Seeing two lines on a pregnancy test can be one of the best moments of your life, but pregnancy admin is real, meaning that you’ll also need to make countless phone calls to health professionals, fill out endless forms, and cram your diary with more medical appointments than you’ve likely ever had before.
This is all part and parcel of pre and post-parenthood, and it’s something that most of us embrace as a normal part of the experience. However, with so much already going on, it’s easy to forget that unrelated-to-baby health checks are also invaluable at this point, and could save you a world of stress and worry once you’re in the midst of the fourth trimester.
The question is, what are these unrelated health checks, and why are they worth adding to your already overwhelming calendar of appointments?
Contraceptive reviews
Many people don’t realize that it’s possible to get pregnant surprisingly soon after birth, with even some breastfeeding mothers being at their most fertile during this period. As such, even if your periods don’t start again for a few months, there’s no guarantee that you won’t get pregnant. To avoid that stress, you should instead book a contraceptive review before birth, and either discuss getting a prescription for the pill ready to go, or alternatively inserting something like the coil directly after your birth to keep accidents well at bay.
Image by William Fortunato: CC0 License
Hearing checks
As a parent, you need to be intune with your baby’s needs, and that means hearing even small changes in their cries or breathing. This isn’t possible if your hearing is on the spritz, which is why it’s also important to book a hearing test beforehand. Do note that you’ll need to inform your audiologist that you’re pregnant, as pregnancy blood flow can impact hearing in some cases. Generally speaking, however, it’ll still be possible to detect general hearing deterioration at an appointment like this, enabling you to start enjoying the benefits of hearing aids or other hearing therapies for crystal-clear hearing that picks up on your new baby’s every sniffle.
Weight worries
Dieting is very much not recommended for any pregnant woman as it can restrict baby’s nutrition. However, being overweight when you go into labor also poses very real risks. With this in mind, if you or your doctor are concerned about your weight during pregnancy, or if you notice that you’re gaining weight too quickly, it’s worth having an appointment to discuss this. That way, your doctor can point you towards healthy options for getting the problem under control before your baby comes, such as following a healthy pregnancy diet or even just embarking on safe pregnancy exercises like yoga and swimming.
Pregnancy is a huge time of change for your body, and not just because you’re growing a baby. You also need to make sure that you’re keeping the bigger health picture in mind so that you can truly enjoy the bliss of those newborn days without worry, or having to leave for yet another medical appointment!
