Pregnancy is a wonderful time for most couples, but it’s not without its challenges especially for women. Some have pre-existing problems before the pregnancy that could make their nine-month journey less pleasant, while others develop health problems during pregnancy.

If you and your husband are planning to have a baby soon, you need to be aware of possible complications in pregnancy to help you prepare more effectively.

Before Pregnancy

• Infections, specifically sexually-transmitted infections that have not been treated will affect pregnancy and can cause a lot of problems for the baby. There is also a possibility of passing on the infection to the baby if you and your partner were not screened for infections. Early screening in Singapore can help you get the right treatment for a worry-free pregnancy.

• High Blood Pressure can put you at risk for placental abruption and preeclampsia. If you are hypertensive, you should continue your treatment throughout your pregnancy to avoid these life-threatening complications.

• Obesity and other eating disorders can make pregnancy an unpleasant experience for you, because they will increase the risk of developing a host of complications such as, premature birth, depression, and preeclampsia.

• Uterine Fibroids sometimes do not produce any symptom, that is why it’s important for women to get checked annually, especially during childbearing years. If left untreated, it could possibly lead to miscarriage and a difficult labor and childbirth.

During Pregnancy

• Preeclampsia or toxemia is a life-threatening complication that is a result of other health problems, such as, hypertension, obesity, kidney disease, high glucose levels, and systemic lupus. First pregnancies and late pregnancies also increase the likelihood of having preeclampsia. Symptoms include high blood pressure, dizziness and headaches, swollen face and hands, and stomach pain.

• Gestational Diabetes usually develops during the second trimester if the mother’s body does not develop enough insulin to break down glucose. If left untreated, it could lead to preeclampsia, hypertension, or an overweight infant.

• Low Amniotic Fluid, also called oligohydramnios, is a condition characterized by not having enough amniotic fluid to protect the fetus. Some women with the condition need induced labor at the end of their pregnancy.

• Placenta Previa means that the woman’s uterus is positioned low above or next to the cervix. It can cause bleeding during the late stages of pregnancy, that is why regular checkups and bed rest are recommended to avoid further bleeding.

• Miscarriage can’t be prevented in some cases and will usually start with spotting or bleeding, abdominal cramps, and the passing of fluid or tissue from the vagina. Some women even miscarry and are not aware that they are pregnant, while others might require treatment to remove the pregnancy tissue in their uterus after the miscarriage.

• Premature Labor and Birth means that the mother goes into labor before the 37^th week of pregnancy. She will experience pelvic cramps and back pain, vaginal discharge, and contractions.

No matter how many books we read about being an effective mother (especially if it is our first child), there are no sources that can give us the exact training to prepare us of what is coming. Motherhood is not an exact science – our instincts will lead our way and we have to trust that experience will make us more effective. Being new is not a problem but our reluctance to learn will be the end of us.

When other mothers tell us about the sleepless nights and crying, we seem to accept it but unless we have experienced it, we won’t be able to understand it fully. We may be capable to deal with many difficult people in our workplace but once our child comes out, it is natural that we will be lost and stressed out.

What are the stresses of new mothers? Well, giving birth is an exhausting and emotional experience. Aside from that, we have to adjust with our hormones. If we underwent surgery, recovering from it is another matter not to mention the lack of sleep and establishing breastfeeding. This is not meant to discourage us but we can paint a clear picture out of this so we will know what to expect.

The first few weeks are difficult but if our baby is between 6 to 8 eights, things will be lighter that is if we settled patterns and effective routine. However, if we are still unable to cope up for the longest time and still in difficulty, we should consider some points in coping up. Here are some coping up points that can be effective:

• Set time for ourselves: Even if we have babies, it is important that we reward ourselves by taking a break – no matter how short it is. If we have one or two hours spare time, grab it and have our hair fixed or get a massage.
• Enlist help from others: Being new to everything gives us enough reason to ask help from others especially those that have experiences. We have to utilize the help of the people around us if we do not want to be exhausted.
• Eat well: It is important that we eat well and that means nutritiously especially if we are breastfeeding our baby.
• Exercise: Walking in the park is the simplest form of exercise. If we are worried about our baby, we can bring him/her using the push chair.

If we think that we can cope up with stresses of becoming a new mother, it will happen.