Baby Wise

Doctors stress on the need for counselling before conception to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Planning a pregnancy is,to a large extent,an oxymoron. Its difficult to predict exactly when one will get pregnant. So doctors in the city advise women to consult an obstetrician months before they even try to get pregnant. They suggest that the week-to-week changes of pregnancy and the roller-coaster of emotional and physical developments are best dealt with before their onset.

Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar,Head of the Department of Obstetrics at Ruby Hall Clinic,says,Ideally,your obstetrician should be visited three to six months before planning a pregnancy. Most of the interventions that encompass pre-conceptional care become much less effective if followed after the pregnancy test is positive. By the time the pregnancy test is positive and you know that you are pregnant,most of the vital structures of your baby brain and heart have already been formed. Therefore,if counselling is delayed,the golden period which could make a difference,will be missed.

However,doctors say that a common obstacle to pre-conception counselling and assessment is that many pregnancies are still unplanned. Globally,38 per cent of pregnancies are unintended; the numbers are much higher in India. Many women only first see their doctor or obstetrician when they are around 9-10 weeks pregnant. Therefore,it is recommended that all women of childbearing age be offered preconception care and counselling regardless of their intent to become pregnant, says Tandulwadkar. She adds that in order to prevent premature birth and low birth weight in babies,as well as positively influence the childs health into adulthood,it is necessary to intervene before pregnancy.

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A significant number of women are affected by depression during pregnancy and/or after their baby is born. The tendency of going into depression or being affected by psychotic disorders in and after pregnancy can be reduced to a great extent if the woman planning to conceive is in positive and peaceful state of mind before conception, she adds.

Talking about women undergoing In Vitro Fertlisation (IVF) experience,Tandulwadkar,who is also the head of IVF centre at Ruby Hall Clinic,says that they undergo high levels of anxiety and depression even before the treatment begins. Patients have rated the stress of undergoing IVF as more stressful than or almost as stressful as major life events such as the death of a family member or separation or divorce, she adds.

At such a time it is essential to keep oneself occupied,focus on positive thoughts and read good books,recommend doctors. IVF is an anxiety-producing experience,and one of the best antidotes for anxiety is information and knowledge. Go to your IVF specialist,seek help and ask questions. Your just feeling better can improve IVF success and the quality

of pregnancy, says the doctor.

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