The healthier you are as you plan your pregnancy, the higher are the chances of delivering a healthy baby. At Cloudnine, we help mothers plan their pregnancy by providing timely assistance they require to make the transition from conception to delivered baby, a successful one. While it takes a healthy lifestyle and prenatal care to ensure a healthy pregnancy, it also takes the help of a reputed healthcare facility to reduce the complications.Trusted by more than 85,000 mothers, Cloudnine works with you while you prepare for your pregnancy, making the process of planning less complicated. Would-be mothers who choose us receive answers to their qualms about pregnancy so that you do not feel apprehensive about the process.

Getting Pregnant Guide

Becoming a Mom, Diabetes Notwithstanding – Getting Pregnant Guide:

Becoming a mother is one of the sweetest moments in any woman’s life. So, why should you let diabetes come in the way of enjoying this precious indulgence?

Till recently diabetic women were considered high-risk pregnancy cases because their fluctuating sugar levels could affect their child’s development and birth. Not anymore though. Irrespective of whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, a normal pregnancy is possible with the right healthcare institution to guide you. To be able to achieve this, it is crucial that you identify and select a hospital that has a team comprising a dialectologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist and fitness therapist, in addition to a gynaecologist. The right team of experts can answer all your queries, allay your fears and guide you through your pregnancy and even after your delivery.

Before you plan to start your family, it is a good idea to discuss this with your gynaecologist and dialectologist who might suggest some examinations. You will be advised to bring your diabetes under control for at least three months and reach a healthy weight before you try to conceive. This is easily done by eating lots of nutritious, fiber and vitamin-rich food, preferably in small portions several times a day, rather than having a heavy meal three times a day.

Your doctor will also chart out an exercise plan for you. This does not mean you rush to sign up for a gym membership! Instead, all you need to do is make some lifestyle changes and incorporate various activities into your daily routine. For instance, why not walk a kilometer to your office and back rather than take the car? Or skip the elevators and take the stairs instead, and move around often instead of sitting on your chair throughout the day?

Another rule of thumb you need to follow is to check your glucose levels regularly to see that there are no peaks. You can either do this at home or at a diagnostic center. In case there is a spike, try to determine what the causing factor is and avoid it, going forward.

Also, whenever you have any ailments avoid self-medication and visit your doctor. If you are diabetic and planning your pregnancy, your doctor is not just your healthcare provider, but will become your comrade-in-arms, who will help you achieve your goal to become a mother. So keep that relationship warm, simple and transparent and follow whatever your doctor advises unfailingly.

Book an Appointment Right Away with the best Gynecologists near you.

Pre-Pregnancy Test

Most of us have grown up watching movies where elderly ladies in a household would keep checking with their daughters and daughters-in-law whether their periods were on time. A missed period was a cause for jubilation because it was a surefire sign that the family would soon welcome a new member in its midst. For once, the movies do not lie. A missed period is one of the most significant signs of pregnancy. However, your body might drop some other hints to announce this pleasant news. Usually these symptoms occur a few days after you miss your period. Of course, the important thing to bear in mind here is that not all women might manifest all, or even any, of these warnings.

Symptoms of Pregnancy

One of the most common signs of pregnancy is the feeling of nausea – another indicator made famous by Bollywood movies to depict an expecting mother! Thankfully, in most cases, this sensation is not severe and itusually wanes off by the end of the first trimester.

An occasional pain or discomfort in the lower stomach region is another manifestation of pregnancy as is the feeling of heaviness and tenderness in the breasts. These signs are byproducts of hormonal changes that your body undergoes to prepare for the birth and nurture of a baby.

If you suddenly want to cuddle for longer hours in the bed or feel exhausted easily, you can lay the blame on a hormone called progesterone. The increased production of this particular hormone during pregnancy is said to be responsible for fatigue and change in sleep patterns in a pregnant woman.

Some women also tend to become more emotional when they are expecting. One moment you believe you are on top of the world; the next moment you feel like weeping while watching a rom-com that otherwise would have you in splits! Once again, this is courtesy the changes in your hormones that influence neurotransmitter levels in your brain.

Aversion to certain smells or food, a need to urinate frequently, feeling bloated – these too could well be signs of a pregnancy. However, if you do not experience any of these indicators, don’t fret. Just wait for a couple of weeks after your period was due before you get yourself tested for pregnancy. You can opt for a home pregnancy test, or better still visit a reputed hospital specializing in pregnancy and childcare to ascertain if you will soon be holding a bundle of joy in your hands.

Late Pregnancy Preparation

It’s Never Too Late – Late Pregnancy Preparation

30s, they say, is the new 20s. In most aspects, this is true. This is when a woman is better settled in her life; be it financially, socially or emotionally. An increasing number of women therefore prefer waiting until they are in their late 30s and are more stable before opting for the joys of motherhood.

However, one has to remember, this is also the period when a woman’s biological clock starts ticking faster.

Delaying pregnancy until the late 30s is not very advisable, according to most doctors, especially if you want to raise a big family. Caring for young children requires deep reserves of stamina and resilience. So, it is better to start your family earlier when your physical fitness is at its peak.

