Recently New Zealand passed a law providing women leaves to grieve for miscarriages or stillborns, without having to use their sick leaves. And that is a rule that is loved by women across the globe. Taking time to grieve for the loss of your baby is something personal and it takes time. And do you know that India also has such a law? Women who have suffered a miscarriage can apply for a miscarriage leave. But what provisions come under these leaves? How can you apply for one? Here is a video by Lawyer Tanya Appachu explaining all you need to know about miscarriage leaves in India.
Things To Remember When Getting Pregnant In Your Late 30’s
Late pregnancies require more attention and care as they are more complicated, and the risks are higher. It is essential to make healthy choices and take good care of oneself, which is the best way to take care of the baby.
1. Consult With Your Doctor
It is important to make preconception appointments with one’s doctor to discuss overall health and lifestyle changes that will aid in the pregnancy. Regular prenatal care is critical to ensure the good health of the mother and the baby and to avoid any unforeseen situations. Late pregnancies are especially common in the urban setup as women are prioritising career goals. Consult the doctor about prenatal testing for chromosomal abnormalities. This will help screen the chromosomal abnormalities in the developing baby. The choices made by the mother before conception are equally important to those made after one is pregnant.
2. Healthy Diet
Maintain a healthy balanced diet rich in folic acids, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and other necessary nutrients. Gaining the right amount of weight will nurture the growth of the baby and help in weight reduction after childbirth. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are strictly off-limits during pregnancy.
3. Exercise
It is important to stay active and add physical activity to one’s regular routine. This will prepare mothers for childbirth and labour by increasing stamina and muscle strength. Exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. But working out helps you achieve physical stability. Find exercises during pregnancy here. Try some light warm-up exercises and set up a simple workout routine. You can hire a fitness expert to help you out or try a few stretches and routines available on YouTube.
4. Consider Fertility Options
The chances of getting pregnant naturally in the late 30s are quite difficult and complex and come with a lot of care and maintenance. Many fertility options like egg freezing, IVF, ICSI, and IUI are procedures that can aid mature women in giving birth. Although these procedures improve and present a higher chance of pregnancy there is no guarantee that can be given because of the risks faced by both the mother and the child. Overall the lifestyle of the couple plays an important factor in conception. Stress, smoking, alcohol and junk food can impact chances of fertility adversely.
Apart from treatment and procedures like IVF, ICSI, and IUI that tackle infertility, people can also attempt complementary therapies and explore their potential to get pregnant. These include acupuncture, mind/body techniques, hypnosis, herbs, and yoga. Acupuncture is an ancient traditional Chinese method involving needles to assist a woman’s attempt to get pregnant. Not one method is said to guarantee pregnancy but these are methods that can be explored before going in for more serious medical procedures. Although, society says there is a set age to get pregnant, and doing so help avoid a few complications. Nothing beats the fact that you get to decide the right time for parenthood. It is a personal choice, where the couple is making a big life-changing decision. A couple would want to delay parenthood to their mid-to-late 30s, or sometimes even later. It can be because of completing advanced education, unstable home atmosphere, unemployment, financial instability, career demands, and so on. There are plenty of women who have had a successful pregnancy at the later stages of their life. The chances of having a healthy baby are more if you remain in your best shape. Keeping all these options and advice in mind, let’s hope you have a great and healthy pregnancy.