PREVENTING PREMATURE DELIVERY
Every pregnant mother's chief concern and desire pertains to a safe delivery and a healthy baby and to some extent it is in her hands. Although one cannot go against nature, the least that could be done in this regard is the lowering of risks for a premature delivery.
Some of the measures which could be taken by pregnant mothers to avert a premature delivery are:
Get prenatal care
Call your doctor as soon as you think you may be pregnant. At the first visit, your doctor will give you a thorough checkup for conditions that could threaten a pregnancy such as diabetes, high blood pressure, urinary and genital tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and anemia. If you have any of these conditions, proper treatment will help restore your health and protect your baby.
Get enough folic acid and iron
Two nutrients -- iron and folic acid -- are especially crucial for preventing premature births. It is advisable that all women who are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) take a daily prenatal vitamin with folic acid. In addition to encouraging full-term birth, taking a supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid each day will help prevent spina bifida and other neural tube birth defects.
Don't smoke
In simple terms, cigarette smoke poisons your baby's world, so refrain from smoking. Reports suggest that smoking 1-9 cigarettes each day may be enough to cause a baby to be born ahead of schedule. Pregnant women who smoke are also more likely to suffer miscarriages. So avoid smoking to ensure a safe delivery.
Avoid alcohol
Consumption of alcohol is another activity from which pregnant mothers should refrain. Heavy drinking can lead to premature births and fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause severe, permanent retardation. Thus, chronic drinking and binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in one day) are particularly hazardous while you're pregnant or trying to conceive.
Keep a check on your weight
It is found that women who are either significantly underweight or overweight sometimes have trouble carrying a child to full term. There are possibilities that underweight women could go labor early. Overweight women are vulnerable to conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure -- conditions that may force a doctor to induce labor early for the sake of the baby's health.
Cut down on your stress
Doctors feel that stress for a pregnant woman could lead her to conceive early. Of course, avoiding stress is easier said than done, especially with a baby on the way. You could use different means to relax such as yoga, meditation or pursue some hobby which relaxes your mind.
Saraswati
Chat on a cool, new interface. No download required. Click here.
KERALITES - A moderated eGroup exclusively for Keralites...
To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.
To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Homepage: www.keralites.net
To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.
To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Homepage: www.keralites.net
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
.
__,_._,___
0 comments:
Post a Comment