Moreover, conception is easier when you are in your 20s and early 30s. After the age of 35, a woman’s fertility begins to dip. If the woman also suffers from lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, blood pressure, anemia, thyroid, etc. these could further lead to some pregnancy-related complications.

However, all is not lost. As more women prefer to delay motherhood until they are more secure in their lives, science has taken giant leaps to help them conceive and deliver healthy babies. The best guide to help you start a family when you are in your late 30s is none other than your friendly doctor!

Meet and Discuss

Schedule a visit with your doctor for a detailed pre-conception session where your healthcare practitioner will suggest a thorough physical examination and various tests to ensure you have a safe pregnancy. If you have suffered from gynaecologist issues like terminated pregnancies, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis in the past, do not forget to mention this to your doctor.

If you are worried about conception in your late 30s, enquire whether you need any medical intervention. Your doctor might recommend fertility tests like follicular imaging that can assess your fertility rate, as well as blood tests to gauge your hormone levels at specific times during your menstrual cycle. Based on these results, you might be advised to use ovulation kits or opt for fertility treatments to increases the chances of conception.

Following your consultation session, the doctor will also draw up a healthy lifestyle plan combining balanced diet and regular exercise to enhance your physical fitness. After all, health is crucial in conception, pregnancy and parenting; and it has no other substitute.

So, if you are in your late 30s and crave to hold your baby in your arms, wait no more. Consult your doctor, follow a healthy lifestyle and get ready to embark on the magical journey of life called parenthood.

Pregnancy Home Test

Taking a Home Pregnancy Test

Your periods have more or less been regular, but now you have missed it. Add to this, the past few days you have been feeling lethargic and a wee bit nauseous. Additionally, there is the slight discomfort you keep experiencing in your lower abdomen and the tenderness in your breasts. And why does the aroma of coffee, which you looked forward to earlier, now turn you off?

Could all of these be indicators that you are going to be a happy momma soon?

If reading this has tempted you to rush out and buy a home pregnancy test kit, pause awhile. It is advisable to take a home pregnancy test around a week after your periods were supposed to make their monthly appearance. This is because your body starts producing human chorionic gonadotropin, or the hCG hormone, when a fertilized egg gets attached to the uterus. This pregnancy hormone is best detected a fortnight after fertilization. Irrespective whether your periods are regular or not, it is always a good idea to wait a few days before taking this test.

Choosing Right

Home pregnancy detection kits are easily available over-the-counter at most pharmacies and even in some convenience stores. Different brands have different modes for testing. You might have to pass urine directly on a stick provided by some companies, while in certain brands you need to drop it on a testing well. Some packs require you to do the test first thing in the morning, while you can use the others anytime during the day.

Kits from some brands are more sensitive than those from other companies and can detect pregnancy even a few days after your periods were due. It is therefore important to read the instructions carefully on the pack of the home pregnancy test kit before purchase and before use.

In case you get a false negative but are confident that you might be pregnant, wait a few days before repeating the test. However, waiting for such good news is excruciatingly difficult. So why not visit your gynaecologist who will run a blood test, which is more sensitive than a urine test followed by a vaginal examination?

A blood test can determine whether you are pregnant as early as six days after your periods are due. What’s more, with the physical assessment your doctor can irrefutably confirm the pregnancy. So why go through a long wait to learn about fantastic news in the offing, when your doctor can give you a conclusive reply within a day!

Pregnancy Physical Readiness

Healthy Mom = Healthy Baby

Caring for a baby takes a lot of effort, patience and tender loving love. However, has it occurred to you that a good amount of these attributes ought to be directed towards your own health when you decide to start your family? After all, only a healthy mom can raise a healthy child.

Instead of judging your health quotient, it is prudent to visit your gynaecologist prior to planning a baby to understand how fit your body truly is to deal with the demands of motherhood and parenting. Before you dismiss this as an unnecessary exercise, remember, this is as much for your baby’s wellbeing as it is for your own.

A Frank Chat With Your Doctor

Schedule a pre-conception session with your gynaecologist to better understand if there are any wellbeing issues you need to resolve before you conceive. Most doctors in reputed healthcare institutions are happy to talk to their patients about their medical history, vaccination record, allergies and lifestyle habits to determine their physical fitness before conception.

The discussion would also include charting your menstruation cycle, any sexual or genital infection you might have suffered from or any birth control methods you might have used in the past. The doctor would want to know about any erstwhile gynaecologist issues, including an ectopic pregnancy. If you had undergone such a pregnancy, the doctor might recommend an ultrasound to ensure that all is well with the current pregnancy.

If you have had a child before, the doctor is likely to ask about any pregnancy or post-partum health complications you might have encountered at that time. If your baby had any health problems at the time of birth, or after, this might be a good time to bring it up. Your healthcare practitioner is also likely to recommend a full physical examination as well.

After a detailed discussion and physical assessment, you could be provided with a wellbeing plan, combining a healthy lifestyle, some medical supplements like folic acid and multivitamin pills as well as a nutritious diet to ensure that you are physically prepared for motherhood.

Remember, no question is insignificant enough to be ignored during your chat with your doctor. In fact, a good doctor is always happy to answer all your queries and guide you correctly on your path to motherhood. So, bring out that writing pad, pen down your doubts and don’t be coy about discussing these when you visit your friendly doctor.