The journey begins

Now that you have confirmed that you are pregnant , what next ?

Well, you celebrate with your spouse, share the good news with family and friends, and then....it is time to get yourself registered with a hospital.

It is usually advisable to register early enough, within the first three months .This will help to detect any issues that may pose a challenge to the well being of the mother and child. It is best to register at 8 weeks after the second missed period.

Most women are ignorant of this and so defer registering for antenatal care till the pregnancy is a bit advanced. They believe that there are no advantages in registering for antenatal or seeing a gynecologist in the first three months.
Please be aware that early commencement of antenatal care by pregnant women as well as regular visits have the potential to affect mother and child positively.

Now, when you pay a visit to your doctor, there are tests that you will be asked to perform. Some tests are done periodically while some are done every time you visit the doctor or midwife.

Some of the routine tests include:

•  Weight - Your doctor/midwife should be watching carefully for a sudden weight gain, which, combined with excessive swelling, could mean trouble. She will also take note if you aren't gaining enough weight, which could be dangerous for the developing baby. This is not the time to eat for two, as pregnant women are usually advised. Just ensure you eat healthy and regular meals.

•    Blood pressure -This must be tested at every visit to the clinic.it is very important. If your blood pressure is not regularly monitored , please bring this to the attention of your doctor. The first blood pressure test taken at your first visit  will be used  as a base to compare with all the others every month. A sudden rise in blood pressure  is a warning for a problem such as preeclampsia--a high-tech word for high blood pressure during pregnancy.

•   Urine Tests- This should also be done regularly, The nurses will give you a little paper strip    with some colors on them and ask you to pass your urine on it. They watch the color changes and this determines if there is a problem or not. Urine is tested for three things; presence of infection, protein,  which can be a sign of high blood pressure; and sugar, which can be a sign of diabetes.

Blood tests
A blood test is usually done during your first visit.
If your doctor doesn't already know the details about your blood, he or she will draw some blood early in the pregnancy.
The blood will be taken from a vein on the inside bend of your elbow. This blood will tell a lot about…

• Your blood group:  A, B, or O. This information is important in case a blood transfusion ever necessary.
• Your rhesus (Rh) blood group: Your Rh factor may be negative or positive. The difference means nothing unless you are negative and the baby's father is positive. In this case, your baby may be incompatible with your rhesus blood group, which can cause problems with future pregnancies. Knowing your blood type in advance lets your doctor prevent any trouble from occurring.
•  Hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin keeps red cells filled with oxygen. Hemoglobin levels often fall during pregnancy, causing anemia; your doctor will  want to make sure your levels don't go too low.
•  STDs: Because sexually transmitted diseases can cause many problems for the developing baby, your blood will be tested for Hepatitis B, HIV, and Syphilis.

It is also very important to have an ultrasound scan done to confirm the well being of the baby.
The early ultrasound scan apart from confirmation of the pregnancy is very useful for accurate dating of the pregnancy. Late scans are not as accurate.

I am sure by now you agree with me that registering early for antenatal care and more importantly going for your regular visits is really important. Some hospitals actually organize classes where they teach pregnant women a lot of things to expect as well as things to look out for .
The expectant mothers also get the chance to ask lots of questions. (I used to be too shy back then to ask questions especially with my first pregnancy .)
Take advantage of the classes if your hospital offers this.

There are lots of materials available too for regular studying , however, most importantly always refer to your doctor to clarify any concerns or to seek for information . Very important.

Don't go on this journey alone....