Antenatal Care in Lucknow

Importance of Antenatal Care

Antenatal care, also known as pregnancy care, maternity care, or prenatal care, is crucial for ensuring the health of both the mother and her unborn baby throughout pregnancy. This form of preventive healthcare provides essential support and advice to manage health effectively.

• Protects health of pregnant women and their unborn child
• Reduces the risk of pregnancy complications
• Reduces the baby’s risk of complications
• Provides regular monitoring and screening to detect and manage early complications such as hypertension and pregnancy-related diabetes
• Offers appropriate nutritional advice for the growth and development of your baby
• Includes screening for specific conditions and diseases that could impact pregnancy
• Raises awareness on recognizing danger signs and creates a complication readiness plan

1st Trimester Visit

It's important to schedule your first prenatal appointment as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed. The first trimester includes several key components:

Medical History

You'll provide information about:

• Previous pregnancies, menstrual health, and gynecological history
• Personal medical history
• Exposure to toxic substances
• Medications and supplements
• Lifestyle habits such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine use
• Travel history to areas with infectious diseases

Estimation of Due Date

Your due date is estimated based on the first day of your last period, marking 40 weeks from that date. This helps in monitoring pregnancy progress and scheduling tests.

Physical Examination

• Blood pressure assessment
• Measurement of body weight and height
• Calculation of BMI for healthy weight gain recommendations
• Examination of breast, pelvis, heart, lungs, and thyroid

Blood Tests

Includes checking blood type, hemoglobin levels, immunity to specific infections, and screening for other infections such as HIV and syphilis.

Screening for Abnormalities

May include prenatal genetic testing, ultrasound, and blood tests for genetic abnormalities.

Lifestyle Issues and Recommendations

Your doctor will advise on diet, prenatal vitamins, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. This is also the time to stop any harmful medications and habits.

2nd Trimester Visit

During the second trimester, care focuses on monitoring baby’s growth and assessing maternal health:

Tracking Baby’s Growth

The distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus is measured.

Identifying Baby’s Heartbeat

A Doppler instrument may be used to detect the heartbeat.

Assessment of Baby’s Movements

Discuss when to expect to feel baby’s kicks or flutters.

Additional Tests

• Blood tests for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, blood count, iron levels, and diabetes screening
• Ultrasound for assessing baby’s images

3rd Trimester Visit

The focus shifts to monitoring the baby's position and conducting frequent health checks for the mother:

Review and Health Checks

• Assessment of contractions and signs of labor
• Routine checks of weight gain and blood pressure
• Monitoring baby’s movements and heartbeat
• Assessing baby’s position; ideally, the baby should be in the anterior position (head down)

If the baby is not in the optimal position, options for repositioning or a C-section delivery will be discussed.

Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

• Discuss all concerns and questions with your healthcare provider during each visit
• Attend all prenatal check-ups to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy