Advice to the Pregnant Woman
Mother
craft talk should be an integral part of antenatal care. Mothers want the best
for their babies so they are ready to learn and comply with the instructions
that promote their health and that of the baby. Health instruction should be
given in a simple and interesting manner.
Pregnant
woman should imbibe practice that promote personal and environmental hygiene.
Bath regularly, clothing especially under wears must be kept clean. Home
surroundings, cooking utensils should be kept clean.
Fresh Air
& sunshine: Women are encouraged to have adequate sunshine (e.g. women in
Purdah) morning sunshine generates vitamin D which is necessary for development
of bones. Fresh air is essential at night and overcrowding should be avoided.
Recreation and Exercise: Mild
exercise should be encouragedstrenuous exercises, lifting of heavy weight
should be avoided. She should not climb high object as this may cause loosing
of balance and fainting, long standing predisposes to varicose veins.
·
It provide a change of scenery
·
It stimulate appetite and aid elimination
·
it stimulate circulation and induces
·
Sleep.
·
Restores good abdominal muscle tone.
Travel: This should be discouraged from
traveling on longdistance depending on the age of the pregnancy. By road: at
early and late pregnancy
Train:
Late Pregnancy
Air: Late
Pregnancy. Otherwise at low attitude.
Rest and Sleep: A pregnant woman must have
adequate rentduring the day. Adequate rest conserves energy and increases
circulation of blood circulation to the uterus. One to two hours during the day
and about nine hours in the night. A good warm bath in the night and a cup of
warm drink induces natural sleep.
Suitable clothes: Clothing
Women can
be as elegant and femine as at any time even in pregnancy. She can enjoy a
normal social life provided it will not interfere with the pregnancy. Dresses
that are loose and cool will allow normal expansion of uterus. Dresses must be
neat, comfortable of washable materials and attractive. Brassiere should be the
one with big cup, loose, bread, long and adjustable straps. It should not
depress the nipples.
Maternity
corsets if not tight are good as this restores laxed abdominal muscles.
All
clothing must be kept clean by washing especially the under wears.
Shoes:
Low heels with broad base 4.5cm are advisable.
Bowels: Because of the effect of
progesterone there is laxity in thealimentary canal but this should not lead to
constipation. Plenty of fluids roughages should be encouraged during and in
between meals. A cup of water early moving is good. Roughages, whole wheel bran
fruits and vegetables also mild exercises will aid eliminations. She should
form good habit of opening bowels e.g. in the mornings.
Care of the teeth: the
previous belief that calcium is withdrawnfrom the mother’s teeth to is baby is
not true. Instead the calcium is withdrawn from the mother’s bones. Care of the
teeth is however important is pregnancy. She should eat a lot of food that
contain calcium flouride.
Bathing: a pregnant woman needs to keep
her skin clean andactive. A daily bath is ideal. A cold bath is comfortable
especially on a hot day and a warm bath is suitening and will make her relax
well.
Alcohol: It is advisable to stop during
pregnancy. Intake is relatedto vitamin deficiency (mineral) Major cause of
coronary health disease, stroke & chronic bronchitis, lungs and other
cancers.
Smoking: Smoking is associated with
reduced fertility, earlymenopausal, placenta praevia, abroption, premature
labour, low birth weight, wheezing in early childhood, Otitis media etc.
This can
lead to reduction of oxygen concentration volume in pregnancy and leading to
abortion. Smoking is habit forming; smokers do not eat well resulting to
reduced nutrition to the baby and herself. She should reduce the smoking to the
barest minimum or stop it completely if possible.
Marital relation: Sexual
Intercourse coitus should be discouragedin early pregnancy especially cases of previous
abortions as this can lead to premature uterine contractions. Prostaglandin in
semen can aid uterine contraction in late pregnancy. Vaginal deodorants lower
the normal vaginal PH and growth of microorganisms. If it has to be the husband
should to be gentle and adapt safe position.
Care of the breast: Breast
must be well developed; nipples mustbe erect with loose areola tissues. She
should keep the breast clean by washing with soap and water with particular
attention to the nipples. Good nutrition helps to develop the breast and
prepare the breast for lactation in puerperium. Nipples should be pulled out
and olive oil applied to moisten them. Malformation should be corrected during
pregnancy.
Good well
supporting brassiere must be worn; cup should be rooming without depressing the
nipples.
Drugs: Should be advised to take only
those drugs that wereprescribed by doctor
The
midwife needs to advise a pregnant woman on good diet in quality and not
quantity. Her diet need not to be changed but improvement on types, preparation
and preservation. The aims of diet in pregnancy should provide for the needs of
the growing fetus, maintenance of maternal health, alleviation of minor
disorders, physical strength and vitality during labor and successful
lactation.
Protein,
Carbohydrate, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals, Fluids and Roughages. Emphasis must be
put on the preparation in order to preserve the nutrients.
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