There isn't just enough time during your doctor's visit to ask everything and to know about everything to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Here are 6 pregnancy tips from Julie Revelant of Fox News and Loriel's personal blog:
1. Your doctor works for you.
It is your doctor's job to inform you of what you need to know to equip you throughout your pregnancy. However, it's important to remember that the decision will always depend on you. You still have choices in terms of your pregnancy, labor and delivery.
2. There is an alternative to the glucose drink.
Check out Loriel's discovery on her blog here. Loriel substituted the glucose drink for an organic orange juice, a piece of sourdough bread and two scrambled eggs. Ask your healthcare provider for an alternative.
3. The umbilical cord should not be cut immediately.
There are numerous studies that Loriel has cited on her blog that support the claim. She mentioned that infants who had delayed cord clamping were found to have 32 percent more blood volume compared to infants who had their cord cut immediately.
4. One week late is no reason to induce.
According to Evidence Based Birth, about half of first-time moms will give birth by 40 weeks and 5 days after their last menstrual period (LPM) while the other half giving birth after mentioned time. Half of the mothers who had delivered before will give birth by 40 weeks and 3 days after LMP while the other half will give birth onwards.
The ultrasound will more likely give you an accurate estimate if done between 11 and 14 weeks. The overall risk of stillbirth does not start until 42 weeks, Loriel noted.
5. You might want a midwife instead of an OB-GYN.
Those women who are not considered high risk can choose to give birth outside of the hospital. Both authors have pitched in this idea. Midwife looks at pregnancy as a normal physiological process. An obstetrician, on the other hand, is surgical specialists for high-risk patients. They tend to look for problems in an otherwise normal condition.
A photo posted by Monet Nicole (@cordmamas) on Mar 10, 2016 at 7:09pm PST
6. Multiple ultrasounds are not necessary.
For low-risk pregnancies, a maximum of two ultrasounds are needed. The first one is done between 11 and 12 weeks that detects birth defects like Down syndrome and also gauges the date of your expected delivery. The second ultrasound happens 18-21 weeks to check the baby's anatomy.
Check this video for more tips:
