Early Pregnancy: What you need to know.
Dr Nicole White
So you are pregnant – no doubt you are excited, tired, maybe nauseous and perhaps a little bit apprehensive. Pregnancy is an amazing time of your life and I am lucky to be able to care for pregnant women in my practice. There is no doubt that being a healthy mother helps you to have an uncomplicated pregnancy and a healthy baby. Here are some of the tips that I share with expectant mums on their first visit.
The Practical Stuff
Your pregnancy dates are calculated from the first day of your last period, your due date will be 40 weeks from this day. So, by the time your period is late, you are usually 4-5 weeks pregnant. Time to see your GP!
Hopefully you have a regular GP who is familiar with your medical history. If not, then now is a good time to find one! You will need a GP throughout your pregnancy and even more so following the arrival of your baby.
At your first visit, your GP will go through your medical and family history to identify anything that might be relevant for your pregnancy. You will then have your first antenatal blood test which will:
confirm your pregnancy
ensure that you are in good general health and not low in things such as iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D which are important for pregnancy
check on your immunity to viruses such as Rubella and Chicken Pox and
check that you have not been exposed to viruses including Hepatitis B and C, HIV and Syphilis which may affect your pregnancy.
If you are due for your regular Cervical Screening Test then now is also the time to have this done.
Your GP may order an ultrasound scan, often called a dating scan. This is particularly important if your menstrual cycle is usually irregular or if you are unsure of the date of your last period. It can help to determine how far along your pregnancy is and can also confirm that things are progressing well in the early weeks.
You will also need a referral to a maternity unit for ongoing care of your pregnancy - there are a number of options for this including public hospital care, shared care between your GP and the public hospital and private obstetric care. If you live in a rural environment your own GP may be able to manage your entire pregnancy.
Optimising your health during pregnancy.
It is important to look after your own health at this time and your body will need some extra nutrients which will be included in a pregnancy supplement. There are many of these on the market so make sure the one you choose contains:
Folate (400mcg) which is essential for growth and development in humans, and
Iodine (150mcg) which is super important in pregnancy and is often lacking in our diets.
Iron requirements are much higher during pregnancy than at other times of your life. Good sources of iron in food include - red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes, lentils, beans, cashews, almonds, breakfast cereals fortified with iron and spinach. Most pregnancy supplements will also contain iron.
If you have an underlying medical condition, make sure you are in regular contact with you doctor to ensure that this is well managed to minimise the impact on your pregnancy. This is also the time to consider getting some support to help with smoking cessation as smoking during pregnancy can certainly be detrimental to your own health and that of your unborn baby.
Listeria Infection
You may have heard of an infection which can affect pregnancy known as Listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that lives in the environment and in some foods. In most cases it is harmless and infection may go unnoticed however in pregnant women Listeria infection can be a threat to the pregnancy and developing baby. You can minimise the risk of exposure to Listeria by practicing good food hygiene.
defrost foods in the fridge or microwave and do not leave hot foods on the bench to cool – put them straight in the fridge.
keep raw meats separate from other foods and make sure all meat products are thoroughly cooked
eat leftovers within 24 hours
make sure hot foods are hot and cold foods are cold when eating out
avoid high risk foods including unpasteurised dairy products, soft cheeses, soft serve ice cream / thickshakes, pate, cold meats, pre-prepared salads and raw or smoked seafood.
What about Alcohol?
Alcohol consumption can certainly affect the developing foetus. As we are unsure as to what a safe level of drinking is during pregnancy, the current guidelines recommend complete avoidance of alcohol altogether.
What about Medications?
Most medications are not safe during pregnancy. If you are on regular medication, make sure you discuss this with your doctor as soon as possible to determine whether it is safe to continue to take these. It is ok to use paracetamol for pain relief and your doctor can arrange a prescription for an anti-nausea preparation should this be required. Any other medicines should be discussed with your doctor.
What about Exercise?
It is fine and in fact I encourage you to continue with any exercise that you have been doing prior to falling pregnant as long as it remains comfortable. It is not ideal to embark on a new exercise program if you have not been exercising regularly before falling pregnant. As some of the pregnancy hormones can affect ligaments and tendons in the body, you need to be careful when doing resistance training with weights and this type of exercise is best minimised in pregnancy to avoid injury to yourself. Increased body temperatures can impact the developing foetus so it is important to avoid saunas, hot spa pools and hot baths while you are pregnant.
So, first things first – make an appointment with your GP to have an early pregnancy review and arrange the appropriate tests and referrals as needed.
In a future blog I will discuss other aspects of pregnancy care including different screening tests and ultrasound follow ups which are available and recommended.
Now, put your feet up and rest – you are going to need it!
