A new life begins – caring for mother and child

Do you want to have children? Are you planning a pregnancy? Or were you surprised when you found out you were pregnant? Or do you have mixed feelings about it? What does it mean to expect and then to have a child?

You will notice changes in your life and your body. A lot of questions will come up during the months of pregnancy and afterwards. During that time we want to support you in the best possible way.

A pregnancy is for many women a time of pleasant anticipation, but sometimes also a time involving fears and worries. We would like to diminish your fears and help you to enjoy the time of your pregnancy.

You can also find a lot of interesting and useful information here “Well accompanied through pregnancy: Pregnant with you”.

PREGNANCY CARE – Care for women during pregnancy

Already when the first thought of having a child come up, you can improve and do a lot for your health. It is important that you have a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins. Folic acid and iodine are not present in adequate amounts, even in a healthy diet. Therefore, if you wish to become pregnant, it is advisable to add folic acid and iodine to your diet, even before you are pregnant. However, I ask you not to take vitamin pills randomly – please contact me first to discuss which extra vitamins might be necessary. Generally you should know that natural vitamins are much healthier than the artificial ones.

SMOKING DURING YOUR PREGNANCY

Smoking?! It would be best if both you and your partner stop smoking. First of all, smoking does reduce your fertility and secondly, it will harm your child, during the pregnancy and later on. In addition, stopping smoking would mean that you are doing something good for yourselves as well.

A new life which evolves through a pregnancy is a wonderful personal gain and a good incentive to change some bad habits. But remember: A pregnancy is not an illness. You should not stop enjoying your life.

VACCINATIONS? ARE THEY UP TO DATE?

Remember to bring in your vaccination documents, if you haven’t done so already. We will check which vaccinations you might need and let you know. For example, the vaccination against rubella (German measles) should be done during the time while you are still using a contraceptive. And your vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria should be repeated.

70% of couples who want to have a child become pregnant within one year. That means that for some it is difficult to get pregnant. If necessary, modern medicine offers a number of methods to help you.

I would like to provide you with all the relevant information about various methods. After detailed diagnosis of the difficulties, there are a number of options that can be used to treat infertility.

From now on you will have appointments every 2 to 4 weeks. Together we will observe your bodily changes and the growth of your child.

In the guidelines which have been developed for pregnant women a number of preventive checkups are recommended so that problems or diseases can be detected and treated; sometimes they can even be avoided. At the beginning of your pregnancy you will be given a booklet of documents concerning your pregnancy (It is called “Mutterpass” in German). We ask you to carry that booklet with you at all times. In the booklet we will write down all the essential information concerning your pregnancy. Having it with you at all times ensures that the relevant information is at hand in an emergency.

You can see all the examinations that will or can be done during your pregnancy in the comprehensive chart.

During the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, when a fertilized ovum finds it place in the uterus and starts to develop into a little human, the mother will feel a couple of bodily changes. Tiredness, breast tenderness, weight gain, nausea, circulatory troubles and also constipation can occur. At that stage the mother does not feel her child yet.

Fetal movements start to occur from the 18th to 20th week onwards. Naturally, you will want to know if your child is doing well. Perhaps you feel a bit fearful. We will do our best to alleviate those fears. We want you to feel well and build up a close relationship to your unborn baby.

In between the 16th and 30th weeks of pregnancy most women feel very well. The body has adapted to the changes. Slowly you feel a strong connection to your child. That is also the best time for a vacation. However, you should not forget that the risk of thromboses is high after long periods of sitting. That is why one should take little breaks during a longer journey, walk around a bit and keep drinking enough.

The child gains a lot of weight from the seventh month on. Many women feel that it is very exhausting to carry around so much extra weight. Also water retention (swelling) can occur in the hands and feet and varicose veins can develop. Please discuss all those changes with me, since the boundary between “normal” and “in need of treatment” is not clearly delineated.