Decided to have your baby in the hospital...?? Organize a few things before you get admitted.

1. Pack a suitcase with-
a) 4 cotton, front-open nightdresses
b) Soft slippers
c) 2 dressing gowns
d) 3-4 front-open bras
e) Bath towels
f) Shampoo and soap
g) Toiletries and tissues
h) Sanitary napkins...etc.

2. Make sure that someone, preferably other than the father, stays at home to look after the other children (if any).

3. In case you go to the hospital by car, check that the vehicle is in good working condition and have sufficient fuel in the tank. Alternately an ambulance can also be arranged.

4. The father may have to stay in the hospital, carry a few things along.

5. After checking the baby's position, the doctor will suggest the date of taking admission in the hospital. Act accordingly.
 
6. Don't forget to take all the medical reports.

7. Keep your calm.

BEST OF LUCK...!!!

Not only the diet or the strength of a pregnant woman but mental peace, confidence and cooperation from all the family members makes the proper atmosphere to bring up a healthy baby. In this regard, no doubt, the father can take the leading role.

Following are a few vital things to be kept in mind, before you plan to bring your bundle of joy to the world:-

1. Decision of having a child should be taken solely by the couple concerned.
2. Financial-planning in advance is important. 
3. Always think positive and stay away from unnecessary panic.
4. Never get superstitious. After all it is YOUR child!
5. Thinking ..."Boy"... or..."Girl"... is normal, but not important at all. Have a scientific approach... think of a healthy baby...create a perfect environment before his/her arrival...!
6. Shrug off stress. But if needed, consult a doctor or opt for genetic and psychological counseling.

A happy family gets a happy child!

Following are the various factors which can increase the chances of abortion in a pregnant woman:-

• Hypo- or hyper activity of Thyroid gland
• Uncontrolled Diabetes
• Presence of multiple foetus in the uterus
  
• Late pregnancy -
  Pregnancy after 35 years can cause genetic disease like Down's Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities
  Quality of ovum released from ovary deteriorates 
  
• Hypertension or Rubella
• Smoking and drinking alcohol beyond limit
• Auto-immune diseases
• Deficiency of Progesterone, a hormone
• Polycystic Ovary Disease
• Problems in placenta and cervix
• Uterine malfunction and fibroids (abnormal growth) in uterus
• Ectopic pregnancy ,that is after fertilization, implantation takes place in fallopian tube and not in the uterus 
• Severe anemia due to malnutrition
   
  In case any sign of vaginal bleeding is there, especially during the early stage of pregnancy, immediate medical attention is necessary to avoid any life risk. 

Enlarged vein of the rectum (back passage) is called Piles or Haemorrhoids. It may occur normally also but during pregnancy it aggravates. Some women can develop it for the first time during pregnancy.

The symptoms of piles are itching or soreness of skin around the anus and can be painful sometimes. Skin tags may also form along with the piles. Sometimes the bleeding can occur with piles while evacuation. Constipation, the common complaint in pregnancy, aggravates piles. Hence hard bowel and straining should be avoided. Diet, rich with fiber and roughage, like vegetables, brown bread, baked beans etc can reduce this problem partially. Plenty of water or juice should also be taken regularly.

Irritation and soreness can be treated by medicated creams and glycerin suppositories as prescribed by the doctor.

In case any bleeding occurs while passing stool, the doctor should be informed immediately to rule out any vaginal bleeding.  

In the later part, that is during the last trimester of the pregnancy, itching of the skin can cause unpleasant sufferings for a mother-to-be. In severe cases it may interfere with sleep causing fatigue. Sometimes due to the alteration of the hormones, liver function can be affected and rashes may erupt. During the hot seasons, the irritation due to itching may increase.

Keeping as cool as possible, wearing soft and light cotton clothes, especially at night, can be comfortable to some extent. Synthetic clothes like nylon or wool is better to be avoided.

Antihistamine (Anti-allergic) tablets can be taken but strictly under the doctor's supervision. Remember, they can cause sleepiness; hence it is better to take them at night. Some mild skin creams or lotions can be smeared on the affected part for a temporary relief.

