Whether you're about to have your first baby or already have a small brood, making sure that you get all the information you need for your pregnancy can be difficult. Some mums are shy about asking questions whereas others are just not equipped with the information they need to ask the right questions.
Your OB-GYN has helped many women through their pregnancies and is a wealth of information at a time when you need this info the most. We’ve compiled a list of 10 things you need to know about your pregnancy to help make your next gynaecologist appointment as smooth and productive as possible.
Things to do now:
Find a paediatrician ASAP
You will need to start making decisions about your baby’s health mere hours after giving birth and you will absolutely want to be prepared for these questions in advance. Start looking for a paediatrician around the 30th-week mark and be sure to leave yourself enough time to meet with a few and choose one that your needs.
Make a plan for after your baby is born
Families spend a lot of time planning for the day of their unborn child’s birth including creating a birthing plan and preparing everything they need for the hospital. It’s important that parents don’t overlook what happens after the hospital. Mums and dads also need to have a plan when it comes to feeding schedules, laundry and managing all the other household chores.
During your pregnancy:
Avoid pregnancy horror stories
Some people have a negative attitude about everything and have no qualms spreading it to other people. You need to just avoid anyone who wants to tell you some horror story about their mother’s college roommate’s sister best friend from high school who went through some awful experience during her pregnancy.
Know your beauty products
In the same way that you change your diet and nutrient intake while you’re pregnant, you should be aware of the ingredients in your beauty products as well. Although you don’t need to switch to a completely organic skin regime- you should avoid products that contain retinol, retinoids and salicylic acids. Ask your doctor or dermatologist if you’re uncertain about any of your regular products.
Get support hose
While we don’t want to live by impossible beauty standards, it is worth noting that compression stockings go a long way in preventing varicose veins during pregnancy. Additionally, it is important for mums-to-be to remember that varicose veins will fade over time.
What happens if there are complications during your pregnancy?
Speak with your doctor and make a plan in case complications arise during your pregnancy. Your regular OB-GYN should be able to refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the event that you have to deal with complications. These specialists have completed additional training to manage complicated pregnancies and can advise you and your doctor how to handle any complications.
What if you lose your insurance?
No one wants to think about losing their job or having pregnancy complications, but these are exactly the issues that blindside people if they haven’t prepared sufficiently. You need to ask your doctor what their policy is if you find yourself without your current insurance benefits.
The big day:
Will your doctor be the one to deliver your baby?
It can be easy to forget that your doctor has many other patients, not to mention a busy schedule of their own! For that reason, you need to ask them about their delivery schedule and what will happen to you if you go into labour during a time outside that delivery schedule.
Ask your doctor about meeting the other “on-call” doctors who may end up handling your delivery.
Does the hospital have 24-hour admitting obstetric coverage?
Especially if you go into labour in the middle of the night or over a weekend, your doctor will need to be contacted and may take a while to arrive at the hospital. Instead, a waiting physician or hospitalist will monitor you until your regular doctor arrives. You will want to make sure you understand the lines of communication between these attending doctors and your main doctor in advance.
There are no bad questions
Finally, mums-to-be need to stop being embarrassed about their questions! Sure, you may feel embarrassed asking such personal questions, but really, who better to ask than a trained medical professional who has seen it all??
Do you think we’ve covered everything mums-to-be need to know to get through their pregnancy?
Read next: Week by week pregnancy guide: You and your baby at Weeks 1-3
Sources: What To Expect, LifeScript