Pregnancy
week by week -
Week 27,
Must-ask
Questions this Week (Week 27)
How do I go about choosing
a good doctor for my baby?
A good doctor is important as
he/she will be performing your
newborn's examination, baby
check-ups in the initial weeks
of life and in the continuing
years. In emergency situations,
you will want to depend on a
reliable doctor with whom you
are comfortable with. Some tips
on choosing your baby's doctor:
• Decide if you want a
pediatrician or a family doctor
• Get your friends who
are parents of little kids to
recommend their physician to
you
• Look for a doctor who
has been board-certified with
at least 3 years of training
in pediatrics or family medicine
• Check on accessibilities;
is it easy to get appointments
on the same day, whether the
clinic operates on weekends
and evening hours
• Check on arrangements
when your doctor is not on duty;
who will be the attending doctor
to care for your baby when you
make the appointment
• Look for a clinic with
friendly, helpful staff
• Look for a clinic with
a waiting room that is baby-friendly
- clean, pleasant and room to
crawl around
Some
Basic Pointers (Week 27)
• Fetal movement counting
is a good way of keeping tabs
on your baby's well-being
in the womb
• To find out if you
are a likely candidate for
gestational diabetes, go for
glucose screening test. This
test will measure your tendency
towards this condition while
the next step, the glucose
tolerance test will provide
you with a definite diagnosis
• Prenatal depression
is more common that postpartum
contrary to belief
• The later part of
the 2nd trimester is major
decision making time; your
maternity leave, finding a
doctor for your baby
Breast Lump
It is important to learn how
to do a breast exam on yourself
regularly (usually after your
periods). Upkeep this practice
even while you are pregnant.
Statistics show that 9 out
of 10 breast lumps are discovered
through self-examination.
Your doctor will conduct a
check during intervals when
you go for your annual pap-smear.
If you have regular pap-smears,
are fastidious in your self-examinations,
you will probably stay lump
free before you begin pregnancy.
It may difficult to feel a
lump during pregnancy and
nursing because of the enlarged
breasts hiding them. Nevertheless
examine your breasts every
4-5 weeks, the first day of
every month. Besides the routine
test by you and your doctor,
there is mammogram, an X-ray
examination and ultrasound
examination of the breast
to consider. If there is a
lump, these tests become necessary
to perform.
Mammogram involves X-ray and
during pregnancy it is necessary
to shield the abdomen with
a lead apron. It is not conclusive
to suggest that pregnancy
worsens the lump but pregnancy
does affect the detection
and location because of the
change in size of the breast.
Once the lump is traced, it
can be drained or aspirated.
This fluid is sent for lab-testing
to check for abnormal cells.
If the draining by a needle
is not possible, a biopsy
may be necessary. A clear
fluid is a good sign; bloody
fluid will require further
evaluation. If the lump is
found cancerous, treatment
will begin without further
delay, pregnant or not. Treatment
can be complicating what with
the effects of chemotherapy,
radiation, anesthesia or pain
medication administered during
biopsy. In the presence of
cancerous cells both factors
have to be considered: the
need for treatment involving
chemotherapy and radiation
therapy and the needs of pregnancy.
Your
Nutrition (Week 27)
Some important vitamins that
will help you through your
pregnancy are Vitamin A, B
& E. vitamin A is essential
to human reproduction. Deficiency
in this vitamin is not so
an issue as an excessive intake
is. Retinol form derived from
fish oils is a concern when
taken in excess; the beta-carotene
form obtained from plant life
is safe. The recommended dose
is 2700IU for women of childbearing
age with a maximum dose at
5000IU. Supplements are not
usually necessary as the foods
you eat provide an adequate
supply of Vitamin A. Read
food labels to get an idea
of Vitamin A content.
B vitamins are important during
pregnancy and they include
B6, folic acid and B12. They
play a crucial role in the
development of your baby's
nerves and formation of blood
cells. Lack of B12 leads to
anemia in the mother. Good
food sources of this group
of vitamins are milk, eggs,
bananas, potatoes, brown rice
etc. Vitamin E is important
as it helps in fat metabolism
and building of muscles and
red blood cells. If you are
a meat eater, your vitamin
E dose is taken care of through
your meals. Pregnant women
who are vegetarians or those
who meat intolerant for some
reason have a harder time
getting their Vitamin E dose.
Vegetarian foods rich in this
vitamin are olive oil, wheat
germ, spinach and dried fruits.
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