HAVING A HEALTHY PREGNANCY: What’s New?
So maybe your little person (or people) are on the way! We are great at planning our weddings, parties or housebuilding but it is also important to look at what will help you to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible.
Pre Pregnancy Planning
We know that prior to pregnancy taking folic acid is very important. Sometimes women need a higher dose than the over the counter tablet so always check with your GP. Women who have a pre-existing medical condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes can benefit from a preconceptual check up with their GP or obstetrician. At The Scotia Clinic we are very lucky to now have Triona Casey on our team. Triona is a nurse with huge experience in women’s health and paediatrics. She now provides women’s health checks for our clients. We also recommend nutrition consultations in some circumstances.
It is also strongly recommended that people complete their Covid vaccines prior to pregnancy. Research now shows that Covid infections in pregnancy in non-vaccinated women are associated with pregnancy loss.
New Tests and Treatments in Early Pregnancy
Research shows that certain groups of women who previously had a miscarriage can benefit from progesterone treatment as soon as their scan shows an ongoing pregnancy. Check this out in the NICE guidelines.
Some women with a history of preterm delivery can also benefit from progesterone so this can be discussed with your doctor.
Other women may benefit from aspirin from early pregnancy, particularly if they have a risk of pre-eclampsia.
Nowadays more parents are considering prenatal testing called NIPT tests for early screening for Down Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. This consists of a blood test from mom and can be done from 10 weeks of pregnancy. We now use a German laboratory which provides quick turnaround of results. The results complement the anatomy (20 week) scan and, in fact, the anatomy scan is being brought forward earlier now that ultrasound scanning has improved so much.
As part of your early scan some clinics will also screen for pre-eclampsia
Being Healthy in Pregnancy
Irish women are very lucky that our laws protect pregnancy so well. Every woman is entitled to a healthy workplace.
Finding time to keep your body healthy is important. We now promote a pregnancy specific exercise programme called Hopscotch which was designed in National Maternity Hospital (NMH)and has been shown to benefit a healthy labour. Check out The Scotia Clinic YouTube channel for our videos on how to safely and effectively perform Hopscotch.
Healthy eating in pregnancy is also important for you and your baby. There is now a smartphone app called Hollestic, also designed by NMH, that we recommend to all our Scotia patients.
All women attending us for pregnancy care get access to all of these educational resources.
Feeding Your Baby
We strongly recommend our moms to breastfeed. Education on breastfeeding in advance is the key to success. Our online and face to face classes with Lactation Consultant, Anna O’Donoghue, cover all topics including colostrum harvesting. She can also provide colostrum harvesting kits.
Preparing for The Birth of Your Baby
In addition to your doctor / midwife visits, exploring antenatal education options is very important. This allows women to look at what will give them the most positive experience. Each hospital now provides online classes without charge. Our YouTube channel also has videos on all aspects of education with a strong physiotherapy input. Many couples like to explore GentleBirth options which can be accessed by using the app or doing a Gentle Birth class. Currently, most classes are by Zoom which means you can access classes anywhere in the country. Check out fearlessbirth.ie or saolu.gentlebirthwithaisling.
Emotional health is also important and we often recommend art or music therapy to help with those who find their anxiety is a bit worse.
Lots of new and exciting options for women now include water immersion- being in a warm bath once labour is established. This will soon be a reality at UHK.
So whether your pregnancy is straightforward or a little complex, we want to think that we can as much as possible.
Having your little ones is an exciting time. Yes, Covid has made it a little more complicated to navigate but your healthcare team are here to help.
Resources
Check out our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube resources
Breastfeeding Kerry also have excellent social media resources.
For More Information contact us on:
PH: (066) 7181100
EMAIL: Reception@scotiaclinic.ie
