9 Months—A Joyful Journey

By Mitali

9 Months A Joyful Journey is a very useful guide to all the expecting mothers. It consists of the basic information and valuable tips based on the latest available medical knowledge, which helps mothers to solve their queries, clear the confusion, and abolish their ignorance about the pregnancy. It is in a very simple, easy, and nonmedical language that can be understood by almost everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Sep 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543701067

Mitali

Mitali Mehta is a certified antenatal physiotherapist based in Gujarat, India. Her main focus is to create awareness about the importance of exercise and diet during pregnancy. She prepares expecting mothers for an easy labour and fearless childbirth. She mainly emphasises on antenatal yoga and exercise, diet, pregnancy education, meditation, and relaxation.

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9 MONTHS—

a Joyful Journey

MITALI

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Copyright © 2017 by Mitali.

ISBN:                  Softcover                  978-1-5437-0107-4

                           eBook                       978-1-5437-0106-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Preface

1.   Concerns to Conceive

•   Factors to be Considered

•   Know Your Body

2.   The Roller-Coaster Journey Begins

•   First Milestone (1st Trimester) Development

•   Growing and Glowing Second Milestone (2nd Trimester)

•   III Milestone (III Trimester)

3.   Obstacles in Your Journey

•   Common Discomforts Of Pregnancy And Their Remedies

•   Warning Signs In Pregnancy

4.   Exercise for the Swift Journey

•   Benefits Of Exercise

•   I Stage Exercise Program

•   II and III Stages Exercise Program

•   Partner/Couple Yoga

•   Strengthening Exercises

•   Salute To Baby

5.   Nutritional Baggage

6.   The Grand Finale of Pregnancy (Labour and Delivery)

•   Get Ready For The Climax

•   Prelude To Labour (Labour Signs)

•   Stages Of Labour And Delivery

•   Other Comfort Measures

•   Assisted Labour and Delivery

7.   Pregnancy Jet Lag

•   Postpartum Changes And Care

•   Postnatal Exercises

•   Postnatal Blues / Postpartum Anxiety / Depression

8.   Breastfeeding – An Ultimate Experience

9.   Myths And Beliefs Of Pregnancy

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement is not just a formality for me, but I really mean it from my heart. This book would not have been possible without the inspiration, encouragement, and support of my husband, Rajiv Mehta, who guided me throughout the process.

I would like to express my gratitude to the following:

My sons, Yagna and Jaival, and my family and friends who are my life chargers.

My colleague Jalpa Desai, a physiotherapist and a childbirth educator who is the continuous source of motivation and suggestions. She has also written the Nutritional Baggage chapter in the book and given her images of yoga poses.

My teachers Dr. C. G. Padole and Dr. Nilima Patel, who taught me the basics of physiotherapy.

Dr. Mugdha Wagh Shaan is my mentor, and under her guidance, I can see myself as a childbirth educator.

All the expecting mothers and future babies who become the continuous source of learning.

A very special thanks to Mrs. Shipra Narang and Mrs. Maithili Chintan Patel, who have given their yoga-posed photographs in the book.

Preface

Congratulations! So now you have planned to move or you already moved to a phase from a bold girlhood to a more mature and responsible motherhood. Actually we women are just wondrous. We play a variety of roles in one single life. We are the life giver, miracle creator, and magic maker. In every woman’s life, especially, these 9 months of pregnancy is a lifetime experience to be cherished. Pregnancy is a time to relax, nurture, and support your body and mind as they undergo marvellous metamorphosis. We women have an amazing power to create, nourish, grow, and ultimately give birth to a new life. This 9-month long process of shaping and moulding that happens in your womb is an utmost crucial process as you prepare a very special world for your baby inside you.

Above all these, pregnancy is a time when soon-to-be mothers come up with so many questions and confusion, doubts and dilemma, and at some point of time, fear and anxiety too. Fear comes from ignorance. If you are not aware about what is going to happen next, fear and stress will definitely and automatically come. But once you get support of proper knowledge and awareness, there will be absolutely no doubts and anxiety. You are lucky enough that nowadays you have so many options and choices to get yourself well informed and thus prepare yourself for the upcoming challenges and a fearless childbirth. But sometimes, overload of information and advices you get from different sources make you more confused and apprehensive. Rather to make the things more complicated, many a times, it is better to just let it be and enjoy your pregnancy phases as they come.

Mindful-based pregnancy and birth is a new innovative concept evolved in the prenatal health. Mindfulness is a stress-busting and mood-lifting self-care program. It trains us to accept whatever is happening in the moment, without judging it good or bad and without striving to make things different. Pregnancy is a time when most of the women have a strong motivation to become the best person, especially the best mom they can be in a relatively short period of time. At this stage of life, you might be more open-minded and flexible, so it is a great time to explore a vast arena within you and surrounding you. Mindful pregnancy means accepting the experiences and changes of your mind and body with an affirmative and amiable approach. Live the present moment and enjoy your present status.

Whenever my expecting moms feel frustrated or emotionally disturbed, I always advise them to go for a small baby moon with their husbands. Always choose a natural location or resort for your baby moon. The quality time you spend with your husband will uplift your mood and rejuvenate the new you.

How this book has become my brainchild

When I was practising as a general physiotherapist, I came across many patients, especially my women patients, who actually inspire me to pursue my career in an obstetric physiotherapy. Most of my women patients with back pain or knee pain had their root of cause in their pregnancy. Due to lack of awareness and carelessness during pregnancy, their physical and emotional issues become chronic. Now as an ante-natal physiotherapist, I am working to create awareness about the importance of exercise, posture, and diet for a healthy pregnancy and fearless childbirth. Remember, woman’s inner wisdom guides her through labour and childbirth. Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices and assume responsibilities for their health and trust their insight.

