While pregnancy is an exciting period in a woman’s life, it can get confusing with conflicting advice from relatives, friends and, of course, the internet.
Obstetrician Papiya Duttashares tips and busts myths about what to expect when you’re expecting. A resident of CKBlock, Dutta has been practising since the early 1990s and has chambers at her home, Apollo Clinic City Centre and DLF Galleria. She is also attached to ILS Hospitals Salt Lake and Bhagirathi Neotia Woman and Child Care Centre, New Town.
The first thing people say when they find out you’re pregnant is ‘be careful’. Careful of what, exactly?
For the first three months(trimester) the baby is developing from scratch. Every day something new is getting created in his/ her body. Also high at this stage is the fear of spontaneous abortion. This can happen because of jerking in a car, wearing high heels, tripping and falling, lifting heavy weights, intercourse, travelling long distances…We don’t always explain this in detail to patients as they get scared but anything can disturb the process and so one has to be “careful”.
The work-from-home mode has become popular during the pandemic. Is it a good idea for pregnant women?
Definitely, especially during the first trimester. Thereafter, it’s flexible. The baby is usually safer in the second trimester. Some offices allow employees to come in twice a week. Such things are helpful for would-be mothers. It would also be good if they have options in office to relax or lie down once in a while. Pregnant women shouldn’t try to sit all day.
In the third trimester, again, movement becomes difficult due to the size of the woman’s belly. Till the end of seventh month she can go to work. Thereafter it’s better not to travel too much. If moving about is uncomfortable, stay home.
Are any exercises recommended during pregnancy?
Walking is comfortable for most women. Some choose to walk indoors and if you want to walk outside, stay in and around your house so you can head back if you get breathless or feel any kind of discomfort. One cannot prescribe a standard duration for how long to walk as some women can do so for no more than five minutes. It varies from case to case.
Pregnant women are all given Vitamin D3 capsules and should try to get exposure to the sun. They could try to walk or sit outdoors in the morning or afternoon. Some women are also able to do pelvic tilts or squat. Swimming is good during pregnancy but patients come back with infections from unclean water along with cough and cold. Since medication options are limited during pregnancy, I do not advise it. Some simple exercises one can do is by lying on your back and moving your toes and feet around. Bend your knees to improve blood circulation. These will prevent swelling, that is a common complaint during pregnancy. Pregnancy-specific yoga asanas are also an option but ensure that you don’t get sprains. The keyword is to stay active. Don’t restrict yourself to the bed for nine months. Some women try to perform chores and that’s fine too.
Pregnant women tend to get cravings to eat certain kinds of food—maybe chaats or phuchkas. Should they give in to these temptations?
Roadside phuchkas are an absolute no-no! I’ve had patients needing hospitalisation as they ate phuchkas and got stomach upset during pregnancy. The problem is that pregnant woman cannot be prescribed regular medicines as not all of them are safe for the baby. If you get food cravings, it is best to make these dishes at home and have.
During pregnancy, it’s easy to get gastric and acidity problems so again, be careful. Avoid fast food, excessive salt and sugar. In fact, your doctor would ask you to check your sugar, haemoglobin and thyroid levels in every trimester. Blood pressure would get checked every time you visit the doctor, anyway.
Is special dental care necessary during this time?
If the woman has calcium deficiency she could get dental problems. She should consult a dentist if needed but always ask the treating obstetrician before taking oral medications.
Is it a myth that you should avoid papaya during pregnancy?
Papaya would be used for abortion in the olden days hence the association. Today, patients continue to be advised by elderly relatives to avoid certain fruits and we neither want to upset them psychologically nor do we want to take risks. So papaya, pineapple and jackfruit are avoidable during pregnancy.
How much weight gain is healthy over this period?
During the first three months, women may not gain much weight; some even lose weight due to the vomiting.
In the second trimester, they maygain 2 to 2.5kg a month and in third trimester 1 to 2kg a month. So the total weight gain should be 10 to 12kg. If the woman gains more than that, it needs investigation. It could be due to sugar, eating too much fatty foods etc.
Is it true that pregnant women should try to sleep on their left side?
Yes. Blood circulation from mother to baby is better if she lies to the left (left lateral position). Of course it’s not possible to lie like that all night but we ask them to do so as long as consciously possible.
Is normal or caesarean delivery preferred?
It’s not about preference. We monitor the case till the 36th week and then take a call. The patient makes an informed choice. Some women, despite wanting normal deliveries, need cesareans. Some do not want to wait for normal deliveries. It’s also true that the current generation has a low threshold of pain so many opt for caesarean sections. I’d say 75 per cent cases are cesarean today.
Have you had any Covid-positive pregnancies?
Many. The mothers have been Covid positive but the babies have been negative. I’ve got tremendous support from the hospitals I work at as they accommodated such cases responsibly. Last year I got a lot of pregnant women with dengue too.
Do you recommend stem cell banking?
The blood of newborns contains a large numbers of stem cells, that can be stored from the umbilical cord. There are companies that, upon payment, preserve these for years and provide it if ever the child or a family member requires it for treatment for a number of diseases. If the patient has some money to spare, she can go in for stem cell banking but it’s up to them.