Prenatal care routine

The core essence of prenatal care is to dynamically adjust the three core directions of maternal and fetal sign monitoring, daily diet and exercise regulation, and psychological state intervention based on the gestational age, basic physical conditions, and pregnancy complications of the individual pregnant woman. There is no standardized process that suits everyone. The ultimate goal of all care plans is to reduce pregnancy risks and ensure maternal and fetal safety.

I have been working in obstetric clinics for 8 years, and I have seen too many pregnant mothers come over with the "10 must-dos for prenatal care" found online and ask whether any of them they failed to do will affect their children. In fact, there is really no need to be too dogmatic. As for the issue of counting fetal movements that everyone is most confused about, there are actually two parallel guidelines in the industry: Most domestic obstetrics and gynecology guidelines still recommend counting for one hour each day in the morning, middle and evening after 28 weeks. Fetal movements of no less than three times per hour are considered normal, and one continuous movement is counted. This is suitable for pregnant mothers with high-risk factors such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, and abnormal umbilical blood flow. ； However, the guidelines of many obstetrical associations in Europe and the United States prefer that as long as the pregnant mother can sense the general pattern of fetal movements every day, there is no need to deliberately set an alarm clock. As long as the fetal movements on a certain day are more or less than one-third than usual before going to the hospital, it is more suitable for low-risk pregnant women who are sensitive to the baby's movements and are not prone to anxiety. There is actually nothing wrong with either of these, the key is to adapt to your situation. I once met a 34-week pregnant mother who had her second child. Her first child had a history of fetal arrest in the third trimester. We specifically told her to count the fetal movements. She also paid attention to it. At 36 weeks, she found that the fetal movements were half less than usual. She came for a fetal monitor and found signs of intrauterine hypoxia. The caesarean section was performed on the same day. The baby was safe. If she had not paid attention, the consequences would have been really disastrous.

In addition to keeping an eye on the movement of the little one in your belly, you also need to pay attention to several indicators on your body. Many people think that they have to measure their weight and blood pressure every time they have a prenatal check-up and just ignore it at home. In fact, you can prepare an electronic blood pressure monitor and measure it twice a week. If you feel dizzy or your feet are so swollen that they won’t bounce back after a long time after being pressed, don’t take it seriously. Hypertension during pregnancy is really not a trivial matter. Don’t stick to the “standard line” of 12.5kg when it comes to weight gain. If you were obese before pregnancy and had a BMI over 28, a gain of 7-10kg during the entire pregnancy is enough. If you were underweight before pregnancy, it’s totally fine to gain a little more.

This is really the most asked question. Many people are forced to drink various tonic soups by their elders as soon as they are pregnant, such as chicken soup and pigeon soup. After drinking it, the weight increases, and finally the blood sugar is also high, and the baby becomes too big to be born. Now there are different opinions in the nutrition field. It used to be said that DHA, vitamins, and calcium supplements are necessary during pregnancy. Now more and more studies show that if you have a balanced diet, drink 300ml of milk every day, eat a pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits, and have no shortage of meat and eggs, then other supplements except folic acid in early pregnancy are not necessary. Of course, if you are lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk, or you are a picky eater and don't like to eat vegetables, then you still need to take supplements. There is also the "taboo" issue that everyone is most concerned about. In fact, there are really not that many things that cannot be eaten, such as milk tea, hot pot, and ice cream. As long as you eat it without any discomfort, it is perfectly fine to eat in moderation. For example, if a pregnant mother with sugar control wants to drink milk tea, she can choose three-point sugar without any additives and drink it once a week to satisfy her cravings. It is much better than if you hold it in and end up drinking two large cups at a time. There was a pregnant mother who was very strict at home and refused to touch anything sweet. As a result, when she was 32 weeks pregnant, she secretly hid outside and ate an entire cream cake. Her blood sugar spiked to 11 that day, and she was immediately detained and hospitalized for blood sugar adjustment. The gain outweighed the loss.

You have to move after eating, but this exercise also depends on your own situation. Don't listen to others who say you should walk more or just walk. Some people say that you should do more midwifery exercises and yoga during pregnancy to help facilitate a smooth delivery. Others say that you should lie down more during pregnancy to nourish the fetus. Both of these are right and wrong. If your placenta is in a normal position and you don’t have problems such as threatened miscarriage or cervical insufficiency, then walking for 30-40 minutes every day or doing gentle pregnancy yoga will really help control your weight and save you from suffering during childbirth. But if you have a low-lying placenta, cervical insufficiency, or frequent uterine contractions, you'd better just lie down and don't mess around. There was a pregnant mother who was found to have a cervical canal of only 2.1cm at 24 weeks. The doctor told her to move less and lie down more, but she refused to listen and said that others were doing midwifery exercises for a good birth. She followed the blogger at home every day. As a result, she came to the hospital with bleeding at 26 weeks of pregnancy. She then stayed in the hospital for two weeks and lay down the whole time. The cervical canal slowly increased to 2.8cm. Finally, at 39 weeks, she gave birth to a little girl weighing more than 6 pounds. Now I am scared to think about it.

In fact, many people ignore psychological care. I have seen many pregnant mothers who have no physical problems, but are anxious every day, cannot eat well or sleep well. In the end, their blood pressure is high and their fetal movements are disordered. When the due date is approaching, many people watch various birth videos every day. The more they watch, the more scared they become and they can't sleep at night. In fact, there is really no need. Everyone's birth situation is different, and other people's experiences do not represent yours. We generally recommend that pregnant mothers should not browse this kind of content before going to bed, and instead watch more funny variety shows and listen to music. Family members should not surround you every day and say "you must have a good time" and "you must give birth to a healthy baby", which will invisibly put pressure on you. If you really feel that your emotions are not right, don't hold it in, tell your family, or talk to the prenatal doctor. If it doesn't work, there is no shame in talking to a psychological counselor.

In fact, after saying so much, you can also see that the so-called "prenatal care routine" is never a dead rule printed on paper. It is living and can change at any time according to your situation. You don’t have to force yourself to be perfect in every item, and you don’t have to be anxious because you don’t meet the “standards” mentioned online. Pregnancy is a natural process. If you are comfortable, your baby will be comfortable too, which is better than anything else. If you are really unsure about something, don't search all kinds of maternal and child forums to ask strangers, just ask your prenatal doctor. He knows your situation best and can give you more reliable advice than you can search for ten or eight strategies.