The book 9 Months – A Joyful Journey is a useful guide to all the expecting mothers. As we know, each pregnancy is unique and incomparable, you may not have the same symptoms and emotions like your sister and friend have in their pregnancy. Even you can differentiate the features, signs, or discomforts in your own pregnancies. So rather than discuss or analyse the pregnancy issues, you need to be aware and understand yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Accordingly, you can treat your body and mind for a healthy and happy trip towards motherhood. In this book, I have tried to put down all the facets of pregnancy every mom-to-be wants to and has to know. Women’s confidence and ability to give birth naturally is either enhanced or diminished by the place of birth, her care provider, and above all, her own perception. So become aware that you have 9 months or 40 weeks or, say, 280 days in which to slowly emerge, nurture, grow, and reach to the climax of your pregnancy journey.

I wish you all the best. Stay safe, blessed, and have a joyful journey.

1

Concerns to Conceive

O nce you have decided to start or expand your family, you might have to deal with many questions regarding how to start and succeed the first very important milestone, which lead to the path of a healthy pregnancy. Herein you have to work a little to make your dream motherhood more beautiful and not a nightmare. So take a few deep breaths and go through the following factors that need to be considered before planning for a baby.

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED

1 Check Yourself and Your Family Tree

a) Are you on some medication from a long time?

b) Do you or your spouse have history of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, thyroid, asthma, any infectious disease, or depression?

c) Is there any history of genetic disorders like muscular dystrophy, Down’s syndrome, haemophilia, thalassemia, or sickle cell anaemia or any other disease in either side of the family? If any of the above answers is Yes, then consult your doctor and go for the pregnancy testing to rule out the carriers of these maladies. So accordingly you can be treated and/or vaccinated before you start trying to conceive.

If you have had any previous miscarriages, premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), stillbirth, or previous pregnancy with complications, you have to discuss with your gynaecologist and keep her informed.

2 Diet Dose

You might have to struggle to conceive if you are overweight or underweight. If you do conceive, your weight problem may lead to pregnancy complications. Numerous studies have shown that specific changes to the diet can improve the fertility, prevent recurrent miscarriages, and thus support a healthy pregnancy. It is suggested to follow the instructions given below.

a) Stop drinking beverages containing caffeine or alcohol. Quit smoking. Studies have found that even occasional alcohol intake and smoking decreases the probabilities of conception. In pregnancy, consumption of alcohol and smoking lead to premature birth, stillbirth, or low birth weight. So STOP now.

b) Start taking multivitamins, especially folic acid, zinc, and iron (if anaemic) under the prescription of your doctor. Start at least 2–3 months before you plan to conceive. Taking folic acid helps prevent brain or spinal cord defects in the baby. So continue taking it throughout your pregnancy.

c) Follow the fertility menu: The natural fertility diet is based on the traditional diets that were followed in times when humans were most fertile, before the industrial foods. Apart from proteins and fibres, include a number of micronutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and vitamin D) and antioxidants too in your diet.

Eat organic food as much as possible, because pesticides affect your hormonal balance. Eat grains in their whole, natural form. Avoid processed and refined white foods and grains such as white bread, semolina pastas, and white rice. Instead go for the whole wheat/sprouted bread, wheat pasta, and brown rice. Prefer to eat a lot of plant protein such as beans, lentils, nuts, and tofu rather than animal protein.

Prefer to eat fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables rather than tinned juices or processed food. Avoid oily, greasy, and spicy food. Stop eating the outside Chinese food, which contain high amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a very harmful chemical for our body.

Stop consuming skim milk and switch over to the whole milk. Take low-fat yoghurt every day.

Cooked spinach, broccoli, lettuce, and radish pods (mogri) are good sources of folic acid and iron.

Ginger, oyster, dark chocolates increase your libido.

Reduce the use of saturated fats, salt, and white sugar. Aim to drink 2 L of water every day.

Do not take high-dose painkillers and someone else’s prescription drugs.

3 Environmental Factors

a) Stop alcohol and smoking. Even passive smoking is hazardous to both the mother and baby.

b) Avoid exposure to radiation. If X-ray is essential for other medical reasons, cover and protect your reproductive organs by a lead shield.

c) Air pollution, chemical substances like lead, mercury, or other heavy metals and pesticides are harmful and affect you and your partner’s fertility rate. During pregnancy, all these environmental agents can reach to the baby via blood stream and harm the baby. So avoid going near the factories and more polluted areas.

d) Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and direct use of heating pads because continuously increasing body temperature can affect the ovulation process (release of egg). If you cannot ovulate, you cannot conceive.

4 Good Exercise Program

a) If you are involved in any kind of high-intensity or vigorous exercise program, dance, or sports, then stop it in order to conceive.

b) Yoga is the best exercise for your physical and mental health during your planning phase. It is very important to keep your body fit and energetic before you conceive. You have to strengthen and tone up your muscles for the challenging event of pregnancy and delivery.

Yoga for fertility: Certain yoga poses re-route the blood flow to reach the reproductive organs. Thus it provides more oxygen to these organs and makes them healthier. Yoga can detoxify your body, increase blood circulation, improve the immune system, reduce the stress level, and balance your hormonal status. This can help create a positive environment for a pregnancy, so it should be practiced by both partners. Always start your exercise or yoga after consulting your doctor and under the guidance of yoga expert or physiotherapist.

c) If you are overweight, first keep your weight under control as excess body fat can increase the amount of oestrogen in woman’s body, which throws the fertile cycle out of balance. Exercise burns off the excess body fat and your hormone levels return to normal. But