What to expect when you’re expecting
SINCE it was published in 2002, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” now in its fourth edition, is one of the world’s bestselling books on the subject of pregnancy. Besides choosing a good obstetrician, an expectant woman should purchase a good book that answers all her questions in a clear, comprehensive and month-by-month format.
Pregnant women, especially when they are expecting their first baby, need to be constantly informed and reassured. I can still remember how worried I was during the first months of my pregnancy. I had so many questions and the visits to the obstetrician were scheduled only on a monthly basis. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” was the perfect surrogate obstetrician; it provided me with reliable answers to my questions at all times of the day and the night.
Women expecting their second child should know that no two pregnancies are alike. Having said that, it is a fact that during a second pregnancy, a woman will look pregnant sooner, due to abdominal and uterine muscles that are more lax. She will also very often have a “bump” much sooner than she did the first time. Furthermore, thanks to looser muscles, she will be able to feel the baby kicking much sooner, as early as 16 to 18 weeks.
Regarding the pregnancy diet, the saying that a pregnant woman is eating for two is true. However, one of the two is a tiny developing fetus whose caloric needs reach only around 300 calories a day.
“Consuming calories beyond what your baby needs for growth and what you need for baby-making is not only unnecessary but unwise. Eating too few calories, on the other hand, is not only unwise but also potentially dangerous. Women who don’t take in sufficient calories during pregnancy, particularly in the second and third trimester, can seriously damage the development of their babies,” explained the authors.
In short, a pregnant woman who gains an average of one pound a week in the second and third trimester is getting the right amount of calories. Every pregnant woman should keep her weight gain as steady as possible, without any sudden jumps or drops. A baby requires a steady daily intake of nutrients throughout the pregnancy, which can only come through a balanced diet. A nutritionally sound diet will better the chances of a normal birth weight, improve fetal brain development, reduce the risk of certain birth defects and even make it more likely that a baby will grow to be a healthy adult.
Unless there is a need to abstain from exercise on a doctor’s orders, it is a known fact that a good exercise program can give a pregnant woman more energy, increase her mental and physical wellbeing, improve sleeping, strengthen muscles, increase endurance, reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling of hands and feet. All that may even increase the mother’s chances to cope better with labor.
Moderate exercise such as daily walking, swimming and cycling on a stationary bike at a comfortable speed are recommended. But a pregnant woman should never exercise to the point of exhaustion. The chemical by-products of overexertion are not good for the fetus. It is easy to check whether you are overdoing it. If it feels good, it is probably OK. If you feel any pain or strain, it is not a good sign. Basically, a pulse that is still over 100 beats per minute after completing a workout means you have worked too much. As soon as you feel tired, you should stop exercising right away.
Incidentally, scientists have found that pregnant women attract twice as many mosquitoes as non-pregnant women do. One reason might be due expectant mothers’ higher body temperatures, which attract these heat-seeking insects. Another might be that mosquitoes are fond of carbon dioxide, this friendly gas that pregnant women release more frequently because they take more frequent breaths.
Expectant women are mostly worried about the question of labor and delivery, yet both labor and delivery have never been safer and more manageable than they are today.
“These are the best years in history to be expecting a baby. In recent decades, there has been a remarkable improvement in the outcome of human pregnancy for mothers and infants. Women enter pregnancy healthier and they get better, more complete prenatal care,” said Dr. Richard Aubry.
Although the fear of pain is a great concern, expectant mothers will be relieved to know that the amount of pain perceived can be easily controlled by a number of factors.
Fatigue, being alone, anxiety, hunger and thirst as well as fear of the unknown can increase the feeling of pain. On the other hand, the pain will be decreased if a future mother is surrounded by her loved ones and also, if she has her facts straight about labor and delivery in advance. No matter how intense the discomfort, it won’t last forever and the reward is a beautiful baby!
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” provides accurate, up-to-date, and medically sound information with a focus on lifestyle and nutrition in a practical month-bymonth format.
“Its accurate and up-to-the-minute medical detail, particularly the clarity of its sections on genetics, teratology (abnormal developments), preterm labor, delivery, cesarean section, and again, lactation, are outstanding,” said Aubry.
All in all, here is a reader-friendly book which will not only help expectant mothers worry less but also enjoy their pregnancies more. We have all been told that optimistic people live longer and healthier lives and now it is been suggested that a pregnant woman’s optimism improves the outlook for her unborn baby. A recent study showed that seeing the bright side reduces the chance of a high-risk woman delivering a preterm or low birth weight baby.