The arrival of a baby is wonderful news; however, finding out that you are pregnant in this health emergency can cause many fears and concerns, especially for new mothers.

It is essential that the future mom, as soon as she knows her condition, acquires healthy habits, and contacts her Gynecologist to receive the first indications and clear all her doubts. This will make her feel confident and take proper care of herself.

Due to covid-19, the World Health Organization proposes to reduce the exposure of pregnant women to risky situations during the pandemic. Thus, today a face-to-face control at regular intervals is proposed and not every four weeks, as practiced months ago.

Medical check-up

A remote medical check-up should be carried out with the specialist, through telephone consultations, video calls, or using applications such as WhatsApp or Zoom to ensure that everything goes well.

Evelyn Campos, Gynecologist at the Clínica Ricardo Palma says that having a healthy lifestyle is essential, to avoid future complications. This means following a balanced diet, low in fat and refined desserts. It is also recommended to stay active, do low-intensity exercises, consume supplements with folic acid, and reduce stressful situations.

For this reason, it is important that the patient controls her anxiety about the lockdown, so that it does not affect the baby’s development. Relaxation techniques are very helpful: they reduce cortisol levels and prevent changes in health.

It is also important to limit the intake of refined carbohydrates such as sweets and white flours and do not exaggerate with food portions since overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia (high pressure in pregnancy), which can cause severe complications to the baby and the mother.

Exercises with caution

The treadmill, prenatal pilates, or dancing are good options to stay healthy and have a good weight during pregnancy.

In this regard, the doctor explains that exercising during pregnancy raises many doubts. It is recommended that sedentary women start a physical exercise program from the second trimester and gradually with low intensity and frequency exercises.

High impact routines are not recommended because of the increased risk of falling or hitting the abdomen. Physical activity during pregnancy favors childbirth, reduces back pain, controls blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as improves the mood of the future mother.

Dr. Evelyn Campos
Gynecologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma