Expert shares essential prenatal and postnatal care tips – India TV

The joys of motherhood often take the spotlight in a new mother’s life but the intricacies and changes that come with being a mother are often left uncared. Every parent wants a positive birth experience, and to achieve this good prenatal and postnatal care is essential. Pregnancies are at times complicated by medical and surgical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid and others. 

Importance of prenatal and postnatal care

When we spoke to Dr Manjula NV, Consultant – Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, she said that regular antenatal or prenatal care is required for an uneventful normal pregnancy. This includes getting regular check-ups and blood work done with your OB-GYN doctor, avoiding substances like drugs, alcohol or Nicotine and having a detailed plan of action that caters to the well-being of both the mother and the foetus. 

Caring for the mother isn’t limited to prenatal and antenatal care. Post-natal care is as important as prenatal care. After ensuring that the baby is healthy, the mother should be paid attention to and cared for by encouraging a healthy and balanced diet, having a loved one or medical professional attend to all the needs of the mother and child and doing some gentle exercise, at the recommendation of a doctor.

In India, 22% of new mothers experience some form of postpartum depression (PPD) which means that a significant number of mothers go through a change of mood resulting in unhappiness or anxiousness post-childbirth. This can happen due to an array of reasons but most of the time, it is speculated to be the reproductive hormone changes post-delivery. PPD can be managed with non-pharmacological therapy (love and care), counselling as well as antidepressant drugs, at a doctor’s discretion.

Finally, it’s a HEALTHY HAPPY MOTHER AND BABY!

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