Pregnancy Week: What moms need to know
Dr Ngayo gave some advice to mothers-to-be who might be uncertain about what to expect during their pregnancy.
The Herald spoke to Dr Zukile Ngayo, an obstetrician-gynaecologist (OB-GYN) at Lenmed Randfontein Private Hospital ahead of Pregnancy Awareness Week.
From 10 to 16 February the Department of Health puts the spotlight on pregnancy, and aims to provide pregnant women, their partners and the community with information to ensure a safe pregnancy for both mother and baby.
Dr Ngayo gave some advice to mothers-to-be who might be uncertain about what to expect during their pregnancy.
When it comes to food while you are pregnant, he explained that there aren’t really restrictions on what you can eat, but it will be best to avoid spicy foods and carbonated drinks as that can intensify heartburn.
According to Dr Ngayo, there is no right or best way to deal with pregnancy symptoms because not all pregnancies are the same. He added most have morning sickness, others don’t at all.
In the majority of cases, morning sickness lessens or resolves on its own after three months and we normally prescribe anti-emetic tablets to relieve nausea and vomiting, but severe vomiting might require hospital admission.”
He explained that during pregnancy it is important to remember that your body needs more iron, folic acid and calcium, and supplementing these nutrients throughout pregnancy is of vital importance.
“We give the expectant mothers a fixed dose combination or separate supplements in the form of Pregwise, Pregnavita, Pregomega or Pregomega +, which combines all three.”
Dr Ngayo stated further that pregnancy is a physiological process with constant production of placental hormones.
“These hormones influence physiological changes such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, weight gain as well as frequent urination that can be due to bladder infections or the baby’s head pressing on the bladder.”
When it comes to choosing between natural birth or a Caesarean section (C-section), he stated that natural birth is better when everything fits, like when the baby’s size is appropriate for the mothers pelvic outlet and when the baby comes out head first.
Without proper monitoring of the labour process during natural birth there could be complications that can include tearing of the genito-anal area, leading to difficulty holding urine or stools.”
According to Dr Ngayo, for a C-section to be performed, there must be an indication like a big baby, an abnormal lie, the presentation of the baby or previous womb surgery.
“Potential complications with a C-section could be anaesthesia or surgery related including excessive bleeding, bladder or bowel injuries or worse, loss of womb or life.”
Dr Ngayo explained that during the first visit, a woman’s health risk is assessed to determine how often she should see the gynaecologist.
“Low-risk women need to see the gynae once every six to eight weeks, while high-risk women should be seen once every four weeks.”
Dr Ngayo said a birth plan is important because that is how a patient and her doctor decide the method of delivering the baby. Although a patient’s preference will be considered, the doctor has the final say.
The birth plan is based on the patient’s history, sonar reports and the presentation of the foetus.”
Knowing your baby’s kicking patterns is also vital so you can easily pick up when there are changes, especially reduced kicking which can mean that baby is in trouble.
He added that it is important for the expectant mom to have their doctor’s emergency number for whenever something feels wrong, but if your doctor is not available he advised to rush to the nearest emergency room.
