ISSUE NO.

1- WHAT SHOULD
WE KNOW ABOUT OUR
PREGNANCY?
Childhood and Family Research Centre - CENDIF

1996
CENDIF-UNIMET
Caracas - Venezuela

Cendif-Unimet Issue N 1

UNIVERSIDAD METROPOLITANA
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES PARA LA INFANCIA Y LA FAMILIA
CENDIF-UNIMET

Autor original del proyecto: Dr. Carlos J. Leighton,

Director del proyecto: Mara Anglica Seplveda
Sub-Director: Gloria Lpez.
Comitte: Equipo tcnico Cendif
Textos: Mara Alejandra Corredor
Dibujos: Gabriela Gutirrez
Web: http://cendifunimet.wix.com/cendifunimet.
E-mail: cendif.unimet@gmail.com.
Traduccin: Susana Arenas.

Caracas 1996

Happy and healthy parents will have happy and healthy babies.
The mother should be prepared physically and emotionally to have a baby.

What is pregnancy?

Its the process through which the ovum is fertilized by a sperm, forming an egg which is
nested in the uterus that develops during a period of 39 to 40 weeks.

To avoid complications, the recommended age to be a mother is between 25 and 35

years old.
After having a baby, it is advisable to wait at least 2 years before having another one to
protect the health of both the mother and the baby.

How to know if you are expecting?

After having at least ONE act of sexual intercourse:
Your menstruation is delayed by 2 weeks or more.
There is an increase in your urinary frequency.
You feel a general malaise (sickness or vomit)
Your breasts become larger and tenderer.
There is an increase in your sleeping hours.

IF ANY OF THESE SYMPTHOMS SHOW, YOU MUST INMEDIATELY GO TO THE

HOSPITAL FOR A MEDICAL EXAMINATION TO ASSURE PREGNANCY!

Pregnancy is a memorable and fascinating experience.

Good prenatal care will be rewarded with healthy mothers and babies.
Thats why we have to protect it by following these recommendations:

1. Regularly going to the hospital:

Control your weight: you can gain between 9 and 12kg.

2. Maintain a good hygene:

Wash your genitals properly.

Brush your teeth: more cavities can appear during pregnancy.

3. Avoid lifting heavy objects:

Walk daily.

Use comfortable clothes.

Give daily time to rest.

4. Your must have a healthy and balanced diet, and it must be rich
in proteins, minerals, iron and calcium.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU REMEMBER
DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOL, SMOKE CIGARRETES OR DO DRUGS!
These habits can have permanent harmful effects on the babys development.
Whatever you consume is directly sent to the baby through the placenta. Thereof, if you
smoke, your baby will probably smoke as well

YOU MUST NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATION UNLESS RECOMMENDED BY THE

DOCTOR!

How should your diet be like?

It should be balanced and healthy, through the inheriting of:
Cereals: oatmeal, rice and corn.
Beans: kidney beans, lentils and peas.
Tubers: bananas, potatoes and maniocs
Vegetables: tomato, onion.
Flesh (both red and white)
Fruits: mango, watermelon, pineapples, bananas, lettuce
Cheese and eggs.
Eight (8) glasses of water per day.
Two (2) glasses of milk per day.

Always remember that meals should have low levels of salt and no spice.
By keeping this diet, you can prevent abortion and birthing babies with low weight and
development problems.

MESSAGE 1
Our pregnancy lasts from 39 to 40 weeks.
When the due date nears, it indicates that the baby will arrive soon.
Certain symptoms that signal the babys arrival can occur:
1) Cramps or contractions that become more intense. The bellys texture hardens.
2) Back and belly pains, as well as muscular cramps.
3) Uncontrollable retention of liquids.
4) Underwear may be stained with crimson stains.

WHEN THIS OCCURS, YOU MUST GET TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY

BECAUSE YOUR BABY IS ABOUT TO BE BORN!

If any of these symptom were present during you pregnancy, DO LET

YOUR DOCTOR KNOW IMMEDIATELY to protect your and the babys
health.

Signs of
hypertension

Inflammation of face, hands and legs.

