Prenatal care issues

There is never a universal standard answer to the core issue of prenatal care. All care plans must be dynamically adjusted based on the individual physical condition of pregnant women and changes in gestational age. Blindly copying a unified template may easily bring health risks.

To be honest, I have been in the obstetrics clinic for almost 7 years, and I have seen too many pregnant mothers fall into the trap of "standardized strategies". Last week, I met a 32-year-old pregnant mother who was pregnant with her second child. When she was having her first child, she followed the internet celebrity’s guide. She walked 10,000 steps every day, took 3 kinds of health supplements, and drank two large bowls of bone soup. In the end, her feet were so swollen that she had to wear size 42 men’s slippers. Her blood sugar was still stuck at the critical value of gestational diabetes. She suffered from the same sin. After her second child, she learned wisely. She told the doctor all her past medical history, allergies, and daily routine during the first prenatal check-up. Her habit of drinking an iced American once a week was even retained in the tailor-made plan. Her weight increased by 11 kilograms during the entire pregnancy, and the baby was born 6 kilograms and 8 taels naturally. Both mother and daughter went smoothly.

If you compare the obstetric care manual from 10 years ago with the latest "Guidelines for Pre-Pregnancy and Pregnancy Health Care", you will find that many requirements have changed, and even different schools of thought on the same issue can quarrel. Let’s talk about exercise during pregnancy. The older generation always said, “You need to lie down more when you’re pregnant. If you move too much, it’s easy to fall off.” Now, many parenting bloggers shout, “Walking 10,000 steps a day will reduce the pain of a normal delivery.” This is actually wrong in clinical practice: If you have placenta previa or cervical insufficiency, walking 10,000 steps or standing for more than half an hour may be risky. It’s best to stay in bed as directed by your doctor. ； But if you have exercise habits before pregnancy, your body parameters are all normal, and you can run, jump, and practice yoga appropriately during pregnancy, there will be no problem. In our midwives circle, there are nurses who even ran a half-marathon when they were 8 months pregnant, and the prenatal check-up will be green. Oh, by the way, someone asked before whether sexual intercourse is allowed during pregnancy. This is even more controversial. Some doctors strictly require that the first three and the last three are absolutely prohibited. Some people think that as long as there is no bleeding and the placenta is in a normal position, the whole process is OK. To put it bluntly, it depends on your own physical feelings. There is no one-size-fits-all rule.

Speaking of the pitfalls of standardization, there are actually more misunderstandings about diet. “I don’t know how many people have been fooled by this saying. Last year, there was a pregnant mother whose family members stewed bird’s nests and made bone soup for her every day. Seven months into her pregnancy, her blood lipids exceeded twice the normal value, and her baby was two weeks too big. Finally, she suffered two sins by post-mortem. The baby was born weighing 8 and a half pounds, a macrosomia, and the risk of subsequent obesity is higher than that of ordinary children. Now the requirements of the nutrition department are that it is best to control the weight gain during pregnancy to about 12.5 kilograms. Unless you are thin or pregnant with multiple fetuses, there is really no need to eat too much extra supplements. It is enough to eat normally and supplement folic acid, calcium, and iron according to the blood test results. Not everyone needs to take folic acid until birth. If you have a low risk of folic acid metabolism, you can stop taking it until 12 weeks of pregnancy. These are all based on personal reports. Don't just follow the trend and buy what others take.

What is more easily ignored than physical care is actually emotional issues. Current data shows that the incidence rate of prenatal anxiety is almost 30%, but there are different opinions on whether to intervene in this matter: Psychiatric colleagues generally believe that if you have insomnia that lasts for more than two weeks, inexplicable crying, and uncontrollable worry about the health of the fetus, it is best to intervene as soon as possible for counseling, and in severe cases, medication ； But the view of most obstetricians is that as long as the anxiety is not pathological, most of it can be alleviated by chatting more with pregnant mothers of the same gestational age and asking family members to accompany them for walks. I met a pregnant mother who was 34 weeks pregnant. She bought a popular fetal heart rate monitor at home. One afternoon she couldn't find the fetal heart rate and she was so scared that she cried for two hours at home. She came to the hospital to check that nothing was wrong. Later, I asked her to put away the device and just come to the hospital for monitoring once a week as required. She has never had anxiety again. Oh, by the way, some people ask whether cosmetics and skin care products can be used during pregnancy. This has been debated for many years. In fact, ordinary moisturizing products from regular brands can be used. If you don't need anything, replace it with "pregnant women only". Just avoid the explicitly banned ingredients such as retinol and salicylic acid. There is really no need to worry about this for a long time. Your happiness is more important than anything else.

To put it bluntly, prenatal care is actually like adjusting the milk tea you often drink. There is no fixed standard of sugar and ice content. It is the best solution if it is comfortable to drink and all indicators during each prenatal check-up are within the normal range. Of course, this does not mean that you should come here without any boundaries. You should not smoke or drink, do not come into contact with toxic and harmful substances, have prenatal check-ups on time, and see a doctor as soon as possible if you feel uncomfortable. These bottom lines must be maintained. Don't be too harsh on yourself for the rest. When you feel comfortable, the baby in your belly will feel comfortable as well.