Weight gain during pregnancy
The most common questions pregnant women asked either by their doctor, friends or kinsfolk are: Have you had a weight gain? What is the duration of your pregnancy? Do you feel your baby move?
Comparison of the answers may instigate worry in most women. Women who have started eating with enthusiasm from the very start of the pregnancy gain about 5 kg during the first trimester of pregnancy and start to concern whether they have put on too much weight. Others, whose appetite has reduced due to nausea caused by intoxication, do not gain enough weight, and they start getting worried about too little weight. Moms who gain less than 10 kg weight during pregnancy have more chances of giving birth to low-birth-weight babies and feeling uterine action too early. Pregnant women are not recommended to eat much and gain too much weight. Excessive weight of a mother makes it difficult to define the size of the fetus, causes pain in the sacral bone (sacralgia), increases fatigue and may lead to varication. The fetus may grow to a size that delivery in a natural way without cesarean section would be impossible. In overweight women cesarean section may cause complications and it would be even more difficult to lose weight. The body weight of the mother and baby are not necessarily to correlate. You can gain 20 kg and give birth to a baby weighing 3 kg, or gain just 10 kg and give birth to a baby weighing 4 kg. The nutritive value of the food you consume during pregnancy is more important than its volume. The norm of weight gain during pregnancy may vary from 12-17 kg. The norm for delicate women is 12 kg, and 17kg for large women.
Women with low body weight who got pregnant should gain enough weight during the first trimester so that they could start the second trimester with the norm. Women, whose body weight exceeds the norm by 10- 20 % should start consuming food low in calories but rich in nutrients and be regularly supervised by a doctor. Pregnancy is not a proper period for weight loss or supporting weight in the same rate since the fetus would be unable to keep at the expense of mother`s fat deposits only. Consult your doctor if you do not put on any weight within two weeks. If your actual weight gain considerably differs from the planned (7kg instead of 1,5-2 kg in the first trimester or 10 kg instead of 6 kg in the second trimester) even if you keep to all recommendations, do not worry, it will soon get normalized by itself. Ask your doctor to make up a diet plan for you in accordance with the needs of your baby. Remember that the health of your baby depends on your dietary habits during the whole pregnancy period. Control your weight from the very beginning of your pregnancy so that to protect you against excessive weight gain at the end.
Pregnancy is not a proper period for weight loss or supporting weight in the same rate since the fetus would be unable to keep at the expense of mother`s fat deposits only. Consult your doctor if you do not put on any weight within two weeks.
Depression and neurosis during pregnancy
The moment of expecting baby is the happiest both for mother and father. This moment is often recollected by both parents during their further life. During pregnancy mother have warm feelings for her child. But a pregnant woman only feels happy in case everything goes well in her life. Bad family relations, gain in weight, insults on the part of other people, etc. may bring any pregnant woman into a state of depression or neurosis.
It is worth mentioning, that this condition should be regularly controlled, or else this will have a negative effect on mother`s state and worsen baby`s condition. According to statistics, about one fourth of all pregnant women suffer from depression and neurosis. Very often this happens due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. These changes affect the psyche of a woman. Fortunately, any kind of neurosis and depression during pregnancy are easily treated and could be controlled even without doctor`s assistance.
If you get exhausted quickly and frequently suffer from anxiety and blues, it means that you have been exposed to depression and neurosis. The symptoms of these diseases also include sleeplessness, irritation, indifference to everything or sense of guilt. If you have suicidal thoughts, avoid staying alone; share your feeling and thoughts with your near and dear or a psychotherapist.
All these feelings and thoughts may occur to you due to lack of attention on your husband`s part, your reluctance to bear or untimely pregnancy. They also may be caused by your financial uncertainty and doubts that you can be a good mother. There are a huge number of other causes, but they are all nothing against motherly love. You will know it when you take your baby in your arms for the first time.
But what to do when there is still time before this moment, and the depression and neurosis still do not let go? Of course, this problem should be solved, or else the mood of the mother would reflect on the unborn baby. The babies of mothers who had long-term depression during pregnancy are usually nervous. The most popular method of treating depression is psychotherapy. It is not recommended to resort to antidepressants during pregnancy, since they may have a negative effect on the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs of the unborn baby. Consult a psychotherapist; he will help you to forget about all those problems which got you in this condition. He will also help you to get rid of all torments and restore peace of mind.
Pregnant women are usually prescribed Interpersonal Psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioral therapy. These two types of therapy can help every woman to acquire correct vision of things and experience in full the happiness of future motherhood.
There are a number of recommendations which may help you to prevent depression and neurosis. Always plan you pregnancy! Always take care of yourself during pregnancy! Always eat healthy! Work out regularly! Think of you and your child in the first place! Have rest as frequent as possible, and think of good things only!
Observation of all these rules will help you to become the happiest mother-to be. You will be enjoying your condition. Do not forget that giving birth to your baby will be the happiest day in your life. And nothing can spoil it. Think of it and take care of yourself; your well-being is a guarantee of your baby`s health.