Prenatal care content

The core essence of prenatal care is to combine the fetal development characteristics of different gestational weeks and the individual physical condition of the pregnant mother to make personalized adjustments from four directions: prenatal monitoring, daily life, nutritional supplements, and psychological adjustment. The ultimate goal is to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, ensure the safety of the mother and child, and at the same time maximize the comfort of the pregnant mother during pregnancy.

Last week at the obstetrics clinic, I met a little girl who was just 12 weeks pregnant. She squatted on the triage table and cried while holding on to the "100 Things You Must Do in Prenatal Care" that she had searched online. She said that she had made a mistake by drinking half a cup of iced milk tea because she was greedy the day before, and she felt sorry for the baby in her belly. In fact, there are too many pregnant mothers who are kidnapped by this kind of standardized checklist. Many people regard prenatal care as an exam that must get full marks, but ignore their own physical feelings as the core reference standard.

Don’t think that prenatal care is just a matter of drawing blood and doing an ultrasound at the right time. On the contrary, the care before and after the prenatal care is the most easily overlooked detail. For example, there is no need to deliberately cut out carbohydrates and starve in the first 3 days to achieve glucose tolerance. I have seen many pregnant mothers eating only vegetables for 3 consecutive days in order to pass the glucose tolerance test. The low values ​​​​came out masked the real blood sugar problem and delayed subsequent intervention and adjustment. Oh, by the way, before each prenatal check-up, you can write down your abnormal conditions during the week in your mobile phone memo, such as whether you have inexplicable dizziness, frequency of abdominal tightening, changes in fetal movement. Don't wait until you sit in front of the doctor and you can't remember anything, and the trip is in vain.

When it comes to eating this food, there is a lot of controversy. The older generation always says that crabs, ice drinks, and peppers are all taboos during pregnancy and should not be touched. The view of evidence-based medicine is that as long as you are not allergic or have diarrhea when eating these foods, there is no problem if you eat them in moderation. Last week, I met a pregnant mother who was 39 weeks pregnant. She had a greedy spicy hot pot meal and had a natural delivery that night. The baby's scores were all perfect, and she was healthy. Of course, if you have a weak stomach and get gassy when eating ice or get angry when eating spicy food, then you must keep your mouth shut. There is no unified standard for this, it all depends on your own body reaction. There is also no need to follow the old concept of "one person eats and two people take supplements". It is most appropriate to control the weight gain during pregnancy to 12-18kg. I have seen many pregnant mothers supplementing bird's nests and sea cucumbers during pregnancy. They gained 40 or 50 pounds, and the fetus was too big to bear, and suffered.

The differences in views on exercise are even more obvious. In the past, old people always said that you should move less when you are pregnant, for fear of miscarriage if you move too much. Now many fitness bloggers advocate that you can run marathons and lift weights in late pregnancy. In fact, both of these opinions are too extreme. Normal walking, gentle yoga for pregnant women, and swimming are all acceptable. As long as you don’t feel tired when doing it and your stomach doesn’t tighten and drop frequently, you’ll be fine. If you have problems such as a low-lying placenta or cervical insufficiency, just follow the doctor’s advice and stay in bed. Don’t blindly follow other people’s “pregnancy fitness inspirational posts.” I once met a pregnant mother who was 22 weeks pregnant. She followed a video on the Internet and did maternity exercises. After three days of dancing, she started to bleed and was hospitalized. The gain outweighed the loss.

Oh, by the way, many people equate prenatal care with physical care, but ignore the importance of psychological adjustment. I have seen many pregnant mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy, all the prenatal check-up indicators are all green, but they have insomnia every day and cry to their stomachs when they read a post about a rare disease, always worrying that there is something wrong with the child. At this time, family members don't always say "you just think too much". Take a walk with her downstairs and chat about some gossip that has nothing to do with having children or raising children. It is more effective than telling a hundred truths. In addition, many hospitals now have prenatal and midwifery clinics, and expectant fathers can also accompany them to listen and learn about the delivery process and pain relief methods in advance. Don’t wait for the pregnant mother to enter the delivery room. You will do nothing but worry outside.

When it comes to counting fetal movements, there are currently two different clinical guidance ideas. One is the traditional requirement of counting one hour in the morning, noon and evening, and no less than three fetal movements per hour. The other is the "fetal movement pattern priority" advocated in recent years. There is no need to impose a time limit, as long as your baby moves at about the same time and frequency every day. If there is a sudden increase or decrease in fetal movement, just go to the hospital in time. I generally advise pregnant mothers to choose a method that they can stick to. If you are busy at work and setting three alarm clocks every day to count fetal movements makes you anxious, then just take 10 minutes a day to feel whether the baby is moving. There is no need to force yourself to complete the so-called "pregnancy KPI".

I have been practicing obstetrics for almost ten years, and my biggest feeling is that prenatal care is never a shackle for pregnant mothers. Many people treat themselves like walking child care containers when they are pregnant. They dare not do this or eat, or even wear their favorite lipstick. In fact, regular makeup can be used normally as long as it avoids ingredients that are clearly teratogenic, such as retinoids and salicylic acid. There is no need to switch to all skin care products for pregnant women as soon as you become pregnant. If you are full of acne and feel bad, it will affect hormone levels. After all, you are yourself first, and the pregnant mother second. The core of care is always to take care of your own feelings first, and then take into account the baby's development. This is more effective than any perfect care list on the Internet.