Ideally – both partners need to be living a healthy lifestyle, cutting out cigarettes, reducing alcohol intake, exercising regularly, and eating sensibly. It is worth bearing in mind that being overweight can make pregnancy more high risk for both mother and baby.Taking folic acid supplements (400mcg daily) is advisable, ideally for 3 months before becoming pregnant
For most couples the natural fertility rate is about 25% per month, so in any case it may take at least a few months to get pregnant. Waiting patiently for this can be difficult once the decision to try for baby has been made
In order to become pregnant, women need to be ovulating regularly, the fallopian tubes need to be open, and the partners’ sperm need to be good quality. The timing also needs to be right, so sex needs to happen around ovulation.Where women have pre-existing medical conditions, such as infection, inflammatory disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or epilepsy, it is essential to seek advice from a doctor before becoming pregnant (preconception counselling). This is because medication may need to be commenced, adjusted or changed, blood sugar levels optimised etc. If there is a history of pelvic infection, especially with chlamydia or if there is a history of endometriosis then the fallopian tubes may be damaged making natural conception difficult or unlikely. Sometimes this will require specialist investigations and treatment to improve fertility.
For those women in their late thirties or early forties who start trying for a baby and wish to know what their chances are ,there isn’t a perfectly accurate way to assess this but new blood tests such as Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) which test for ovarian reserve can be very useful in the decision making process.
Other symptoms may include:
• Tenderness or soreness in the breasts
• Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite
These symptoms can be similar to those leading up to a period, so if periods are irregular it can be a frustrating experience waiting to find out. The best thing to do if uncertain is to buy a home pregnancy test from any chemist, which can now detect the pregnancy hormone even before the next period is due. However if a test reads negative, and symptoms persist it is worth waiting a week and retaking the test.
Welcome to Jubesta Hospital. Our aim is to provide personal and individualised care in pregnancy. Consultants Dr N.B. Dalla and Dr. Tabassum Dalla work as independent consultants to the Jubesta hospital, Raipur; an hospital dedicated entirely to the care of women. They see pregnant women at the Jubesta hospital consulting rooms and deliver their baby at the Jubesta hospital
Women/couples are seen by their own Consultant at each visit and given the chance to talk about any concerns and to discuss future plans. At each appointment we ensure that we are able fully explore any concerns that there may be regarding the birth and to consider preferences for birth (a birth plan) and choices for the delivery. At each visit we check the blood pressure and urine. In the later stages we feel for the baby’s position and size and listen to his/her heartbeat.
Scans and blood tests will be arranged as necessary and swabs to screen for group B streptococci (GBS) will be discussed and offered.
Our screening tests are performed at renowned laboratories and obstetrics scan centres where nuchal translucency scanning and double marker/ triple marker/ quadruple marker for Down’s Syndrome are done.however we respect patient's own choice to get a scan done somewhere else where she prefers.Deciding whether or not to have these screening tests, and whether to have further diagnostic tests (chorionic villous sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis) can be very difficult. We offer support through the process, providing the information needed in a sensitive and non-judgemental way and we do respect these decisions are personal and individual.
Women/couples are seen by their Consultant (Dr. N.B. Dalla & Dr. Tabassum Dalla) throughout the pregnancy, and in labour are looked after by that consultant, together with an experienced nurse. On the rare occasion that consultants are not available then women/couples are looked after by one of their consultant colleagues.
During the pregnancy we arrange a ‘booking’ appointment for all women in our care to have the opportunity to meet the experts.
We also work closely with expert obstetric anaesthetic doctors whom some of our women may wish to meet to talk through pain relief choices, including epidural. We can easily arrange this..
This first visit is a really good time for women and their partners to ask us all the questions concerning them and to confirm their decision to be looked after by us. We like to see women/couples for their first pregnancy visit as early as possible. The first visit will generally involve a full consultation and a routine examination. An internal examination may be done if the doctor finds it necessary.
At the first visit we will also discuss the options available for screening for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome. We offer a nuchal translucency scan at 11-13 weeks, combined with blood tests, which make the screening more accurate.
A comprehensive series of blood tests will be offered in early pegnancy. We advice a detailed ultrasound (anomaly scan) at around 20 weeks when the growth of the baby is usually such that a careful examination of the development of all the crucial organs can be made.
We continue to see our clients at least at 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38,& 40 weeks i.e. every week in the final few weeks. During routine consultations we check blood pressure, urine, baby’s position and heart beat and make sure that the pregnancy is progressing as it should. It gives us an opportunity to get to know each other, to build trust and confidence, and to discuss any concerns or difficulties. It also enables us to try and answer any questions that may arise.
Blood tests and ultrasound scans are performed as necessary, depending on the individual pregnancy. We would usually repeat blood tests every three months and perform a growth scan at least at the 35 weeks stage. As the pregnancy draws to a close we can also discuss your birth preferences. We will listen to your preferences and guide you on what we think are the best choices for your individual pregnancy. At around 38 weeks we perform a vaginal examination to assess the pelvis and the neck of the womb. This examination may give us additional information on how long we might expect the pregnancy to continue and how easy or difficult we think the birth will be! Towards the end of the pregnancy, a plan for the birth/delivery will be discussed in more detail. We will talk about the signs to watch out for associated with spontaneous labour in addition to the pros and cons of induction of labour and Caesarean Section if required. Our clients can approach us 24 hours a day for assistance if in labour . Once in labour, we aim to provide continuity wherever possible, so that women are looked after by our consultants (either dr Tabassum Dalla or dr N.B Dalla), together with one of our assistants.
A postnatal check at 2-3 weeks after going home completes the complete pregnancy care package. This appointment provides an opportunity to discuss the birth experience with us, and any concerns regarding contraception, whilst we can check that mother and baby are well.
We feel passionately about the importance of making the whole birth experience a happy one, which women and their families will want to repeat with us in the future!
We give hospital contact details to all women/couples in our care and can to be contacted by WhatsApp or phone-call(in case of any urgent concerns). Often reassurance is all that is required. If complications of pregnancy do arise, we may need to arrange extra visits for monitoring, including extra scans, blood tests, and occasionally hospital admission.
