Pregnancy
- When will the baby be born?
- Girl or boy?
- Baby changes family’s life
- Doubts are natural
- Mood changes
- Mother's fears
- The health centre antenatal clinic
- Your first visit
- Later visits
- Special care
- Clinic for fathers, too
Pregnancy - a time to prepare:
When will the baby be born?
Conception is possible about two weeks after menstruation,
when ovulation takes place. For about 24 hours the female ovum is capable of
being fertilised by male sperm. This sperm can live in the woman's body for
2-4 days. To calculate the expected date of delivery (your EDD): add 9
months and 7 days to the date when you last began your period.
This "birthday" is not entirely accurate, but most babies are born within a
week on either side of the EDD. If your menstrual cycle is longer than 28
days, conception probably took place more than two weeks after the start of
your last period, and the baby will therefore be born 'late'.
back to top
Girl or boy?
The male sperm determines the sex of your baby. Men have
two types of spermatozoa, some of which produce girls, others boys.
Sometimes some of the man's spermatozoa are more virile, so he fathers all
girls or all boys.
back to top
Pregnancy - a time to prepare
Baby changes family’s life
The birth of a new baby means a big change in the life of
every member of the family. It quite frequently happens that parents
expecting their first baby do not fully realise that the baby will to begin
with demand every moment of their attention. Everything they think, say and
do will revolve round the baby.
Pregnancy gives you time to prepare for this. You will have to decide where
the baby is going to sleep. There are clothes, a cot and other things you'll
need, to buy or borrow. Who is going to look after the baby, and how? All in
all pregnancy gives you a chance to get in the right frame of mind to
receive the baby. Becoming a father or mother brings responsibility, worries
and fears. It is nevertheless an experience that is infinitely rich
-probably one of the most rewarding in your whole life.
back to top
Doubts are natural.
However pleased you are to be pregnant, you are sure to
have your doubts from time to time. All of a sudden you may be gripped by
fear. You wish you could call the whole thing off, sidestep the enormous
commitment of being responsible for the life of another. All expectant mums
and dads have thoughts like this, and the more you can discuss them with
someone you trust, the quicker you can forget them. There's no need to feel
guilty about having such thoughts. They won't harm the baby, and thinking
things over helps people to mature as mothers and fathers.
Most women claim they have never in their lives felt better than they do
while they're pregnant, and everything goes well. Even so they may be
vulnerable and sensitive. The first pregnancy in particular means a
considerable change in a woman's life: motherhood is a major challenge. One
day she was just a girl, the next she must assume the role of an adult
woman. A change of life such as this means learning new attitudes and
skills, and it takes a lot of energy.
back to top
Mood changes
During pregnancy a lot of changes take place in the
mother's body, and her hormones cause some sudden shifts of mood. She may
find herself crying at the slightest provocation, get depressed and offended
over quite tri- vial things. She also needs more assurance than usual of her
partner's love and support.
The growing baby takes a lot of the mother's strength, so she needs plenty
of rest. Pregnancy is, however, a natural state, not an illness. So there is
no reason to curl up into a ball and get depressed. It helps to talk, to
keep suitably busy, go for a walk, listen to music, etc.
back to top
Mother's fears
Many things may seem frightening during pregnancy. Will I
be a good mot- her? Can I be sure my baby will be normal? What if I'm unable
to care for it and love it? And what if it does nothing but cry -what do I
do then? Can we afford it? Will I still be sexually attractive with a huge
tummy and after the baby's born? The mother herself knows that some of her
fears sound stupid and even ridiculous to others. But she may be deeply
offended if others fail
to take her seriously. She needs encouragement and tenderness so that she
can in turn be tender to her child.
back to top
The health centre antenatal clinic
The health centre aims to promote the health of mot her and baby and to prepare the family for the delivery and to welcome the baby. It is important to contact the clinic as early as possible. Even if you decide to consult a private doctor during pregnancy, you can still join in the antenatal classes at the clinic and consult the health nurse.
Your first visit
The purpose of all the examinations made at the antenatal
clinic and the many questions you will be asked is to assess your general
state of health and to pinpoint any possible risks. On your first visit the
nurse will do a blood test (to establish your blood group, haemoglobin
count, Rhesus blood group and to check for venereal disease), take a sample
of urine (to check your albumen, glucose and bacteria count), take your
blood pressure and check your height and weight. Some health centres also do
an AIDS test with the mother's consent. These tests are usually done by the
health nurse. On your first visit to the doctor he or she will do an
internal examination to check that the uterus corresponds to the estimated
state of pregnancy and to determine the position of the uterus. Most mothers
visit the doctor three times during pregnancy. To begin with they visit the
health nurse about once a month, then from the 28th week onwards once a
fortnight and from the 35th week onwards once a week.
back to top
Later visits
At your second and subsequent visits to the antenatal
clinic you will be weighed, have your blood pressure checked and a urine
specimen taken. Your haemoglobin count will be checked once a month. Your
weekly weight gain will be checked, because if your weight goes up too much
or too little, it may be a sign of some complication. Keep a watch out for
any swelling. The health nurse will also listen to the baby's heart and
check its position. If necessary the doctor or health nurse will send you to
the hospital antenatal clinic for further examination.
back to top
Special care
Special care may be prescribed during pregnancy if
- you have a long-term, chronic illness
- you are expecting twins (multiple birth)
- you are under 18 or over 35 and expecting your first baby
- you are over 38 and are expecting your second or subsequent baby
- your blood pressure is high
- you have itching and yellow skin
- you contract German measles (rubella) in the early stages of pregnancy
- you have an infection of the vagina.
Clinic for fathers, too
Both mothers and fathers are welcome at the clinic. The
antenatal classes are intended for mothers and fathers alike. It's good for
the father to know what instructions his wife has been given, to prepare for
the coming baby and to acquire the necessary facts and skills. If possible
you should start attending antenatal classes in about the 20th week and
continue once a week for at least six weeks. Almost all hospitals allow
fathers to be present at the birth.
Don't hesitate to ask the doctor and health nurse any questions you may
have, and to discuss such things as depression, family problems and fears.
They may, if they think it's necessary, refer you to a welfare worker,
psychologist, specialist doctor, etc.
back to top