Let's talk about it podcast: Everything you need to know about pregnancy
Let's talk about it podcast: Everything you need to know about pregnancy
This podcast answers common questions about pregnancy such as "How can i find out if i'm pregnant?" or "How long does pregnancy last?"
Click on the play button below and start listening.
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Welcome to “Let's talk about it” podcast — brought to you by Laaha
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Laaha is an open, online platform where women and girls
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can get information about their health, wellbeing, and safety.
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Please remember: All content provided on the platform
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is based on scientific knowledge for educational purposes only.
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It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
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My name is Maya, and I’m here to answer common questions about pregnancy
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help you better prepare for it.
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How and when can I find out that I am pregnant?
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For many, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period.
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Other early pregnancy symptoms include feeling tired, feeling bloated,
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, peeing more than usual, mood swings, nausea, and tender or swollen breasts.
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Not everyone has all of these symptoms, but they are fairly common.
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The only way to know for sure whether you are pregnant, is to take a pregnancy test.
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In many instances, you can purchase a pregnancy test
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from a pharmacy or drug store and take the test privately at home.
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You can also visit a health center or your doctor’s office to get a test done.
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How long does pregnancy last? Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.
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The stages of pregnancy are divided into 3 trimesters.
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Each trimester is a little longer than 13 weeks.
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You’ll go through many changes during each trimester.
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Some women feel discomfort at different stages. Others don’t feel much at all.
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During this time, the baby and your womb will grow.
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How common is it to lose a pregnancy?
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Most pregnancy loss — called miscarriage — happens in the first trimester.
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Miscarriage is when an embryo or fetus dies before the 20th week of pregnancy.
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Miscarriages happen for many reasons – including specific risk factors
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but also could be because of medical conditions in the baby or mother.
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No matter the reason, a woman should not be blamed or blame herself for a miscarriage.
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Common symptoms of a miscarriage are: vaginal bleeding or spotting,
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severe belly pain and severe cramping. Sometimes, miscarriage has
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minimal physical symptoms, and you don’t find out until a doctor check up.
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Even though miscarriage is fairly common, it can be emotionally difficult.
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The experience of losing a baby may differ around the world,
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yet stigma, shame, and guilt are common. The amount of time it takes to
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emotionally and physically heal after a miscarriage are different for everyone.
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Give yourself as much time as you need to grieve. Finding someone you trust
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to talk to about your experience and feelings can be helpful.
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If you know a woman or girl who has had a miscarriage,
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it can be difficult to know what to say. Empathy and a listening ear
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can provide support and allow space to talk about how they feel.
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What care do you need during pregnancy?
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Prenatal care is important and should, if possible, include regular checkups
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from a doctor, nurse, or midwife throughout your pregnancy.
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You can start getting prenatal care as soon as you know you’re pregnant.
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Checkup frequency varies by context and availability of medical services near you.
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Regular checkups can include blood tests, checks of the fetal heartbeat,
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measuring the fundal height. It's important that you communicate
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your questions and feelings to your doctor during pregnancy,
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and try to take care of your mental and physical health as much as possible.
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What do I need to know about birth? Birth will usually happen between week
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38 and 42 of your pregnancy, but it can happen earlier or later.
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Close to birth, women will start to feel contractions.
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This means that their uterus is contracting and relaxing.
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Contractions will become more regular and intense as the baby’s birth approaches.
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Contractions enable the cervix to dilate and to soften, making way
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for the baby to pass through the vaginal canal to be born.
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The cervix will dilate from 1 to 10 cm. Once the cervix is fully dilated,
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the mother will feel the need to push, this is called the fetal ejection reflex.
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Once the baby is out of the woman’s body, the birth will end
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with the delivery of the placenta. This phase is sometimes called afterbirth.
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Sometimes, due to medical reasons (e.g. if the baby is not in a good position),
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the doctor might recommend a cesarean, or C-section.
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A cesarean is a medical procedure where an incision is made in the women’s abdomen
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and uterus to surgically remove the baby from the uterus.
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Women don’t typically feel anything during the procedure
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as they are anesthetized from the waist down.
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Does vaginal birth hurt?
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This is a difficult question to answer, as each woman’s experience is unique.
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Some women say yes and say that contractions, pushing
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and birthing are all very painful. Many women opt to have an epidural
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– an injection of anesthesia that creates a band of numbness
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from your bellybutton to your upper legs – to avoid feeling any pain.
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Other women say that birth is intense but wouldn’t describe the feeling as painful.
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The pain from the contractions stops right after birthing the baby.
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However, some women, experience "afterpains".
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These are contractions — which often resemble menstrual cramps
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— that help prevent excessive bleeding by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus.
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Afterpains are common during breastfeeding due to the release of the hormone oxytocin.
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They happen in the first few days after the birth of the baby and are completely normal.
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If you have more questions or would like to talk to someone – please feel free to find
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the contact details of a service provider near you by clicking on the ‘Need help' button
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or to search for more articles use the search function or the chatbot.
