Pregnancy Questions (Frequently Asked Questions)

• What’s the ideal age for pregnancy?

         Mostly women are fertile during the age of 23-27, and continue up to 29 but after that chances of getting pregnant gradually falls down. This is the proper age range, in which she will be matured physically and mentally to be a mother.

• What are the ways to increase chances of pregnancy?

In a case of regular menstrual period chances of pregnancy are higher during the ovulation period and having regular love through out this period increases the chance of getting pregnant..

• What is ovulation?

The female gamete necessary for fertilization is called an egg (ovum).Every month an egg is released from the ovary .This is called as ovulation. Life span  of ovum is only  24 hours.

• How to calculate my day of ovulation?

     Every month usually it occurs around 10-14 th day of regular menstrual periods. Some women have vague pain in the abdomen during this time.

• What is male gamete called as?

It’s called as sperm and found in abundance in a liquid medium called as semen secreted by prostate gland.

• What is the life span of a sperm once entered the female reproductive organ?

Normally sperm is viable for 5-7 days inside the female organ, but it  highly depends on the temperature and other conditions there.

• Usually where the fertilization takes place?

           It takes place in the ovarian duct (fallopian duct) which connects the ovary and uterus.

• What are the things I should care about before getting pregnant?

The first and foremost thing is to maintain health body with a healthy weight.

Your food should be nourished with all kind of vitamins, minerals, protein .prenatal vitamins are available in the market .folic acid supplement Is considered to be vital. It should be started well in advance of three months before getting pregnant.

• What are the reasons for multiple births?

If a fertilized egg divides into two and develops it leads to identical twins, and if two sperms separately fertilize two eggs then it leads to non-identical or fraternal twins.

• What are the initial signs of pregnancy?

           There will be Implantation bleeding during the III-IV week of last menstrual period (LMP) and  Missed period if otherwise have a regular period.

• Pregnancy cards available in the market are confirmatory tests?

Pregnancy cards help us to know whether a woman is pregnant or not, sometimes false positive results are there. so its ideal to get it confirmed with a gynaecologist.

• Do I have bleeding in pregnancy?

Bleeding is seen in some pregnant women but spotting is quite common and if there is enormous bleeding then you should consult your gynaecologist.

• When should I go to Gynaecologists (first pregnancy visit)?

You can go to gynaecologists after your normal menstrual cycle is postponed by one week or two. It’s advisable to consult your doctor as early as possible.

•  What is  the information I should gather in my first appointment?

            One can get information about the symptoms she is experiencing, about the nutrition, exercises, weight gain, the activities she should avoid. She can get information about her due date.

• When is my first scan taken?

It depends on the local policy and your needs. Mostly it will be taken around 8 -12 th week to confirm /date the pregnancy and to check the position of attachment of embryo.

• What are the tests taken during my first visit?

      Through physical examination.

      Pap smear taken to rule any cervical cancers and sexually transmitted diseases.

      Ultra sound scan.

      Complete blood count.

            Urinalysis.

      Test to rule out sexually transmitted diseases & hepatitis.

• What is the size of my baby in first month?

By the end of first month it is around ¼ inches –size of a grain.

• What care should I take during first trimester?

This period you should be very careful as there are more chances of miscarriages during this time. You will be advised to avoid any strenuous work, and to take balanced nutrition better to follow the guidelines given by your doctor.

• Can I have sex during pregnancy?

It  is considered to be a safe act particularly during II Trimester. but care should be taken not to put weight on abdomen. physician advice should be sought.

• Why first trimester is so important and needed to be careful?

During this stage there are embryological changes (cell division) in the embryo leading to the formation of all organs. Hence this stage is very sensitive as the embryo is in primitive stage and and if the process is disturbed it leads to malformation.

• When will be my baby’s heart beat starts?

Babies heart beat starts at 5-6^th week.

• What happens in II trimester?

      In this stage there is  full blown growth of the foetus increasing the demand fom the  mother.During this stage the size of the foetus increases dramatically.

• when will be my abdomen show up ?

      Usually abdomen shows up at 5 th month and starts growing from that point.

• Do I have to take double the amount of food which I usually take?

It’s a general misconception. All we need is more of nutrition in terms of vitamins and minerals which are rich in fruits and vegetables. Their input should be increased as advised by doctors and not more than that.

• How my baby gets nutrition?

It is provided through your placenta.

• Why do I have back pain?

It is normal to have back pain and is due to arching of the spine(vertebral column)due   to shift in centre of gravity in the  third trimester.

• What’s the reason for constipation and what should I do?

This is due to the rise in progesterone (hormone) due to greater absorption of water from the bowel. Hence it can be compensated by drinking lots of water and taking lots of fibre rich fruits and vegetables.

• I have severe tooth pain; can I consult a dentist during pregnancy?

You can very well consult a dentist and minor treatments can be safely undertaken with proper precautions and if any stressful aspects included, then it can be safely done during II trimester.

• Is it normal to have increased urinary frequency?

Its normal due to compression of your uterus against your bladder but if you have associated pain then consult your doctor.

• What is my correct sleeping position during pregnancy?

Sleeping on your left is actually very good as it increases the blood supply to foetus and from II Trimester onwards one should avoid sleeping on back.

• Do the scans taken during pregnancy affect my baby?

Ultrasounds are considered relatively safe and have been used for 36 years.

• Do I have to avoid taking some drugs?

Some drugs have a detrimental effect on the developing foetus especially during the first trimester. Some of them are antibiotics, pain killers etc.so it advisable to take drugs with the advice of doctors.

• Can I do all my activities as usual?

You can always carry on with your normal routine but some tiring strenuous  work are better to avoid. you can always have an opinion with your doctor for this

• What is rhesus blood group do with pregnancy?

If mother is Rh – ve and father Rh+ ve it could lead to problems. Mostly first delivery will not be a problem but only the second.

• What s the normal range of weight gain during pregnancy?

Healthy weight gain of 12 to 17 kgs is considered to be normal.

• How come a baby can come out through the small vaginal opening?

Actually cervix which is the vaginal opening is expandable to larger extends and has the capacity to come back to its original size also.Oxytocin (hormone) which helps relaxing the cervix also helps the baby to come out. 

• What is epidural anaesthesia?

It’s a route of giving anaesthesia for the lower half of the body to become numb so that a woman won’t have that much of pain during pregnancy.

• Will delivery be very painful?

It is painful but it is bearable and varies from person to person based on their pain threshold.

• How to reduce my abdomen after delivery?

There are specific exercises and appliances for that.U can always follow your doctors advice for that.