Pregnancy
The profound, life-changing experience of becoming a parent is both rewarding and challenging. It does, however, carry certain risk factors.
Take particular care of your back during and after pregnancy – protect it from strain and possible injury.
Joints and ligaments, particularly in the back and pubic regions, relax due to increased levels of the hormone relaxin, in preparation for opening the pelvis for birth.
A Caesarean birth is the delivery of your baby through an abdominal uterine incision, instead of vaginally.
Breathing reflects the activity in your body and, of all the body’s involuntary unconscious physical responses, breathing is the easiest to control.
Sharing the adventure of pregnancy, birth and parenting can make this one of life’s most rewarding experiences.
The first step towards fatherhood is to accept pregnancy and birth as a period of change. You may have conflicting and intense emotions to deal with as you come to terms with this major developmental stage in your life. It is important to keep the channels of communication open between you and your partner.
Discovering that you are pregnant brings about a variety of new feelings.
Many physical and emotional changes occur, especially in your relationship with your partner, your career and your lifestyle in general. Use the nine months of pregnancy for positive growth and be aware of the problems relating to increased stress and a breakdown in communication.Regard this period of your life as one of great excitement, challenge and reward.
Pregnant women will tell you they experience almost irrepressible cravings for certain foods – salty, sweet, spicy or fatty foods. Some think it’s the body signaling what the growing baby needs. More likely, they’re due to hormones playing havoc (again!) with your senses of smell and taste – and your dietary habits.
Your pregnancy: weeks 36-40. It’s time for the final preparations before the big day. Your baby is considered full term at 37 weeks and is ready for the world however about half of all pregnancies will go beyond 40 weeks.
Before exercising, during or before pregnancy, it is advisable to eat high fibre, high carbohydrate snacks, such as an apple, dried fruit, banana or whole wheat muffin, as your metabolic functions accelerate and your energy requirements increase.
“I am pregnant – can I exercise?”
It is safe to exercise during pregnancy if you are healthy, have an uncomplicated pregnancy, exercise regularly and monitor your heart rate and body’s responses to exercise stress.
“The goals of exercise during pregnancy and the post-partum period should be to maintain the highest level of fitness consistent with maximum safety.” (American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1985)
Your nutritional status at the time of conception and in the crucial early weeks of pregnancy is significant for the successful outcome of the pregnancy.
Knowing when you are likely to ovulate can improve your chances of becoming pregnant. Simply enter the date of your last period and the Fertility Calculator will estimate your most fertile days. This calculator is provided for educational purposes only and assumes an average cycle of 28 days. If your average cycle differs, please contact a trusted health care professional for personalized assistance.
