They say pregnancy is a unique stage for a woman, but why not say it is for the couple? A couple united in their purpose of becoming parents will receive the news together and will rejoice together with the happiness of the new life being created. Pregnancy is a symbol of family extension where your genes and DNA are being passed to a new generation. This is instinctive for most couples, and especially for women as well.

The pregnancy brings unique sensations from the moment you get a positive test or inform family about this new pregnant condition. Creating a baby with care, health, and all the love in the world becomes the top priority in life.

A healthy diet and abstaining from harmful substances is a great start for the pregnant woman. Many fruits and vegetables should be included, and vitamins that can’t be sufficiently consumed through foods can be taken as supplements, such as folic acid¹.

Another important thing from the start of pregnancy is testing and especially prenatal appointments. At these checkups, the doctor measures the pregnant woman’s blood pressure, checks weight, and looks into the overall health of the woman. The tests can identify any issues that could interfere with pregnancy, such as syphilis, toxoplasmosis or rubella, which have implications for fetal development².

As pregnancy progresses, ultrasound becomes increasingly interesting to visually follow the fetus’ development and organ growth. It is also a preventive exam to detect conditions like Down syndrome, for example. There’s a special suspense for the pregnant woman and her family until the moment the baby’s sex can be revealed.

Preparing the nest to welcome the baby is a duty for both the new mom and dad. The layette, clothes, and accessories need to be ready before the baby finally comes home. It’s recommended to organize a baby shower to help with this. At this event, the chosen name can be announced if the baby’s sex is already known. This preparatory phase also calls for some administrative issues to be settled, such as maternity leave for the mother.

However, this phase isn’t only a bed of roses. Some problems may occur and bring worries for the parents and the attending physician. Pregnancy discomforts are very natural from the beginning, though most women will feel them even more strongly towards the end. The third trimester may be filled with pain from the weight of the belly, especially if it’s a multiple pregnancy. Some infections, such as urinary tract infections, are also common when a woman’s immunity is lower during pregnancy.

More turbulent times can occur for pregnant women affected by illnesses such as gestational diabetes³, depression, anemia, or high blood pressure. Pregnancy can become psychologically difficult, particularly during adolescence and in the event of a miscarriage.

Besides health, beauty and wellness are other important topics for every pregnant woman. The changes of pregnancy don’t just happen inside the body but are outwardly visible and tangible. The belly grows and stretch marks can become a constant companion if not prevented.

The face may have more pimples due to hormones, and the hair can become oilier. The use of chemical products on the hair during pregnancy should be avoided. Sexual issues affect the couple’s well-being during pregnancy due to bodily and hormonal changes, which can raise or lower the woman’s libido. There are also psychological factors, such as the feeling of being ready or not, which influence emotions.

A controversial and much-discussed topic in Brazil today is delivery due to the strong preference for cesarean delivery, which sometimes is not even from the pregnant woman, but from the obstetrician⁴. From the beginning, the pregnant woman should decide which type of birth she prefers, knowing that cesarean section is originally an option for medical necessity, and preparing for it as needed. Recently, there is a growing movement favoring humanized birth, and some women even choose to deliver naturally without medical or medicinal interventions. The woman in labor can also decide on the place of birth.

When a woman finds herself pregnant, she wants to know everything about pregnancy. For this, the internet is a true sea of information, and tracking the week-by-week pregnancy is very helpful to satisfy the new mother’s curiosity

Monitoring the growth of your baby and knowing which organs are forming and if everything is fine with the pregnancy can make this moment more fun and less worrisome. Seeing the baby's weight development on specific charts and checking if the doctor’s guess about the sex is right is lots of fun. These are benefits we have even without having to leave the comfort of our home or work.

Photos: Lucas Röttgering, Selbe

References:

• 1Scholl, T. O., & Johnson, W. G. (2000). Folic acid: influence on the outcome of pregnancy. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(5), 1295S-1303S.
• 2Whitworth, M., Bricker, L., & Mullan, C. (2015). Ultrasound for fetal assessment in early pregnancy. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (7).
• 3Buchanan, T. A., Xiang, A., Kjos, S. L., & Watanabe, R. (2007). What is gestational diabetes?. Diabetes care, 30(Supplement_2), S105-S111.
• 4Rodrigues, J. C. T., Almeida, I. E. S. R., de Oliveira Neto, A. G., & Moreira, T. A. (2016). Cesarean section in Brazil: an epidemiological analysis. Revista Multitexto, 4(1), 48-53.