Located in Glen Austin, Life Carstenhof Hospital, one of the largest private hospital groups in South Africa, hosted a pregnancy awareness session for mothers-to-be on February 18.

Women were given expert advice on how to take care of their pregnancy and the importance of regularly visiting their gynaecologist.

Dr Tefo Mosetlhe, a specialist gynaecologist and obstetrician, explained to the mothers the common symptoms of pregnancy sickness and the dangers associated with it. Among other things, he explained the most common time for morning sickness to occur is during the first trimester of pregnancy, nine weeks after conception.

“The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown. Hormonal changes may play a part. Sometimes, a medical condition unrelated to pregnancy can also cause severe or persistent nausea and vomiting,” Mosetlhe explained. He mentioned that hormonal changes in early pregnancy might cause breasts to be sore and sensitive.

“It is likely that this discomfort will go away after some weeks as your body adjusts to the changes in hormones.” Pregnancy fatigue is also seen as one of the early symptoms of pregnancy as no one knows for sure what causes sleepiness during the first trimester.

However, Mosetlhe said that a rapid rise in the progesterone level during early pregnancy might contribute to fatigue. In her remarks, Dr Bilema Mwambenu, a paediatrician at the hospital, examined ways to take care of infants, as well as children and young people.

Bavely Sebola, the unit manager of maternity at the hospital, discussed the two different ways of giving birth. “Vaginal delivery is the safest and most common method of giving birth. “However, if your baby is not in the head-down position or if your baby is in distress, a cesarean section might be necessary for the safety of your baby.”