Personal hygiene during pregnancy

Personal hygiene during pregnancy:

1.    Rest and sleep: The woman may continue her usual activities throughout pregnancy. Hard and strenuous work should be avoided. On an average, a patient should have 10 hours of sleep (8 hours at night and 2 hours at noon)

2.    Bowel:As  there  is  a  tendency of  constipation during pregnancy, regular bowel movement may be facilitated by regulation of diet taking plenty of fluids, vegetables and milk.

3.    Bathing: Daily baths and preferably twice a day are advised.

4.    Clothing: The patient should wear loose but comfortable dresses. High heel shoes are better avoided.

5.    Dental hygiene: The dentist should be consulted at the earliest, if necessary.

6.    Care of the breasts: Cleanliness of the breasts is maintained. If anatomical defects are present advise to seek medical help.

7.    Coitus:  Contact with the husband to be avoided during the

8.     first trimester and last 6 weeks.

9.    Travel: Long distance travel better to be avoided. Rail route is preferable.

10.                        Smoking and alcohol: Smoking and alcohol are to be avoided totally during pregnancy as both cause variable injuries to the fetus.

The pregnant women should avoid over-the counter drugs (drugs without medical prescription). The drugs may have teratogenic effects on the growing fetus especially during the first trimester (The first three months is the period of organogenesis. Teratogens will cause gross malformation or defects to the fetus. The common teratogens are drugs caffeine, exposure to x-rays, alcohol, nicotine, etc).

General advice:

The patient should be persuaded to attend for antenatal checkup positively on the scheduled date of visit. She is instructed to report to the doctor even at an early date and if the following untoward (warning signs and symptoms ) symptoms arise:

1.     intense persistent headache

2.     severe oedema

3.     disturbed sleep with restlessness

4.     low urine output (less than 500 ml per day)

5.     epigastric  pain

6.     persistent vomiting

7.     painful uterine contractions

8.    sudden gush of watery fluid  per  vaginum

9.     active vaginal bleeding etc.