Being a mother is one of the most important and wonderful decisions a woman can make. However, you have to be prepared for this process. “The new mother is full of anxiety, asks a thousand questions, everything scares her and it is understandable,” explains Alida Oblitas, gynecologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma

Before this situation, the specialist recommends to address all these doubts in the first prenatal check-up, which should be done as soon as the news of pregnancy is known. In this appointment, the doctor in charge will provide details of the frequency for check-ups and exams you have to take

“Many questions such as what they can eat, if they can drink coffee, eat sushi, climb stairs, travel, if they can go through the airport X-ray or if they can drive their car. They ask everything. And all these things can be done, but no excess is good, ” she says

Due to the development of their professional career or other goals, more and more women are delaying motherhood and having children for the first time at age 35 or older. “When over 30, they have more fears, but we explain that the risks are the same at any age. Only in that case they have to take care a little more, with more frequent controls. That can calm anxiety a bit”

Besides going regularly to check-ups, it is necessary to detect warning signs, such as irregular bleeding. Even if it is a little, you must go to the doctor to rule out any problem. “Another big question for new mothers is nauseas. We always ask them to take it slowly and let their body adapt little by little. As of week 20, everything changes. Your body has already adapted to pregnancy and you can eat and live easier. ” In addition, at week 20, pregnancy is already visible and the sex of the baby can be known. There, women feel “really pregnant” and can face the process better

“When the patient is examined, a possible date of delivery is established. According to the legislation, it is stated that women must have maternity leave 45 days before and 45 days after delivery. Every woman should take it”

However, many women choose to continue working until shortly before their delivery. Delivery is a separate issue. Depending on the situation you can chose a natural birth or a C-section. “Birth canal is evaluated at week 36. If the baby is not very large and the bone pelvis is good, the future mother is a candidate for a natural birth. But it depends on each case and the complications that can arise”

Nowadays, the mother is the one who chooses the delivery option, not the doctor. In any case, the choice of cesarean sections is increasing in the country. According to INEI figures, this has raised from 22.9% of deliveries in 2011 to 34.5% last year. “C-section is more comfortable: you can set a date and you do not have to wait for a delivery that you do not know when it will happen. Every time we see faster recoveries after a C-section”

Finally, Dr. Oblitas argues that a woman’s sex life may be normal during the pregnancy period, unless there is a medical contraindication

Dr. Alida Oblitas
Gynecologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma