NewZNew (S A S Nagar) : Gaining 11-15 kg is considered normal during pregnancy, and anything under or above this needs medical attention. This and many other tips were shared with 50 odd expecting couples by a multi-speciality team of doctors at special session on ‘Making Pregnancy & Childbirth a Fulfilling Experience’ organized on the eve of Mother’s Day at Fortis Hospital Mohali on Saturday. Fun games and experience sharing by women who have already delivered to allay the fears of expecting moms went well with the talks by doctors.
Dr Ritambhra Bhalla, Consultant – Gynaecology & Obstetrics, said the goal of the session was to emphasize on the message of ‘Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies’. Dr Ashwini Sharma, Consultant – Aneasthesiology, Dr Sunil K Agrawal, Consultant – Neonatology and Dr Rabia Kapur, Fitness Trainer & Childbirth Educator also addressed the audience.
“After conception, there are certain changes that occur in a woman’s body. Hereon, she starts preparing for the baby’s growth in the womb and her arrival. For us to ensure that the mother and baby both are healthy, we follow an integrated approach that includes the participation of an obstetrician, a paediatrician, a nutritionist and a childbirth educator,” said Dr Ritambhra.
She advised the women on how to cope with the changes during pregnancy. “Common and expected problems are backache, fatigue, heartburn, leg cramps, mouth and tooth changes, breathlessness, emotional changes and headaches. Apart from these, women experience the problem of swollen feet (edema), dizziness (vena caval syndrome), skin changes and emotional changes.”
She also advised the women to see the doctor in case of excessive vomiting, vaginal bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain, fever, vaginal discharge or decreased fetal movement.
Busting the myths around epidurals, Dr Ashwini Sharma (Consultant – Anaesthesiology) spoke on ‘Painless labour and delivery’ and traced the history of ‘labour analgesia’. He educated the audience about different methods of labour analgesia and said it is heartening to see a new mother take the newborn into her arms while she is pain-free, and this can count as one of the most exciting and rewarding moments in medicine.
Throwing light on the care of newborn, Dr Sunil K Agrawal (Consultant – Neonatology) said care during the first hours, days and weeks of life determines whether babies remain healthy. “This includes immediate care after birth, care during the first day and up to 28 days,” he said. “Essential newborn care includes clean childbirth and cord care to prevent infection, thermal protection to prevent hypo or hyperthermia, early and exclusive breastfeeding within one hour of childbirth and initiation of breathing and resuscitation for early asphyxia identification and handling,” he added.