Planning A Baby

We will be sharing a series of excerpts by the eminent Pediatrician Dr. RK Anand from his book “Guide to Child Care”

1. Safe Motherhood

While the term ‘safe motherhood’ is now used to suggest measures to safeguard the health of the pregnant woman and her baby, ideally, care for a woman’s health should be a concern right from her infancy. A girl who is well looked after in her childhood and teenage years has fewer problems in pregnancy and childbirth, and is more likely to deliver a healthy baby.

2. Take Folic Acid

The regular intake of leafy vegetables and a vitamin called folic acid during the first six weeks of pregnancygreatly reduces the chances of your baby being born with spina bifida (a developmental anomaly affecting the spinal cord).

3. Conceive At The Right Age

Research has shown that the best time to have a child is when you are 23 to 27 years old. It is better to avoid getting pregnant before the age of 18 or after you cross 35. Babies born to younger mothers are more likely to be premature. The risks associated with pregnancy and delivery increase again after the age of 35 years.

Don’t despair, however, if you are below 18 years or over 35 years and do get pregnant. Your chances of delivering a normal baby can be increased considerably by carefully following your doctor’s orders and looking after yourself well.

4. Space Your Babies

A gap of 2 years is advisable between babies; for the mother’s health, I would strongly recommend a gap of 3 years. It takes 2 years for a mother to fully recover from each pregnancy and delivery.

There is also a risk for both the babies if the space between their births is less than 2 years —children born too close together do not usually develop as well, physically and mentally, as those born at least 2 years apart.

Paradoxically, however, the opposite could also hold true. A study by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) found that those who waited 10 years to have another child were twice as likely to have an unusually small baby and 50% were likely to deliver prematurely.

5. Plan Your Family

Many parents in cities today plan for 1 or 2 children; this is a healthy trend.

Seek proper advice on family planning at the first postnatal check-up. It is true that, before the baby is 6 months old, less than 2% of mothers who breastfeed exclusively are likely to conceive before they menstruate. But it is a misconception that a nursing mother will never get pregnant.

Also remember that if you already have twins, your chances of having them again are higher compared to other couples that did not have them.

Also read more about: Planning a Baby? Got Your Health Check-Up Done?, How to plan finances before planning a baby

To consult Dr R K Anand in person, click here

Read More On Baby