Pregnancy Care - Overview, Importance and Impact

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Medically Reviewed by Dr. Arti Sharma
Written by Hexahealth Care Team, last updated on 12 December 2023| min read
Pregnancy Care - Overview, Importance and Impact

Quick Summary

  • Pregnancy care, often known as prenatal care, is health treatment provided to a woman while she is pregnant.
  • Prenatal care can help expectant mothers, and their babies stay healthy if they seek it early and regularly.
  • Doctors can detect and treat any abnormalities that arise as soon as possible with regular care.

Pregnancy care, often known as prenatal care, is health treatment provided to a woman while she is pregnant. Prenatal care can help expectant mothers, and their babies stay healthy if they seek it early and regularly. Doctors can detect and treat any abnormalities that arise as soon as possible with regular care.

Confirming the Pregnancy

A home pregnancy test can detect pregnancy as early as two weeks after conception. The pregnancy test checks for the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in urine. The placenta produces HCG hormone after conception. If your result is positive, you can visit your doctor to confirm your pregnancy.

The nine months of pregnancy are segregated into three parts: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester.

 

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Risk about pregnancy

Some health problems might occur during pregnancy like:

  1. Severe vomiting in pregnancy
  2. Vomiting is common during the first trimester; however, some might experience severe vomiting that can last the entire pregnancy.
  3. Severe vomiting during pregnancy is called hyperemesis gravidarum.
  4. This condition can cause weight loss, dehydration, dizziness, or reduced appetite.
  5. High blood pressure
  6. Also called gestational hypertension. It goes away after childbirth.
  7. This condition might occur during the second half of pregnancy.
  8. Hypertension can make it difficult for blood to reach the placenta, thereby slowing the growth of the baby.
  9. This condition can be managed by taking medications during pregnancy.
  10. Gestational diabetes
  11. Uncontrolled sugar can increase the risk of getting high blood pressure during pregnancy.
  12. It can also increase the risk for c-section delivery and having a large infant.
  13. High blood sugar during pregnancy can also be managed by taking medications prescribed by your doctor.
  14. Itching and intrahepatic cholestasis 
  15. Itching is common during pregnancy, which might occur due to raised hormone levels in your blood or due to stretching of your abdomen. 
  16. Itching can also indicate intrahepatic cholestasis (also called ICP or obstetric cholestasis), which is a liver condition.
  17. ICP can cause symptoms like:
  18. Itching, particularly in your hands and feet, which is worse at night
  19. Yellowing of the white portion of the eyes or the skin (less common symptom)
  20. Darke urine
  21. Pale stools
  22. To manage this condition, your doctor may recommend creams and medications.
  23. Deep vein thrombosis
  24. It is a serious condition where a blood clot forms in any of the body’s deep veins, mainly in the leg.
  25. Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include:
  26. Tenderness, pain, redness, or swelling in the calf
  27. Heavy pain in your affected leg
  28. If this clot breaks off and enters your bloodstream, it can block any blood vessel in the lungs, leading to pulmonary embolism.
  29. Medications like heparin are usually administered for this condition to dissolve blood clots.

Signs of Labor Pain

Labour is a process in which your body naturally delivers the baby. To know if your labour pains have begun, watch out for symptoms like:

  1. Contractions 
  2. It May feel like extreme period of pain
  3. Will last for at least one minute
  4. Come after every five minutes
  5. Back pain
  6. Water breaking, which feels like a sudden burst or a slow trickle of water coming out from your vagina
  7. An urge to urinate
  8. A jelly-like sticky substance comes out of the vagina.
  9. Visit your doctor when you notice any signs of labour.

 

Updated on : 12 December 2023

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational and learning purposes only. It doesn't cover every medical condition and might not be relevant to your personal situation. This information isn't medical advice, isn't meant for diagnosing any condition, and shouldn't replace talking to a certified medical or healthcare professional.

Reviewer

Dr. Arti Sharma

Dr. Arti Sharma

MBBS, DNB Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Diploma In Cosmetic Gynaecology

8 Years Experience

Dr Arti Sharma is a well-known Obstetrician and Cosmetic Gynaecologist currently associated with Aesthetica Veda in Bengaluru. She has 8 years of experience in Obstetrics and Cosmetic Gynaecology and worked as an expert Obstetrician...View More

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HexaHealth Care Team

HexaHealth Care Team brings you medical content covering many important conditions, procedures falling under different medical specialities. The content published is thoroughly reviewed by our panel of qualified doctors for its accuracy and relevance.

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