Pregnancy - General Care

We all know that pregnancy is a physiological condition needing special care.  Though a natural phenomenon, it is a special condition when a woman needs professional and tender loving care from the medical professional as well as family members.  A woman becoming pregnant for the first time will be more anxious and will have many doubts about what to eat and what activities she can carry on.

Diet:  The calorie requirement of average Indian woman doing moderate work is 2200kcal/day.  If the activity is less less calories are required.  Average Indian diet has more carbohydrates contributing almost 70-80% kcal.  The rest obtained from fats and proteins.  But it is best to have 50-60%kcal from carbohydrates, 25-30%kcal from proteins and the rest from fats.  All the vitamins, minerals are obtained from various food items including fruits and vegetables. 

In pregnancy as the woman nurtures another life in her body she has to take more food. The burden of pregnancy requires woman to increase calorie intake by 15-20% during the course of pregnancy and another 5%-10% in the lactational period.  This is about extra 300kcal in pregnancy and 500kcal in first 6months of feeding and 400kcal in the next 6 months of feeding. 

As pregnancy is a body building process protein requirement is increased and it will be good to increase intake of more proteinecious foods like pulses, eggs, meat, fish and milk.

Gravida need not eat double of what she eats.  If she increases to take cereals and fats marginally and doubles the protein supplementing foods and fruits and vegetables she will meet all the needs of pregnancy nutrition.   For an average Indian diet, if the gravida adds two glasses of milk (300ml), an egg, fistful (20gm) of pulses soaked and sprouted, and any fruit like banana, guava or any seasonal fruits one or two (100gm) will provide almost all the extra nutrients and calories required for healthy fetal development.

High calorie non fibre foods and drinks are avoided.  Instead of having just two meals, food intake should be every two three hours in the day.  What ever food is taken it is better divided into appropriate portions and taken as breakfast, lunch, supper and two snacks.  Snacks can be fruits and sprouts along with milk taken early in the morning, between breakfast and lunch and lunch and supper. 

Physical Activity:  A healthy gravida can carry all the physical activities she is accustomed to previously.  Routine domestic chores, and other activities like walking and swimming can be carried out as long as she is comfortable. Yoga, and aerobics can be done only under the expert guidance.  Two hours rest in the afternoons and eight hours rest at night will keep the woman healthy.

 Employment:  Woman doing sedentary jobs can continue to do.  Employment where a gravida has a possibility of getting exposed to radiation or chemical fumes or severe physical exertion like lifting heavy weights should be avoided.  These activities can adversely affect fetal development or continuation of pregnancy till term. 

Travel:  Long distance journeys, strenuous traveling, traveling in early and late pregnancy is best avoided.  This is to avoid the woman being away from the doctor if any problem arises, particularly in late pregnancy.  If the gravida has any problem of bleeding or abdominal pain or cramps anytime, journeys are avoided other than to visit the doctor.

Sexual Activity:  A healthy gravida with a normal pregnancy in a healthy relationship can have sexual activity as long as it does not hurt her.  Over indulgence is avoided.  Complete abstinence is not a must.  If there is possibility of genital infections sexual activity must be completely avoided.  Also when gravida has history of previous abortions, or premature deliver or has bleeding in the present pregnancy or cramps in the abdomen or due to certain pregnancy conditions when the obstetrician advises abstinence is must.  It is best to restrict sexual activity in early pregnancy for fear of abortion and in late pregnancy, premature delivery.

 Addictions: Everybody is aware of the adverse effects of smoking and excessive alcohol intake and drug addictions.  All these, smoking, alcohol and ‘drugs’ have harmful effects on the fetus and compromise even maternal health and increase certain complications in pregnancy.  Hence smoking, alcohol and drugs are a strict “NO’ in pregnancy.

Healthy diet, appropriate physical activity and rest will result in healthy pregnancy resulting in the birth of healthy baby.