Itching may continue till the delivery and generally after the baby is born, it subsides automatically.

A burning sensation just behind the lower part of the sternum (breast bone) is called the ‘heartburn' which occurs when a small amount of gastric juice, acidic in nature, enters into the lower part of the oesophagus (food pipe) and irritates the lining. Sometimes this sour juice may come up to the mouth also.

Heartburn occurs very commonly during pregnancy due to the increased pressure of the growing baby and the uterus on the stomach. As a result the stomach muscles, which normally stop upward flow of this juice, get relaxed. Heartburn may not be serious but causes discomfort and sometimes reduces appetite.

Antacids, prescribed by the doctor or home remedies like a glass of warm water with 1/4th teaspoonful of sodium-bi-carbonate can give some relief. Sleeping half propped up with pillows can also be comfortable.

Too much sour food (like pickles), very tight clothes and stooping should be avoided.

Miscarriage or Spontaneous abortion is the sudden termination of pregnancy which generally occurs during the first trimester. Commonly the rate of pregnancies which end in miscarriage is in between ten to twenty percent but in every pregnancy the chance of it remains 50%.

In 95% cases of miscarriage that occur during first trimester, is found to be due to presence of genetically abnormal fetus. This is nothing but nature's unique mode to prevent the birth of an abnormal baby. But it is, in a way, better to miss an abnormal baby in such cases and have a normal and healthy one in the next pregnancy. 

Vaginal bleeding, which may or may not be severe, is the first symptom of miscarriage and is called a threatened abortion. Detection can be done by serial Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or Ultrasound Scanning.

Normally by Dilation and Curettage, the left out tissues are cleaned from the uterus by a doctor.

Blood gets clotted more readily during pregnancy because of poor circulation and stagnation in the blood vessels. Stagnation in the veins of the calf causes a blood-clot which is called ‘Vein Thrombosis'. Women on ‘pill' also suffer from this in a milder way. 

This complication is rare and specially can occur to those who are advised to take bed rest. Hence frequent leg movement is necessary to ensure better circulation of blood in the legs. Sometimes severe pain along with swelled ankles can cause difficulty to move the legs.

In case of the formation of a clot, Heparin ‘Anticoagulant' injections are given. But the doses should be carefully selected, else, it may cause either excessive bruising or enlargement of the clots.

If the Anticoagulant is not stopped before labor, normal clotting after delivery will not occur and can be life-threatening as it may cause heavy bleeding of the mother.

Due to increased hormonal level during pregnancy, vaginal secretions also increase which causes infections. Moreover, pregnancy causes changes in the vagina too. The decrease in the acidity of the vaginal cell-linings encourage vaginal infection and secretions. The cervical glands also generate excess mucus.

Thrush is the most commonly occurring vaginal infection caused by fungus. The causal organism can normally be found in the vagina without any symptoms, but during pregnancy, they generally multiply and cause thick, white or yellowish discharge. Severe soreness along with itching and other irritations also can occur.

Treatment with ointments, pessaries and safe antibiotics can be advised by the doctor. It should be treated before the delivery otherwise the baby's mouth cavity can be infected after birth.

To avoid this, loose fitting clothes and cotton undergarments should be used during pregnancy. Gentle external cleaning with mild soap and keeping the place dry are also necessary.

Urinary infections like Proteinuria, Bacteriuria, Cystitis, and Pyelitis, occur very commonly in pregnant women. In most of the cases no serious problems arise, but, if the woman's discomfort, while passing urine becomes unbearable, then proper treatment after diagnoses by culturing urine sample is necessary.

Bacteriuria is a mild infection of bladder which does not bother much. Proteinuria is the presence of protein in urine and needs treatment. Cystitis is the severe bladder infection causing painful and frequent urination; occasionally along with blood and pus cells for which the urine looks cloudy. Pyelitis is the presence of infected urine in the bladder and the kidney because some infected urine may run back to the kidney from the bladder.

Treatment with safe antibiotics should be helpful. Recurrent urine infection should be checked to prevent the premature labor. Drinking a lot of fluid regularly can flush out some of the bacteria through urine.