Intense headache.
Dizziness.
Blurry sight and spot sight.

Possible kidney
infection signs

Burning sensation when urinating.

Fever.
Shivering.
Back pains.

Signs of vaginal
infection

Secretion: Yellow, oozing smell and rash.

No liquid retention.
Bleeding.

MESSAGE 2
There is no risk of harming the baby by maintaining sexual relationships throughout the
pregnancy, unless the doctor prohibits it if it represents a risk for both the baby and you.
The baby is surrounded by a set of membranes and a special liquid that serves as
protection.
Moreover, the mucose blockage that protects the babys neck acts as a barrier from
infections.
Individuals can have sexual intercourse as many times as they wish, as long as it is not
too violent, since this will help prepare the mother for delivery; by keeping the muscles
strong and elastic.

Pregnant women need to receive a lot of affection and comprehension, since she finds
herself going through a set of changes. Their relationship partners offer the best support
in these moments.

IN CONTACT WITH THE BABY

Mother-child boding starts to form during the pregnancy. The baby interacts with the
world through its mother, and it expresses through the movements s/he/they make
when they are in the womb.
Thus talking, singing and thinking positively about the baby, will transmit the sense of
security s/he/they will need when they are born.
S/he/they communicate with the mother through the movements she feels inside her
belly. In this moments, she can say something like: Hi baby, its mom!
At the beginning of the 7th month, the mother can do two (2) sessions of ten (10)
minutes each of the subsequent exercises:
Patting

Pat the area below the belly as you repeat

the words pat, pat, pat.

Music

Listen to soft music at a low volume as

you sit comfortably.

Caress

Look for the position of the babys back

and press upward-downward as you
repeat

the

words:

caress,

caress,

caress.
Squeeze

Put your hands on your sides (at hip level)

and press towards your navel as you
repeat the words: squeeze, squeeze,
squeeze.

Dark/light

Put a small lantern on your belly skin, at

the level of the babys head and move
from right to left as you repeat the words:
light, light, light. Then, turn off the lantern
and repeat the words: dark, dark, dark.

EXERCISES FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY

Exercise improves our muscles, elasticity and our strength, so that our body adapts
better to the demands of pregnancy and childbirth.
Everytime the mother does exercise, the baby receives large amounts oxygen into its
bloodstream, thus improving their metabolism.
Before beginning a workout routine, it is advisable you do a warm-up, which consists of:
Head rotary movements

Move your head gently from left to right,

and then up and down.

Waist movements

While sitting cross-legged, slowly move

your waist from one side to the other, as
you support your hands on the opposite
knee.

Legs and foots

While sitting with your back straight and

your legs stretched in front, put your
hands on both sides of your thighs. Bend
your knees slowly and then stretch it.

Lift your feet off the ground and twist Draw circles with your ankles.
them out.

After the warm-up, you move on to the:

Workout Routine:
1) Bend towards: Put your feet separated and parallely. Bend and put both hands
over your back, and stretch as much as you can.
2) Pelvic contraction: Take a four-legged position, contract the gluteal muscles and
bring your pelvis forward, as you arch your back.
3) Squatting Position: Stand up and bend forward as much as you can, by
supporting yourself on your ankles. Keep this position for a few minutes.
4) Lay down with your feet raised to alleviate the blood pressure on ankles and feet.

5) Back torsion: Lay down on the floor with your arms and shoulders stretched,
breathe deeply and slowly bring your knees to your right side and your head you
left side.

El Centro de Investigaciones para la Infancia y la Familia fue creado en 1981 y ha

dedicado su labor cientfica a la creacin, implementacin y evaluacin de programas
de atencin integral no-convencional dirigidos a los nios, familias y comunidades
desaventajadas.
CENDIF-UNIMET/ Distribuidor Universidad / Autopista Petare-Guarenas, La Urbina,
Caracas / 1070 A / Venezuela
Telfono y fax: 02-2416869
Copyright-protected material. Any form of total or partial printing of this material is
strictly forbidden
NEXT ISSUE:

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT CHILDBIRTH?