Pregnancy and Antenatal Care

What is Antenatal Care and Why is it Necessary?

Pregnancy, Labor and birth of a child are important milestones in a couple's life. Regular medical care, knowledge of your choices, and understanding the unknown events during pregnancy can make childbirth an extremely enriching and joyful event.

A woman's health and behavior in pregnancy affect her baby. A poor diet, smoking, intake of alcohol, certain drugs, and severe illnesses can hold back the baby's development. Hence during pregnancy, you should not only take good care of your own health but also go for regular checkups with your doctor. This is antenatal care and it is absolutely necessary because it makes sure that you and the baby are fit and well.

Antenatal checkups prevent most medical problems. Even if there is a problem, early detection helps to control the problem better. For example, there is a condition called pre-eclampsia in which there is weight gain, high blood pressure and stress on the kidney. This is detected by regular blood pressure checks and checking the urine for protein. A urinary tract infection during pregnancy can be detected by a simple urine analysis and its treatment helps the normal growth of the baby in the womb.

References:

1. Working Woman�s Pregnancy: Hilary Boyd
2. A Rough Guide to Pregnancy and birth: Kaz Cooke
3. Conception, pregnancy and birth: Dr. Miriam Stoppard
4. New Pregnancy and birth: Dr. Miriam Stoppard