Before, During & Beyond Pregnancy : Live Session with Dr. Hema Divakar

I recently attended Himalaya BabyCare’s Facebook live session with Dr. Hema Divakar, who is a renowned gynaecologist. This session was generously conducted by Himalaya FOR MOMS and the good news is they will be conducting similar live events in future as well.

It was a very informative and fully interactive session and Dr. Hema Divakar was very open to answering questions from the attendees. She also busted plenty of myths around pregnancy and addressed concerns of moms. I will take you through the session in brief and some of the most commonly asked questions which the doctor answered.

 

 

She started with explaining what to expect before pregnancy and common symptoms during early pregnancy. She recommends a checkup with your gynaecologist before pregnancy, so that you can start taking the required vitamins and supplements like folic acid.

Dryness of skin due to pregnancy hormones

Problem: Due to dryness of skin and itching around tummy area, there might be severe stretch marks.

Solution: Dr Hema suggests 2 simple ways to avoid this:

• Keep your nails short, so you don’t hurt yourself .
• Use a body butter to relieve dryness and itching. She using one that is enriched with cocoa butter and  mild fragrances. She also suggests using a good toning oil to massage your abdomen after delivery to reduce stretch marks.

Breastfeeding is Best Feeding

Dr. Hema reinforced that breastfeeding is the best feeding.

Problem: Cracked nipples

Solution: She suggests using herbal, safe remedies like coconut oil or a herbal product which has these ingredients since it is safe for baby as well.

 

Obesity before, during and after pregnancy

Dr. Hema advised against the age-old belief of eating for two and suggested that normal weight gain during pregnancy should be between 8-10 kgs. She thinks you should strive be a healthy weight even before you are pregnant to have a healthy and happy pregnancy.

She suggests starting exercise after 6 weeks of delivery and paying attention to what you eat and what you do not eat.

 

Delayed periods problem

Q: Can one conceive when periods are delayed or irregular?

Period cycle length can be anywhere between 25 to 40 days and as long as it is a regular pattern, you do not need to worry. If at all you feel your periods are delayed and you think you might be pregnant, get a home pregnancy test and check at home.

Even if you periods are irregular, you might still be ovulating regularly and that means you can conceive successfully.

 

Pelvic Girdle Pain before and after pregnancy

Pelvic girdle is the lower back and hip region. Main reason for pelvic girdle pain is wrong posture, calcium deficiency and vitamin D3 deficiency. Most women do not take enough milk or curds and are deficient inc calcium and vitamin D3. She recommends taking supplements and adding these items to your diet. She also recommends exercising  to ease pain.

How to take care of anaemia during pregnancy?

Green leafy vegetables and beetroot are good sources of iron. She recommends having a small piece of jaggery every day as that is a rich source of iron. Other than these your doctor will also prescribe an iron supplement if you are anaemic or have low haemoglobin.

Is painless delivery OK?

Dr. Hema thinks there is nothing wrong with opting for painless delivery. You must discuss this with your doctor beforehand and your doctor can give you epidural analgesia for painless delivery.

By when should one come back to normal weight after pregnancy?

A: 6 weeks or 42 days is the time when your body goes back to normal and most of the pregnancy hormones are released. This the time when you should start exercise and try to lose the extra weight gained by 6 months post pregnancy.

With the iron supplements introduced at the first trimester, it causes issues such as difficulty in emptying the bowel, how to avoid the same?

A: We prefer not to give iron supplements in the first three months.

Constipation and gastric irritation are common even if the iron tablets are started later in pregnancy.

There are a variety of iron tablets and your doctor can choose what suits you best and also choose a combination of iron and a laxative.

As you can see, this was totally knowledge-filled and informative session and best part was you could ask what was bothering you to an expert, practicing Ob-gynae. If you missed this session, you can still catch it on their Facebook page.  Himalaya for MOMS has promised to conduct more sessions on the same lines in future as well, so you can join in the next time it happens.