6 Questions You Need To Ask Your Gynaecologist

Aside from the basic questions you ask your doctor when you’re pregnant, such as what’s safe to eat, what’s not safe to eat, what’s safe to do, what’s not safe to do, how to prepare your body, what exercises will help, etc., there are also tonnes of questions that you avoid asking, despite the maddening curiosity, simple due to discomfort or awkwardness. Something to keep in mind in this respect is that there are some questions that, though awkward, might be essential to ask. Also remember that your gynaecologist has seen enough that it isn’t possible for there to remain any awkwardness or boundaries (figuratively none).

There are going to be questions during your pregnancy that you’ll feel the need to ask, but you might stop yourself because you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Here are some of those questions that will arise (and to save you some awkwardness) along with their answers.

1. Bowel Movement

A common concern for most pregnant women is the possibility of bowel movement (defecation) during labour. As this would obviously seem to be a terribly embarrassing situation to find yourself in, you’ll probably want to know how to avoid it or how common it is. Well, to answer your question, it is a possibility for this to happen considering the fact that while giving birth, a lot of pressure is applied in that area. So if your trunk is full, there may be some junk expelled. However, the process of childbirth is quite strenuous and private and the last thing you need worry about it being judged by the doctors and nurses in the operating room. It’s a common enough occurrence so focus on birthing your child rather than birthing poop.

2. Sex

Another favourite question that you’re probably dying to ask is whether or not you can have sex and how it will affect the fetus. It may be a concern of both you and your partner that your having sex might hurt the foetus. The answer to this is that having sex while pregnant is completely safe, under normal circumstances. It doesn’t harm the baby. The only way it will affect your sex life is postpartum as your vagina will be sensitive after the trauma of childbirth.

3. Stretching

“Popping out a baby through a tiny opening would obviously have repercussions for said opening” is probably what you’d be thinking. You may not want to ask your gynaecologist this because you think it sounds like a stupid question with an obvious answer, but you must remember that it’s always better to ask and it’s natural to have these doubts. The answer to this particular doubt is no. While the vagina does stretch during childbirth, to facilitate the process, it reverts back to its original size after some time, so don’t fret.

4. Gas

A huge problem faced by pregnant women which they find highly embarrassing is indigestion and gas. Questions like these which are about your bodily functioning are always open for discussion with your doctor (what else are you paying them for anyway?). In this regard, it’s important to note that pregnancy does indeed affect your digestive system. Therefore, bloating, nausea, acid reflux, and indigestion are quote commonly seen as well. If it’s getting too much to handle, you could reduce these by eating a lot of fresh fruits, food rich in fibre, and vegetables. Also try cutting down on spicy food. Reduce the size of your meals but you can make these smaller meals more frequent. Drinking lots water would also help ease your digestive system (fair warning – it’ll make you need to pee even more than you already have to).

5.Discharge

Sometimes, you may see some discharge during your pregnancy. You shouldn’t avoid checking up with the gynaecologist simply because you feel like it’s weird or uncomfortable. It’s quite common, during pregnancy, for there to be some excess amount of discharge due to increased hormones and blood flow to the pelvic region. This generally isn’t a reason to worry. However, if the discharge irritates your skin, smells bad, or burns, you should consult a doctor as it could be a sign of some infection which would require some action to be taken.

6. Bladder Control and Weight Gain

This issue is also one of the foremost concerns of pregnant women all around the world. During pregnancy, bladder control does tend to decrease and continues to do so as you near your due date. However, after childbirth, this starts to reverse, though bladder control may still be wonky for a while. With the issue if weight gain, we all know it’s obviously natural to gain weight during pregnancy, but it’s hard to tell how much weight gain is normal. This is one question that you mustn’t shy away from asking. Pregnancy weight has a significant impact on your baby and therefore it’s important to discuss it with your doctor so that you can know whether there needs to be some change and how your baby is currently being impacted by your weight.

There are just a few of the multitudes of questions that pregnant women fail to ask their doctors or feel extremely embarrassed to ask. Remember ladies, your gynaecologist is a friend who’s being paid to help you through this crazy rollercoaster ride that is pregnancy. Having trust in this friend is important and divulging pregnancy registered information to this person is essential.