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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Pregnancy FAQs) |
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| Question 1 |
What are the precautions to be taken when pregnant, so the baby is born healthy? My wife is in the 7th month. What should she eat? Sanjeev (Ahmedabad, India) |
| Answer 1 |
Your wife must eat healthy nourishing food and reduce high caloric foods like sweets and fried stuff. A walk of 1 - 2 km daily can be taken to exercise the leg muscles. Excess ingestion of salt should be avoided. A regular check up with her gynaecologist is necessary.
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| Question 2 |
I am 2 months pregnant, but I cannot drink milk since I am unable to digest it. What should I do? Please suggest an alternative to milk. Purvi (Bangalore, India)
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| Answer 2 |
If you cannot drink milk, you can try paneer, curds and buttermilk or else add milk instead of water to make your rotis. If all this does not suit you, then try protein supplements like Premilac Powder or Zefrich powder which you can take with water.
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| Question 3 |
I am 6 months pregnant. In the Indiaparenting site I learnt that papaya is not good for pregnant women and that it may cause birth defects. But I have eaten a lot of papaya throughout my pregnancy. Now I am worried. Kindly guide me. Trisha (Ahmednagar, India)
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| Answer 3 |
Papaya could cause abortions. Do not worry about birth defects. Get a detailed sonography done to check the baby for defects.
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| Question 4 |
My wife 2 months pregnant. She just eats one chapati and 1 fruit (apple or orange) in a day. She is feeling very weak, and keeps sleeping. What should I do? She has started hating everything we give her to eat. Sahil (New Delhi, India)
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| Answer 4 |
It is quite normal to have nausea, loss of appetite and weakness in the first 3 months of pregnancy. So do not worry. Give her vitamin B complex and folic acid tablets. See a gynecologist in order to be sure that baby's growth is proper and adequate.
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| Question 5 |
I am 4 months pregnant. I had no nausea or morning sickness earlier, but now in my 2nd trimester, I throw up all cooked food. My weight has not increased of late, though the doctor confirmed that my foetus was growing. My daily diet consists of fruits, milk, soymilk, fruit juices, carrots and cereals, none of which I throw up. Is this adequate? Kantha (New York, USA)
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| Answer 5 |
You are doing fine so do not worry about the weight gain. Take some antacids before your meals and do not have any spicy food till this settles down.
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| Question 6 |
I am a working woman and my due date is 12.02.2002. My height is 5 ft. 4 inches, weight is 60 kg. What should I be eating at this time? Ravina (San Jose, USA) |
| Answer 6 |
Your diet should include a lot of vegetables and fruits. You should eat more frequently, and consume small quantities at a time. Take vitamin supplements. Make sure you consume a lot of iron and calcium as well. |
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| Question 7 |
Are SMP and Class II preservatives contained in baked products ok for consumption during pregnancy? Kamal (Mumbai, India) |
| Answer 7 |
I am not aware of SMP. You should avoid MSG monosodium glutamate when pregnant. Class two preservatives are okay, as long as you have them in limited quantities after the 3rd month of pregnancy. And remember, when in doubt, refrain. |
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| Question 8 |
My wife is 3 months pregnant. Can she eat bajri and drumstick? Himanshu (Panvel, India) |
| Answer 8 |
Yes she can, but she must reduce the quantity of bajra. |
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| Question 9 |
I am 4 months pregnant and a lot of people are advising me to drink a lot of milk. I read that adding a pinch of saffron to a cup of milk is good. Is there any harm in doing so? Is there any time of day to do this? Zenia (Kuala Belait, Brunei Darus) |
| Answer 9 |
You can have milk with saffron in moderate quantities anytime of the day. |
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| Question 10 |
I am 7 months pregnant. Can I have regular coffee, or should I stick to decaffinated coffee? I have placenta praevia. Waheeda (Edison, USA) |
| Answer 10 |
There is no harm in consuming a cup of coffee a day. Do not have have too much coffee. Confirm with your personal gynaecologist before restarting coffee. |
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| Question 11 |
I am a 32 year old woman diagnosed as a gestational diabetes. Blood sugar successfully controlled on insulin and a mild polyhydramnios on treatment with indomethacin. I am in my 26 weeks pregnant. The USG showed placenta as grade 0 but within 20 days the USG showed it as grade 2. This rapidly increasing placental maturity worries me as I have read that it affects the baby and it may progress to grade 3 placenta in the third trimester. What is to be done? What can be the reason and what are the repercussions? I lost my last baby 31 week due to polyhydramnios. This is a precious pregnancy, 9 years after marriage. Thanks in advance for your time and valuable guidance. Lalitha (Calcutta, India) |
