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Congratulations! You will be a mother soon! These ten months of the antenatal period are for your enjoyment. However, it is crucial that you remain healthy, both physically and emotionally, to enjoy your pregnancy. Antenatal care is part of this preparation and therefore, your first visit to your obstetrician after your pregnancy has been confirmed, is an important occasion.
 Come prepared
Your obstetrician would love to meet you and your partner together. Come prepared as the obstetrician is likely to enquire about your previous medical history, previous pregnancies and outcomes, family history of genetic syndromes or diabetes, etc. This significant information could impact the outcome of the pregnancy and thus, any pertinent details must not be missed.
Tell us about your lifestyle
If you smoke, drink alcohol, take any regular medication or use recreational drugs, you should inform your obstetrician as these may have an effect on your pregnancy. Rest assured that this information will be kept confidential.
History of previous pregnancies
Your past obstetric history is crucial in your pregnancy. This includes details of previous miscarriages or abortions (if any), ectopic (outside the womb) pregnancies, any problems with fertility during your previous pregnancy or childbirth. If you are unable to recall any of this information, try to get hold of the medical summaries of your previous pregnancies.
Record your menstrual calendar
The first thing many mothers-to-be want to know when they first realise that they are pregnant is WHEN is the baby coming? They would love to know if they would be planning for a Christmas baby or any other auspicious birth date.
Do keep track of the dates of the first day of your menstrual periods when you are trying to conceive. Many women forget this pertinent detail! The expected date of delivery (EDD) can be calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) if you have a regular 28-day menstrual cycle.
Calculate your EDD
Your baby was conceived about 14 days after the first day of your LMP. This means that when you conceived, you were already about two weeks pregnant! EDD is at 40 weeks, that's 40 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period or 280 days after LMP or 38 weeks (or 266 days) since conception. It all corresponds to the same EDD! Amazing, isn’t it?
However, your pregnancy is full-term at 37 weeks after LMP, ie your baby is fully matured and ready for delivery at any time. So get your maternity bag and baby cot ready by then!
Pre-term (premature) delivery refers to a delivery before 37 completed weeks after LMP.
Use of pregnancy calendar wheel
Most obstetricians are familiar with the pregnancy calender wheel (Figure 8.1). It helps to estimate the EDD based on the LMP or dating scan.
 Do not be too worried if you have irregular periods or cannot recall your LMP. The most accurate dating is from a first trimester ultrasound measurement of your baby 's size! Thus, see your obstetrician early in the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy in order to get an accurate due date.
Pregnancy date calculator from the Internet
There are several pregnancy date calculators that are freely available from the Internet. Do a search for “pregnancy date calculator” and you will find them.
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N
I am getting more forgetful and absent-minded since my pregnancy began. Is this normal?
Do not be alarmed if you are absent-minded or forgetful in your pregnancy. You may find yourself misplacing your purse, forgetting to return phone calls, or going off to fetch something only to discover you have forgotten what you were looking for. This is reported by many mothers-to-be.
The exact cause is unknown. Hormonal changes, stress as well as preoccupation with thoughts of the pregnancy can contribute to this absent-mindedness. Sleep could also be erratic during your pregnancy. You may become even more forgetful if you are tired during the day.
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