THE POST-PREGNANCY PHASE?
Certain post pregnancy exercises are also recommended for some mothers. These light physical exercises combined with the breathing exercises help to bring back the body of the mother to its former form. Here are the guidelines:
Start exercising only when you feel strong enough. You shouldn’t exert undue pressure on your body. Many mothers do the exercises after the postpartum checkup done at the end of six weeks following delivery.
YOGIC ASANA & PRANAYAMA
There are specific yogic exercises (asanas) including the controlled breathing tactics (pranayama) for the mothers. Regular practice of these asanas and pranayamas quickens the pace of recuperation.
The best way to begin the exercise roster is with the mind control steps. Concentrate on your abdominal and pelvic areas especially the uterus, vagina, and the hips. Visualize their strong and firm earlier shapes.
Then, do the breathing exercises. You can try controlling the inhalation and exhalation steps. But, remember not to overdo them. Exercise in a relaxed and a leisurely manner.
CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISES
Once you start gaining confidence about the state of your health, you can include the cardiovascular exercises too. These include light weight training, aerobics, and swimming.
The three most popular exercises recommended for mothers (in the post-pregnancy stage) are the head shoulder raises, the pelvic tilt, and the pelvic floor strengthener.
1. The head & shoulder raise exercise
This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles in the post-pregnancy stage.
You need to do this exercise while lying down on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. Bend your knees.
Inhale and concentrate on the abdominal muscles. Slowly tighten them.
Let the small part of the back lie flattened on the floor. Pressing down on it gradually raise your shoulders off the ground, wait for some seconds and then again lower it back onto the floor.
Relax for a few seconds and repeat the sequence. You need to do the exercise eight to ten times.
2. The Pelvic tilt exercise
This post-pregnancy floor exercise tightens the buttocks and the abdomen.
Lie down on the floor. Bend your knees so that your feet lie flat on the ground.
Slowly inhale and concentrate on your expanded abdomen.
Wait for sometime, and then exhale slowly even as you lift your tailbone towards your navel. Keep your hips on the floor.
Once you reach the highest point of the tilt, make your buttocks tight. Hold on to the position for a few seconds. Then release.
Repeat the sequence 10 times.
3. The pelvic strengthener
This floor exercise works in a two-fold manner. Even as it accentuates blood circulation in the entire pelvic area, it also helps the vaginal canal regain its shape. This is how you need to carry out the schedule:
First, lie down on the floor;
Then, bend your knees. Your feet will lie flat on the floor.
Next, concentrate on the vaginal muscle. Slowly tighten them. The tactic to do is to attempt an interruption to the flow of urine.
After that, hold the position as you count till six.
Finally, release the vaginal muscles. Relax and breathe normally.
Repeat the exercise twice or thrice.
Early Signs of Pregnancy
The most prominent of the early signs of pregnancy is when menstruation stops.
Nonetheless, the first precondition to be pregnant is that the couple needs to experience unprotected sex between them. The ideal means to determine the state is to undertake a pregnancy test. It can be done at home or in any registered clinic.
THE EIGHT COMMON EARLY SIGNS OF PREGNANCY
The nine commonly reported early signs of pregnancy are the following:
1. Breasts becoming tender
Breasts of several women who have conceived become tender. This happens at the early stages of pregnancy, but decreases towards the second trimester. It is a natural occurrence. The breasts go tender due to hormonal changes.
2. Morning sickness
Morning sickness is a common early sign of pregnancy. It is characterized by the urge to vomiting or nausea. Many deem the term ‘morning sickness’ a misnomer because the syndrome can happen at any point of the day.
Most of the first timers experience this syndrome in the first trimester. Women experience morning sickness as a part of the pregnancy process during the first three to four months of conception. The rate of occurrence of morning sickness decreases towards the second trimester.
The cause for morning sickness is believed to be HCG, the hormone that initiates the process of pregnancy. Morning sickness can cause weight loss in those cases where the woman experiences frequent nausea.
Women carrying multiples are reported to experience severe morning sickness strikes. In instances of severe morning sickness seek advice from your care provider. There are many treatments.
3. Excessive urge for urination
Frequent urination is interlinked with the changing shape and size of the uterus following conception. As the uterus enlarges to provide space to the fetus, the uterus presses down on the bladder. This accelerates the urge for urination. This in turn leads to dehydration.
It is against this backdrop that gynecologists advice the pregnant women to drink lots of fluid including fresh water. Water therapy cleanses the body of the toxic materials also. Moreover, abundant deposit of water ensures good health for the mother as well as the baby in the womb.
