Becoming a mother is a beautiful and overwhelming thing. It is important for women to feel safe and secure while on this journey. Many mothers have to go on this journey of motherhood during the coronavirus pandemic, and they have handled the situation gracefully. At Medicircle, we present to you the National Safe Motherhood Day Awareness Series, where we are featuring successful Mompreneurs Healthcare Professionals, Obstetricians, Gynaecologists, Entrepreneurs working on safe motherhood to raise awareness about adequate access to care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal services.

Dr. Rashi Agarwal is the director of Praxis Healthcare, which is a Hospital Management Consultancy firm that provides integrated solutions for all healthcare business requirements. She's also the founder and director of treatment overseas, which provides medical tourism services she has experience of over a decade as a director in various healthcare organizations.

A woman should take care of herself

Dr. Rashi speaks, “a woman should just take care of herself, irrespective of whether she’s planning or not planning. The planning stage is important before pregnancy. Age is something that you need to take care of while planning. 20 to 35 is a good bracket to have a baby. Having a first child before 30 is ideal for a good biological rhythm. Planning after 30 can even give rise to complications of cancer later in the future. One has to emphasize their own personal body so that one can have a safe pregnancy and a good life post-pregnancy. You can avoid complications during pregnancy, post-pregnancy by putting little effort, and can have a healthier life and a healthier baby.”

Diet and exercise are important

Dr. Rashi says, “One needs to take care of the vitamins, exercise, and daily regime. Rainbow diet, which is a good mix of vegetables, fruits, proteins, carbs is a good food habit. A good sleep pattern that is eight hours of minimum sleep a day has to be followed. Apart from that a good vitamin balance and folic acid is important during pregnancy. Living a healthy life with a healthy mind is of utmost importance for physical and mental stability for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.” 

Pregnancy is a normal phenomenon and not a disease

Dr. Rashi informs, “Pregnancy has to be treated like a normal phenomenon, where you do your normal chores, normal things, but of course, nothing overdone is correct. Eating the right diet and getting the right amount of weight is important. You can’t just go eat, eat and eat. Gaining 10-15 kilos is ideal, but not 20-30 kilos which is obese. Morning sickness is very common. Having two biscuits before getting out of your bed can help in relieving morning sickness. You can do your normal thing whatever your body was used to. But you can't suddenly do something that your body was not used to. If you were walking 60 minutes a day, you can continue doing it. Exercise is the key. Doing sweeping, mopping or the duck walk is great in the third trimester. Kegel exercises are very good for making your pelvic muscles really strong. Blood pressure, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia are some common ailments that need to be taken care of. So, these basic things that you keep in mind for a good healthy pregnancy,” suggests Dr. Rashi.

Alarming signs during pregnancy

Dr. Rashi shares, “If you are having vaginal bleeding, headaches with blurred vision, it has to be reported immediately. If you're feeling the movements of the fetus are restricted or you can't feel the fetal movements, it is a sign to visit a doctor. Uncontrollable abdominal cramps with bad backaches are some signs which cannot be neglected. Fever, convulsions are things that cannot be ignored, you have to report them immediately. Excessive vomiting needs to be reported.”

A good support system is important for balancing home and work

Dr. Rashi tells, “the basic thing to manage personal as well professional life is a good support system. You have to make your own support system because you can't neglect your kids and you can't neglect the work also. Both are your babies. So, you have to be able to build a good support system whether it’s your mother or mother in law, your sister or sister in law, your girlfriends, or whoever and have been able to trust them. You have to reach out to people to help you.”

Dr. Rashi adds, “you have to work guilt free so that you can do justice to both. If you're guilty, you can never work, and you cannot do justice to either. It's quality time rather than quantity time. The spouse has to help equally. So, partners need to have the right balance so that if one is missing out, other one can take care.”

(Edited by - Renu Gupta)