PREGNANCY CHILDBIRTH CLASSES IN AHMEDABAD

 

“Better prepared is more than half job done” it is said and the same applies to one’s pregnancy too.  With the women today moving forward in all fields and assuming knowledge of different  components of the world; it seems that the only constituent that they have missed out on is the most  integral of their lives- Pregnancy.  Most of them tend to either go by the myths that make rounds in  our society or build up their own understanding and move forward accordingly.  However, such  approach could not only be harmful to the mother but could also lead to an improper child care.  That  is where it is imperative that the to-be mother and her family is equipped with all essential  knowledge about the period and ways in which various situations should be dealt with. 

 

Dr. Meena Shah is a pioneer in the field of Pregnancy childbirth classes providing information on some very critical information about pregnancy related issues to mothers and their families.  The fact that she has been running these classes since the last 26 years bears a testimony to her passion and commitment to healthy pregnancy and childbirth in the country.

 

The classes are conducted in a completely Indian context.  Dr. Shah, being a part of the society and having gone through the rituals herself, understands the many facets of information that are made available to pregnant women.  While some of this information is valid, some other might have to be ignored for a healthy pregnancy. That is where Dr.Shah understands the socio-cultural background of each participant before commencing the workshop.

 

Another point that has to be noted about the classes is that they, by no means, try to interfere with the medical procedure nor do they try to claim anything of that sort.   In fact, many women are asked to take the permissions of their doctors before joining the classes.  This is because what the classes teach is not in any alignment with what the doctors do.  These classes, in this case, tend to complement the medical procedure instead of competing with it.

 

The main objective of these classes is to bring positivity in the system and improve the comfort level by providing the right information.  This information secures that the woman is going to the labour room with a clear idea of what she could expect and already having taken good care of herself in the last nine months. 

 

Points Touched 

These pregnancy childbirth classes in Ahmedabad concentrate on some of the following matters during pregnancy:

 

1.Fitness during pregnancy: The classes train the participants on various exercises,including Yoga          and Pranayam,which the   participants could do to maintain fitness during their pregnancy.

2.Anxiety Reduction & labour understanding: Take for example, it is said that heavy breathing could    simplify the process of   labour.However, not many women are clear about this point and thus don’t    concentrate on breathing at that time.This and   many other points are provided due relevance    in      the classes so that the anxiety that a woman has about her labour is   reduced.

3.Nourishment of the mother: The eating habits of the mother and the quantity in which various              things should be consumed are   taught here

4.Posture care: The mothers could move their way towards a healthy pregnancy and child birth              through some effective postures.

5.Relaxation: Pregnancy has to be dealt with a combination of work and relaxation. While as the            conventional belief suggests,   a lot of work could be harmful during pregnancy, excess of         b        relaxation is not the right state to be in either.

6.Sleeping: A sound sleep holds high relevance in this stage of one’s life and should thus be given          due significance.

7.Post Delivery care: Taking care of oneself is not restricted to the period of pregnancy.One needs to      take care of one’s   health even after pregnancy to obtain a quick recovery.

8.Childcare: Some tips about child care are also disbursed during the classes.

9.Regaining the figure: This is one point which takes up a lot of mind space of many women.These        classes alsogive information   on regaining one’s figure in a smooth manner after pregnancy.

 

Connect With Your Baby

 

It was believed in the ancient society that one could connect with one’s child in the womb and guide him/her on a healthier life.  We could mould some of the attributes of the child right in the womb.

 

Although it might look impractical, there are theories which back this belief and experiences which vouch for this fact.  Pregnancy Childbirth classes by Dr. Shah also concentrate on the same to provide an opportunity to the parents to connect with their child and guide his/her skills, health and other attributes very early in his/her life.

 

Objectives 

1.Bringing about physical, mental, social and material preparedness for pregnancy and childbirth

2.Building competency in dealing with pregnancy

3.Disseminating information about fitness and exercises during pregnancy

4.Securing improved health, wellness and comfort during the pregnancy period of the participants

5.To help the participants have easier, shorter, confident and participatory labor

6.To alleviate fears with regards to labor

7.Securing optimum recovery and good health of mother 

8.To bring about an active involvement of husband and family

9.Training in breast feeding

10.Help in better care practices

11.Provide freedom from myths and misbelieves

 

Traing  Of  The Trainer  Programme

Dr. Shah also works towards establishing such values as health care during pregnancy and easy delivery among doctors, nurses and health workers.  Her trainings are targeted towards providing in depth knowledge to these participants involved with women and pregnancy so that this information, pivotal to pregnant women’s health, is properly utilized and also disseminated to more and more people.

 

Positive Experiences

There would not be an instance one could remember of a participant going out of the workshop dissatisfied.  This is because of the experience that Dr. Shah and her team has secured through umpteen number of workshops and programmes in the past.  Here are some interesting points about her experience with health training:

 

•She has been conducting these training programmes since 22 years

•More than 10,000 women have been directly benefited through it

•Has conducted training of the trainers programme for more than 400 Doctors & Nurses

•Some high profile companies serve as her clients for various programmes, including this one

•Has received the best documentary award for one of her movies by the Government of Gujarat

•Has penned 3 books on ‘Mother and Child Health Care’