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Australian Pregnancy Article
Ten Questions About Pregnancy You Might Not Want To Ask Your Doctor
Kath Cutler
TEN QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT
PREGNANCY
Q1. Can I get pregnant following oral sex or heavy petting?
No. You can only get pregnant from full sexual intercourse.
Q2. How will I know if I am pregnant?
If you have had sexual intercourse since your last period and
you are late for your current period, you may be pregnant.
Following implantation of the fertilised egg menstruation should
not occur, hence for women who have been sexually active and who
have previously menstruated regularly, the absence of a period
should be put down to pregnancy.
The most common way to confirm a pregnancy is to purchase and
undertake a home test. These are relatively cheap and can be
done in the privacy of your home. The manufacturers claim they
are over 95% accurate.
If the home test has a positive result, you should make an
appointment to see your doctor.
Q3. Is it safe to have sex during pregnancy?
For most couples it is normal for them to enjoy an active sex
life throughout the pregnancy. Sexual intercourse will not harm
the development of your baby as it is cushioned by a bag of
fluid in your uterus.
Sex during your pregnancy may also help you both unwind and
should help you maintain a strong bond with your partner, ready
for the months ahead.
Q4. Does vaginal discharge increases during this time?
Yes, unfortunately it does. Vaginal discharge may well increase
during all stages of your pregnancy and should be similar to the
discharge you have previously had before a period. It is only if
the discharge becomes very thick, smelly or blood stained that
you need to seek medical assistance. If the cause is an
infection, it can be easily treated with creams or tablets.
Q5. Will I get piles/haemorrhoids?
You may. Although people laugh and joke about piles, they are no
laughing matter.
During pregnancy the walls and veins in your anus swell and
blood flow becomes sluggish, causing the affected veins to throb
and become painful.
There are precautions you can take to help reduce the chances
of developing piles, such as:
Eat a high fibre diet and drink lots of fluid to avoid
constipation.
Try to relax on the toilet and not strain.
Undertake regular exercise and pelvic floor exercises
to help blood flow around your anus.
If you do get piles, your doctor, midwife or pharmacist will be
able to suggest a suitable cream to ease the pain.
Q6. What is the best contraception to use after birth?
This will depend on how soon you wish to have another baby. If
you want another baby soon (within one year), then short-term
measures such as the cap or condom, ideally with the use of a
spermicide, are probably the best contraception.
Long term, methods such as contraceptive injection, hormone
implant and 'the pill' may be your best options.
Q7. How soon can I have sex after birth?
It is advisable to wait a few weeks after a normal delivery, and
up to three months after a caesarean, as healing may take this
length of time. It is important however that both you and your
partner agree: neither should feel pressured into it.
Be aware that you may feel dry; though by using water-based
lubricants there is no reason why sex should not be as enjoyable
as before.
Q8. How will the midwife measure cervical dilation?
The midwife will measure how dilated (or open) the cervix is by
gently inserting two fingers into the vagina. She assesses how
open the cervix is by opening her fingers and feeling around its
perimeter. She will also be feeling the position of the cervix
and how soft it is.
She will always try to be gentle but sometimes the process can
be slightly uncomfortable. Try to stay as relaxed as possible:
the tenser you are, the more uncomfortable the procedure will
be. Hold your partner's hand while the midwife examines you and
ask him to try and distract you.
Q9. How will the hospital staff break my waters if they need to?
The midwife will discuss with you why you might need your waters
breaking. Remember though, if you are not comfortable with this
you can decline. If you fully understand the need to have your
waters broken, and are happy to go ahead, the midwife or doctor
will perform a normal vaginal examination then insert a long
thin plastic hook that is a little bit like a crochet hook. The
hook will be brushed over the bag of waters, which will usually
be enough pressure to break it. The cervix does, however, have
to be sufficiently open for this to be carried out.
Q10. If I have an episiotomy or perineal tear, how will it be
repaired?
It is not always the case that your perineum (the area between
the vaginal entrance and the rectum) will tear or need to be
cut. Moreover, if it is, there is no way of knowing if you will
require stitches. Some studies have shown that perineal massage
can help prevent trauma. Your midwife will be able to advise you
on this. Sometimes if a small tear has been sustained, it will
be left to heal naturally.
If the area does require stitches, the midwife who has been
looking after you will usually do it. You will be given local
anaesthetic to numb the area before the midwife starts and she
will check that you are unable to feel any pain before
commencing. These days, stitches are almost always dissolvable
and will not need to be removed.
Want to know more?
If you do want to know more about pregnancy, from conception to
labour, you should take a look at 'Pregnancy for Beginners' - a
comprehensive guide for the new mother-to-Be. Written by a State
Registered Midwife, it is a simple, easy-to-understand, yet
comprehensive, book you can download to your computer in
minutes. See www.pregnancyfacts.org for full details of this
invaluable guide for the newly pregnant woman.
About the author:
Written by a practising midwife, this article gives a taster for
her comprehensive, yet easy-to-read ebook, 'Pregnancy for
Beginners - The Complete Guide for the First-Time Mother-to-Be',
a unique source of advice for newly pregnant women. See
www.pregnancyfacts.org
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