Extensive Mother & Child Care Department

Being overweight, underweight, or a desired weight at the beginning of your pregnancy affects your recommended weight gain. Ideally you want to aim for a BMI (body mass index) between 20 and 25. Your BMI is determined by taking your weight (kg) and dividing it by the square of your height in meters (m2) to get your BMI number. Calculate your BMI using your weight before you were pregnant.

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If you are a vegetarian and you eat dairy products and eggs, there is no reason why you cannot continue your diet throughout your pregnancy. Even if you are a pure vegetarian and exclude all dairy products and eggs from your diet, with careful attention and planning, you can meet most of your nutritional needs as well. Going without meat does not mean going without nutrients. But, you'll need to ensure you get the proper allocation of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, calcium-rich foods, nuts, and vitamin B-12.

Research is inconclusive on the harmful effects of caffeine on a developing fetus. It is known, however, that caffeine passes quickly through the placenta to the baby. Most health organizations recommend that you should not drink or eat foods with caffeine while pregnant, or at least limit your intake to 300 mg per day (2-3 servings). There is about 65-135 mg of caffeine in brewed coffee. Remember, caffeine is also found in tea, sodas, and chocolate.

There are a lot of options and much confusion when it comes to artificial sweeteners. Pregnant women can safely use low-calorie sweeteners in moderation, unless otherwise advised by their physicians. Many health organizations and healthcare providers suggest limiting artificially sweetened foods in your diet to only 2 or 3 servings a day. Discuss the use of low-calorie sweeteners with your healthcare provider, especially if you are diabetic or need to control calorie intake.

Here are some tips that may make you more comfortable: Stay away from strong smells and food items that make your stomach queasy. When cooking, open a window or use the exhaust fan to get rid of odors.

• Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
• Stay well hydrated and drink fluids throughout the day. Experiment with ginger tea, lemonade, lemon tea, fruit juices, water with lemon, and carbonated beverages.
• To help with early morning nausea, have a light snack before getting out of bed. Try crackers, dry cereal, potato chips, lemonade...whatever sounds good to you to eat.
• Avoid foods that trigger a bout of nausea. This could be greasy and fried food items, gas-forming food items, or spicy food items.

If you are experiencing heartburn, one or more of the following suggestions may be helpful. Listen to your body to find out what will work for you.

• Eat 5-6 small meals each day and chew the food slowly.
• Limit your diet of greasy, fatty, and fried foods. These can take 4-6 hours to digest before leaving the stomach. Never have a high fat snack before bedtime.
• Limit spicy food. Many women find chili powder and peppers to be troublesome.
• Avoid foods that may aggravate heartburn, such as cabbage, chocolate, garlic, onions, and caffeine.
• Drink fluids, including soup, between meals rather than with meals.
• Wear clothes that are loose around the waist.
• Remain upright 1-2 hours after a meal or snack.
• Sleeping in a recliner may give some relief at night.
• First check with your health care provider before taking any antacids or other medications.

Now that you are pregnant, you'll need at least 600 mcg daily, although many doctors recommend 800 mcg. Most doctors will recommend taking a supplement, as well as, eating plenty of folate-rich foods such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, peas, carrots, corn, cauliflower and animal liver.

When you drink alcohol your baby is drinking it too. Therefore, you should avoid all forms of alcohol when you are pregnant. This includes beer, wine and hard liquor. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it quickly reaches the baby through the blood stream. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, lower birth weight, physical deformities, mental retardation, and motor development complications. There is no data to support a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Therefore, medical experts recommend avoiding alcohol completely during your pregnancy.

Most headache medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, along with most prescription migraine drugs, are not recommended for pregnant women. If you are prone to severe migraines, consult your doctor about which ones you can take.

One should aim for a rich calcium diet which include one serving of a dairy product, green leafy vegetables, fruit & figs to cater to the extra requirement of calcium during pregnancy.

Times have changed--women are now encouraged to stay active and fit during pregnancy. There are many safe activities you can enjoy while keeping fit during your pregnancy (unless your doctor has prescribed otherwise).

Swimming is a great activity because it helps strengthen your whole body and is a great cardiovascular exercise. Plus, it's low impact, it helps support your weight, and it keeps you cool. One thing, it's probably not a good idea to dive into a pool, especially later in your pregnancy. A brisk walk--doing a mile in 12-15 minutes--is a great workout, even if you're new to exercise. Jogging is also OK in moderation, if you did it before you were pregnant. You'll want to avoid overheating and make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Plus, remember that are more off balance now, so be extra careful not to fall.

This is also not the time for contact sports where you could fall, injure yourself, or be struck in the abdomen, or badly shake the baby. Therefore, avoid these activities: scuba diving, water skiing, basketball, softball, baseball, horseback riding, and snow skiing.

According to UNICEF, breastfeeding is very healthy for infants, giving them essential nutrients and preventingdisease as well as helping them grow and develop. At the Santevita Hospital, the staff will guide all the mothers delivering at the hospital on why and how to breastfeed. They help you to start breastfeeding within one hour after your baby is born. When it comes to breastfeeding, preparation is the key. Talk with family and friends who have successfully breastfed. During the Antenatal classes you will learn breastfeeding basics, tips and techniques, and do's and don'ts. With hands-on instruction you will be exposed to different holding techniques, basic nipple and breast care, how to store breast milk, ways to determine if your infant is getting enough milk, and how and when to use a breast pump. You'll learn what to do if problems arise, and know when it is necessary to call your doctor or the pediatrician.

Santevita Mother & Child Unit will provide you with a one stop solution to all your concerns about pregnancy. Our team of highly experienced and well trained midwives will ensure your birthing experience to be a memorable one for you and your family. We offer world class facilities to our clients and all this at very competitive rates.

At Santevita Hospital, we have midwifery model of care for normal low risk pregnancies as recommended by WHO. This model of care is being followed by the leading healthcare units in metros and also in the western world.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

• Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well being of the mother throughout the child bearing cycle;
• Providing the mother with individualized education, counselling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support;
• Minimizing technological interventions; and
• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention;
• The application of this women-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and cesarean section.

Santevita Hospital is a mother-friendly birthing center where the birthing mother is given the full right to decide upon whom she wants to have with er during her normal delivery, which can include her husband, mother, mother-in-law, other family members or friends. Plus a birthing mother would also be provided the services of a midwife who has special training in helping woman cope with labor and childbirth. She encourages her, comforts her and helps her understand what's happening to her. They will have midwives as part of their staff so that a birthing mother can have a midwife with her if she wants to.

The staff at our hospital is very well trained and they very well know about the ways through which your labor pain can be dealt with without using the pain killers. They will suggest you simple things like changing your position, or making you relax in a warm bath, giving you a massage or by making you to listen to your favorite sound track. These are called comfort measures. Comfort measures help you handle your labor more easily and help you feel more in control and relaxed. Remember all the drugs used can have an adverse effect on the baby. Besides we also have the facility of painless labour and facilities of Entonox.