4. Moodiness
Psychological support and a caring attitude from the family members backed up by a cordial atmosphere can resolve the sharp shifts in mood of the woman going the nature’s way.
Positive thinking, yogic exercises like pranayama (breathing exercises), light asanas (yogic exercises) and a pollution-free environ can help the pregnant woman tide over this early sign of pregnancy.
5. Exhaustion
Physical exhaustion leading to mental stress is quite prominent in the early phases of pregnancy. Exhaustion lessens towards the second trimester.
There is nothing to worry about. This is just the inbuilt biological mechanism preparing the body to adapt to the complex and yet well coordinated pregnancy processes.
6. Forgetfulness
This is a common early sign of pregnancy. It can be tackled by the woman immersing herself in some creative pursuits.
The best way to not suffer from forgetfulness especially during the first trimester is to start jotting down notes. It can be about her planning for the new life.
7. Smell sensitivity
Most of the women who have conceived adopt a strong sensitivity to smells in the surroundings. In severe cases, this growing sensitivity to smell can also translate to certain food, particularly the ones they savor. This smell sensitivity remains as a syndrome with the woman during her entire pregnancy period.
8. Lightheadedness
Once you experience lightheadedness, immediately consult the doctor. It is a common occurrence during the early stages of pregnancy.
Lightheadedness can be a sure sign of some complicacies. Many women become dizzy if they rise from the seat they may be occupying for a long time.
Pregnancy calculator – When Should Pregnancy Calender Start?
Pregnancy calculator points to any of the various methods to determine the birth time of the new-born. The intellectuals having a medical point of view among the Homo sapiens have been resorting to various means to pinpoint the day when a baby would be born. Obviously, many things are to be taken into account.
Since the days of yore, there have been various attempts to ascertain with 100 per cent surety the day when a baby is born. Carrying forward the trend, alternative health practices as well as modern medical science has innovated strategies to identify the day after conception a newborn is delivered. These processes are collectively termed Pregnancy calculator.
Hence, pregnancy calculator refers to the roster starting from the time when there has been missed periods following unprotected sex. Pregnancy points to the stages through which a woman has to pass through before becoming a mother. It is necessary that the mother and her spouse remain doubly aware of the precautions necessary to have a tension-free pregnancy or to stay from pregnancy even after having unprotected physical relationship(s).
PREGNANCY CALCULATOR: HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?
Such remedial measures can be taken by charting out a pregnancy calculator. Therefore, the woman going nature’s way must take special note to jot down in her diary the last time she missed menstruation after experiencing unshielded physical union with her partner of the opposite gender.
Notably, a missed period or menstruation is the immediate sign of conception.
WHEN SHOULD PREGNANCY CALENDAR START?
The pregnancy calculator needs to commence from conception. The pregnancy calendar concludes with the delivery of the baby.
To properly calculate the pregnancy calculator we must understand the various processes that lead to pregnancy. The aspects that are closely connected with the pregnancy calendar are menstruation or periods, conception, pregnancy, and delivery. Let’s analyze each of these processes.
PREGNANCY CALCULATOR & CONCEPTION
Conception occurs when the egg of a female gets united with the virile sperm of a male within the vagina. Now commences a romantic journey of the mature egg. It moves backwards towards the uterus and gets lodged at the uterus opening thereby blocking the very uterine passage through which the mature egg passes into the vagina during menstruation. This stops the process of any other egg proceeding from the uterus into the vagina to be dislodged as it should be after every 25-30 days. The mature egg now starts taking form giving shape to the fetus which finally develops into a baby.
Therefore, the pregnancy calendar starts with conception. It leads to the pre-labor stage. Next is the post-labor stage which leads to birth of the baby. The delivery of the baby is done either through the normal process or by caesarian.
Conception is the union of a sperm (from the male) with a mature egg (of the female) within her vagina. This unison results in the egg being fertilized. The fertilized egg then moves backwards from the vagina to get stuck at the opening of the uterus which actually produces the eggs.
This blocks the passage of the uterus. Thus the fertilized egg negates the possibilities of more eggs sneaking into the vagina during the menstruation cycles.
The most fertile phase for an egg to be fertilized is between the 10th and the18h days.
PRENATAL TESTING
Prenatal Testing is must to determine the actual state of pregnancy. Prenatal tests need to be done the moment a woman realizes that there are missed periods following unprotected sex. Such clinical tests are done at very economical rates in any medical clinic. Nowadays, it can also be done at home also.
Prenatal testing basically includes testing the blood, stool and urine of the pregnant woman. These prenatal tests serve as vital data for the doctor to assess the overall condition of the mother to-be.