BEING PREGNANT

 It is quite overwhelming for most women when they find out they are pregnant! With the aid of the new applications that track women’s menstrual cycle and the new urine pregnancy tests, most women who seek gynaecologic advice are about 6 weeks pregnant. Having the anxious couple in the consultation rooms waiting to see the little growing fetus on ultrasound can be very nerve-wracking for an ob-gyn. We want to see the little gestational sac with a tiny fetal pole showing us a flickering heartbeat. A failing pregnancy with no fetal pole, an empty uterus, or an ectopic pregnancy is certainly not the kind of news I want to give to the expecting mothers.

A lot of physical changes happen to the body in the first three months of the pregnancy such as tender breasts and slight weight gain. Fatigue can be so severe that some women can just fall asleep in the middle of the dinner. It is a sign for our pregnant ladies to slow down and take it easy while that little human is growing inside their uterus. It is mostly attributed to increased progesterone levels in the body. 

The nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, also known as the morning sickness is more prominent in the first three months. It can range from funny cravings to very severe symptoms that lead to the mothers being hospitalized for intravenous fluids. It usually does get better in the second trimester. There are various over-the-counter and prescription medications for this condition. We all start with lifestyle modifications such as light snacks and meals and various food preparations containing ginger. Constipation is also another major complaint by pregnant women. 

The emotional part of the pregnancy is also big for the mothers. There are days when women burst with joyful anticipation and days when they are terrified of what the future holds. There is a lot of joy, fear, and uncertainty. I personally feared having another pregnancy loss or having an abnormal baby due to my age. The other challenge for me was that my registrar training was coming to an end and I was about 20 weeks pregnant when I went for my job interviews. I hid the pregnancy because I knew a lot of employers avoid hiring pregnant women. 

It is important for women to start their pregnancy supplements such as Folic acid as soon as they find out they are pregnant. It is advised to avoid iron supplements in the first trimester if they have severe nausea and vomiting. They should attend a midwife or a gynaecologist by 10 weeks of gestation to do the basic boking blood tests, NIPT tests, and have a baseline dating ultrasound. Try and get enough rest and sleep and enjoy every moment of your pregnancy!