Fit Mom’ pregnancy wellness clinic recently organised Mummy Ki Paathshala, which enlightened expecting mothers as well as fathers on essential pregnancy tips like pregnancy diet, yoga, breastfeeding, etc., at Chitnavis Centre, Nagpur. Shilpa Agrawal, Managing Director (Akash Furnitech Pvt Ltd), who was invited as a guest at the do, shared her life story. As she narrated her life journey, she encouraged all the women to empower themselves by achieving their dreams.

The ‘paathshala’ was about everything expecting couples wanted to know about. Be it pregnancy diet, exercises, pregnancy woes or things to include in birth plan, labour or delivery, this ‘paathshala’ taught them all.

Dr Pankuri Khemani too interacted heavily with the expecting couples. She said, The most beautiful journey in a women’s life is when she enters motherhood. From baby proofing the house, to buying the cutest clothes, couples plan almost everything for their baby. Most importantly, she stressed on the need to ?preserve? the cord of love (umbilical cord).

Babycell strives to build a large bio-network of physicians and specialty care hospitals.

Important facts pregnant women should be aware of:  

? Diet during pregnancy

Everyone will advise you to eat for two people; the average woman does not need extra calories during the first six months of her pregnancy. Body becomes more efficient in extracting the required energy and nutrients from your diet when you are expecting a baby. In the last few months, you only need about 200 extra calories per day. Your daily diet should include:

– Two rotis without ghee

– One plain dosa with a dollop of coconut chutney

– Two bananas or two scrambled eggs. 

Foods you should avoid during pregnancy

– Unpasteurised milk (buffalo or cow milk) may contain listeria.

– Raw or uncooked meat, poultry and eggs. These can contain harmful bacteria. Cook all meat until there’s no pink bit left in it.

– Raw or partially cooked eggs. Make sure your eggs are fully cooked till they are hard.

– Raw seafood, such as oysters or uncooked sushi. 

 Exercises necessary during pregnancy

– Swimming

– Yoga

– Indoor cycling

– Weight training

– Brisk walking

– High-intensity abdominal stretching

– Kegels

 Pregnancy Woes

– Oily or spicy dishes, chocolates, citrus fruits, alcohol and coffee are known to aggravate acidity. Try avoiding them.

– Drink water instead of carbonated or fizzy drinks, because these drinks are already very acidic.

– Reduce your intake of ready-made meals and processed foods, such as tomato ketchup, pickles and chutneys as they contain high levels of salt, preservatives and additives.

– A glass of cold milk or a cup of yoghurt is an age-old remedy for heartburn. A cup of chamomile or ginger tea may also help.

– Eat small, frequent meals and chew your food well.

– Smoking worsens acidity and heartburn.

Your bucket list for:
 

For Labour should include

– Copies of your medical records.

– Dressing gown. Do check with your hospital if they provide a gown.

– Cotton socks.

– A comfortable nightdress or t-shirt to wear during labour.

– Lip balm

– Massage oil or lotion if you would like to be massaged during the labour

– Toiletries

– Water spray or wet wipes to keep you cool.

– Healthy snacks and drinks if permitted by the hospital.

Post birth should include

– A comfortable maxi. You’ll need loose and comfortable clothes to wear while you’re in hospital and for home too. It will take a while for your tummy to go in. So, you’ll still need to wear maternity clothes when you come home.

– Nursing bras. Take two or three.

– Breast pads.

– Maternity pads/sanitary pads. Bring a couple of them.

– Wet wipes, clean soft cotton sarees that can be cut into napkins and gently used and disposed.

– Address book or a list of phone numbers. You and your spouse will be able to use a mobile phone in parts of the hospital. But, carry a lot of change just in case, for all the calls you may want to make when your phones not allowed!

For your baby should include

– A couple of outfits for the initial days (all-in-one stretchy outfits are best).

– A cotton roll and some cotton buds to clean your baby.

– A few soft cotton sheets.

– Baby mackintosh/waterproof sheet protector/rubber under the sheet to keep your bed from getting wet.

– A soft towel and a few napkins

– Baby blanket. Take a warm one if the weather is cold.

– Nappies

– One pair of socks.

– Hat

– Jumper/sweater or jacket for winter babies.

– Muslin/soft cotton squares or nappy pads.

 Breastfeeding

Since breastfeeding can take anything from 5 to 40 minutes, choose a comfortable place for breastfeeding. Atmosphere is important, especially in the early days of breastfeeding when you’re still trying to get the hang of it.

Hold your baby in a comfortable position that won’t make your arms and back pain. Have cushions, pillows or hands to support your baby. Many mums find cradling their baby across their chest on a raised up cushion or pillow convenient. It just depends on what is most comfortable for you.

Studies show that if you breastfeed your baby, you will lose your pregnancy weight faster as compared to a mother who does not breastfeed.

An extra 300-400 calories per day is enough for exclusively breastfeeding mothers during the first three months as per ICMR (Indian Counsel Medical Research).

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