Healthy Pregnancy: What Every Woman Must Know Before Giving Birth
Staying healthy during pregnancy is important to you and your developing child. With so much conflicting advice, it can be a challenge to know what to do. Keep these four important issues in mind so that you can be as healthy as possible before giving birth.
Required Tests
To keep you and your developing child healthy, most nurse practitioners, midwives and physicians will order some tests. You may be checked for immunity to diseases such as rubella and whooping cough. These diseases can affect fetal development. Blood sugar and iron testing are important to the health of you and your baby. If you have a high blood sugar test, you may need a gestational diabetes screening test. Other common tests include swabs for Group B streptococcus and genetic tests for trisomy 18 and 21. The results of these tests allow you to get specialty care as needed for you and your baby.
Weight Gain and Exercise
Your health care team will let you know how much weight you should gain. If you were at a healthy weight, a gain of about 25 to 30 pounds is ideal. Gaining too much weight can lead to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, such as gestational diabetes and large fetal size. Maintaining a moderate exercise routine can help you to prepare for the hard work of labor.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a real concern that could affect your health or that of your child for the rest of your lives. Professionals, like those at Bennett & Sharp PLLC, know that if your doctor failed to treat a complication, you may need to take legal action. A mistake made by your doctor could also result in serious consequences that may necessitate legal action.
Hospital Procedures
If you are having your baby in a hospital or birthing center, it is important to have an understanding of their procedures in advance. Most hospitals require that a woman in labor have an intravenous line in case anesthesia is needed. You may not be allowed to eat or drink while you labor. Hospitals and birthing centers also have strict policies about video cameras and visitors in the labor and delivery room. Understanding these policies can help you to avoid potential conflicts.
Staying healthy during pregnancy promotes better outcomes for you and your baby. Each doctor and hospital offers different guidance on how to stay healthy and prevent possible complications. Keeping these policies in mind and following your health care team’s recommendations will help you to be prepared.