Maintaining good health in pregnancy
JAMAICANS in general have poor health-seeking behaviours, and unfortunately, many illnesses are detected for the first time in pregnancy. In pregnancy, women have to go to the doctor or clinic where a thorough health check is done. Finding surprise illnesses makes managing the pregnancy and keeping mother and baby safe more difficult for health providers. Here are some ways to avoid these pitfalls and maintain good health for your pregnancy and beyond.
1. Get a yearly check-up. Make sure to get your blood pressure and blood sugar checked at a minimum. Also make sure that the doctor listens to your chest with the stethoscope. This allows the doctor to pick up bad trends in your health and correct them before they can become a disease, or it allows the diagnosis and treatment of diseases before it causes complications that may be difficult to reverse. High blood pressure and diabetes are some of the most common disorders that complicate Jamaican pregnancies and significantly increase the health risks to mothers and their babies. Good, early control is essential to a positive pregnancy outcome.
2. Let the doctor know if high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems or any other health issues run in your family so that they can be screened in regular visits.
3. If you had rheumatic fever as a child, ensure that you keep up with your monthly injections for the prescribed time. This decreases the risk of long-term heart damage. Make sure the doctor listens to your heart at your yearly check-up. If any murmur or abnormal sound is heard, follow through with the heart ultrasound right away, as well as any other treatment that may be prescribed. Rheumatic heart disease is a leading cause of complicated heart problems in Jamaican pregnancies and increases the risk of heart failure and other more serious complications in pregnancy.
4. Make sure to review your contraceptive on a regular basis (at least yearly) with your doctor or nurse. This ensures that problematic side effects are dealt with quickly and the best choice is maintained for you at all times. A planned pregnancy is always better for mother and baby as it can be prepared for.
5. Maintain healthy lifestyle choices with a balanced diet and regular exercise. This allows you to be at your best health for pregnancy with less risk of illness, and you will be fitter for delivery with a faster recovery time after birth.
This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are simple, less expensive ways of prepping for a healthy pregnancy.
Dr Anna-Kay Taylor Christmas is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Obs and Gynae Centre, Winchester Business Centre. She can be contacted at drtaylorchristmas@ gmail.com or 908-3263, 906-2265, 325-7362.