| Answer 11 |
The frequency of scans will be determined by how much monitoring will be required. Continue to do USG at the same place every time. One cannot give an opinion about the reason and repercussions with only this much information. You must talk to your gynecologist and get these doubts cleared. |
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| Question 12 |
I am 23 years old and 7 months pregnant. I got to know that I had diabetes when I was in my 3rd month. I read in this website that this is normal, and I have stopped sugar. Now the FBS is showing 152 and I have started getting pelvic pains. Even though I have stopped sugar, the FBS is not going down I am taking 5 units ofinsulin 4 times a day. Gargi (Norwalk, USA) |
| Answer 12 |
It is unclear why you need to take Insulin four times a day in dose of 5 units Insulin. Without all your reports, I am afraid that I cannot say anything. |
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| Question 13 |
I am 5 months pregnant and have found out that I have Gestational Diabetes. I am very concerned about my baby. What should I do? Mahira (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) |
| Answer 13 |
Gestational Diabetes can affect the baby if it is not under control during pregnancy. Your baby may be relatively large in size. |
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| Question 14 |
I am 5 months pregnant and had my blood glucose test done. The level is 141. The nurse mentioned that the level should be between 60 - 140. She asked me to retake the test after a month. Do you think I havegestational diabetes? What measures should I take to control it? I am very concerned. Illika (Paris, France) |
| Answer 14 |
Do repeat the blood sugar test again. A level of 141 cannot be labelled as diabetes so there is no need to worry. |
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| Question 15 |
My wife is 7 months pregnant and a white discharge is coming out of her vagina. Is this a reason for concern? T. Gaurishankar (Bhopal, India) |
| Answer 15 |
See the doctor to check if there is any infection in the vagina or there is a leak of amniotic fluid. |
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| Question 16 |
I am 3.5 months pregnant. I am experiencing a white mucus discharge. Is it normal? Zara (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) |
| Answer 16 |
The discharge is normal unless it is foul-smelling or induces itching. |
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| Question 17 |
I am around 2 months late. I think I could be pregnant, but I have been getting a white discharge. Could I be pregnant? If yes, should I be getting any white discharge? Is this normal? Madhuri (Salem, India) |
| Answer 17 |
If you are pregnant and are getting spotting or an itchy white discharge, you should see a gynaecologist. If the discharge does not itch, nor is it foul smelling, there is no need to worry. This is completely normal. |
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| Question 18 |
I have just discovered that I am pregnant, and I have been told by my doctor that I should not travel by 2 and 3 wheelers, i.e. scooters and auto rickshaws. I do not have a car. Can this lead to a miscarriage? Deepika (Mumbai, India) |
| Answer 18 |
Avoid traveling by 2 - 3 wheeler for a couple of months if you can. If you have to travel then avoid a bumpy ride. After all, prevention is better than cure. |
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| Question 19 |
I am two months pregnant. I live in Jammu but would like to travel to my parent's place in Bangalore. When is the best time to undertake this long journey? Ramona (Jammu, India) |
| Answer 19 |
You can travel to Bangalore in the 5th/6th month. Try to break the journey if possible. Go by train and do not lift any heavy bags etc. Take someone with you. Pack some emergency medication in case of any problem. |
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| Question 20 |
I am 28 weeks pregnant. I have to go to my mother's place for my delivery. I just wanted to know till which week I could I fly safely. The duration of my flight will not be more than 1 hour. Arati (Bhopal, India) |
| Answer 20 |
You should not travel by air after 28 weeks of pregnancy, but from your query it appears that you are already 28 weeks, so you will have to make it soon as the airlines ask for a medical certificate and do not generally allow travel after 28 weeks. |
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| Question 21 |
My wife is three months pregnant. She started to bleed in the seventh week following which she was hospitalised for a week and given complete bed rest and medication. The bleeding has stopped. Can my wife travel on a two-wheeler after completing her third month? Rajiv (Ahmedabad, India) |
| Answer 21 |
It is best avoided. If she must, please take due precautions to avoid bumps. |
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| Question 22 |
I am in the 8 month of my pregnancy. I suffer rom severe back ache and sometimes my throat become very dry. Why does this happen? Ruplai (Tokyo, Japan) |
| Answer 22 |
Backache is quite normal at this stage of pregnancy. The dryness in the throat could be due to infection or less fluid intake or oral breathing instead of nasal breathing. |
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