Preparing for the birth of your Baby:
With our many years of experience in providing quality healthcare, Sanitas understand the needs of you and your baby and will help you to take care of yourself, right from the start of your pregnancy. This care is provided via our childbirth management sessions (ante natal classes), which are included in your policy if you are already a member of Sanitas.
We will help you to prepare yourself for the physical changes that take place during pregnancy and childbirth and therefore reduce the typical symptoms brought on by pregnancy, such as backache, tired legs and heartburn.
We will help you to have a healthy and happy pregnancy and labour, which will also lead to a quicker recovery after the birth of your baby. We will provide training in the best ways to take care of yourself during pregnancy, together with the first days of your baby´s life.
All your health care needs will be taken care of and you will have access to a wide range of professionals within the Sanitas network.
What Is Included?
- 8 ante natal classes with specialised discussions on all aspects of pregnancy, including giving birth, post natal care and how to take care of your new baby.
- 7 practical post natal classes which include breathing, relaxation, Pilates and the strengthening of the pelvic floor.
How will these sessions be arranged?
The 15 classes will be grouped in 8 sessions of theory and practice. The programme has been compiled to include the most important issues for you and your baby´s health. Therefore, the sessions are arranged in trimesters to match the term of your pregnancy. Whichever stage of your pregnancy you have reached, the sessions will be helpful and reassuring:
- 2 sessions specially focusing on the 1st trimester
- 3 sessions focusing on the 2nd trimester
- 3 sessions focusing on the 3rd trimester
All the sessions take place with small, manageable groups and last approximately 90 minutes. You can also enjoy special care at exclusive prices: Pilates and Physiotherapy for Pregnancy, the Pelvic Floor Exercise Programme, lessons in baby massage and much more. It is not important which trimester you are in: all of the preparation programme will be very beneficial to you. It is never too late to start looking after yourself, but remember, it is better to begin early and take advantage of all the benefits offered by the programme.
Practical sessions:
- In the Pilates sessions, we will help you to prepare for the physical challenges of pregnancy and childbirth.
- You will learn to look after yourself and your pelvic floor, which reduces the risk of undergoing an episiotomy and will help you to recover more quickly.
- We will take you through sessions to learn how to control your breathing and to relax.
Specialist discussions:
- We will explain the development of your child and help you to understand what your baby is experiencing.
- We will explain the physical changes that you will go through in each stage of your pregnancy and the consequences of the changes to you. This will help you to cope with the common symptoms of pregnancy and you will be advised how to minimise them.
- We will provide you with health advice including diet, sport and exercise, hygiene and posture.
- We will discuss a wide range of interesting issues including sex, travel, care of your new baby, conservation of umbilical cord blood stem cells and baby massage.
- We will help you to feel good inside and out, with the best counselling on how to deal with aesthetic problems, such as stretch marks, cellulitis and water retention etc.
- Advice on breast feeding and alternatives, the importance of breastfeeding and breast massage.
- We will discuss the labour itself: when you need to leave for hospital, what to take with you, how to approach the birth and the different positions that you can use to help the positioning of your baby and to make the contractions more tolerable.
Pilates especially for pregnancy
Pilates is a very beneficial technique and is recommended for pregnant women. It is safe and reliable for mother and baby as it is low in intensity and impact and does not cause any muscle strain. It also relaxes and reinforces the abdominal muscles and helps to prevent back pain. The best Pilates teachers for pregnant women will be available to you.
Other therapies
You will have access to highly qualified physiotherapists who will help to prevent and alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy, via lymphatic drainage, circulatory massage and other treatments to prevent back pain and sciatica etc:
- Lymphatic drainage and massage
Lymphatic drainage is highly recommended for pregnant women as it reduces water retention, helps the circulation of blood in the legs, alleviates the sensation of ´heavy´ legs and relaxes body and mind. It also eliminates toxins and strengthens the mother´s immune system. On the other hand, it also improves your complexion as it helps blood circulation to return to normal. It is ideal to have massages once a week, complemented by walking, which helps to mobilise the lymphatic system.
- Treatment of back pain
Back pain is one of the most common complaints in pregnancy and almost 50% of women experience back pain at some stage of their pregnancy. To reduce muscular tension, it is good to exercise generally, including stretches for the affected areas.
- Treatment and prevention of sciatica As the uterus expands inside the pelvis, the spinal nerves in the lower part of the back (which feed the sciatic nerve) may be compressed, causing back pain. This can lead to poor posture and the onset of sciatica. Approximately 30-35% of women experience lumbar pain or sciatica during pregnancy. Preventative measures and treatments for the pelvic and lumbar areas will help to combat pain.
- Preventing aesthetic problems in pregnancy
During pregnancy, a series of changes take place in the woman due to changes in hormone levels and the presence of the baby in the womb. These include increases in weight and size and hyper pigmentation of the skin. The body is subject to both physical and emotional changes, which can be prevented or reduced. So, if you feel good about yourself, you will have a happier pregnancy.
Pregnant women require special attention, as not all products and aesthetic treatments are suitable for pregnancy. With Sanitas, you can count on the most professional, expert care during your pregnancy. Do not hesitate to contact us or to speak to our specialists about your concerns. Common aesthetic problems during pregnancy are:
- Cellulitis and loose skin: the appearance of these symptoms is completely normal, since the body accumulates more fat in order to provide for the baby. However, we can reduce the accumulation of fat by taking regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. Apart from this, you have to take into account the changes in circulation and lymphatic drainage that can occur during pregnancy, for example, cellulite tends to be more pronounced. We can help you to reduce these problems by circulatory massage and lymphatic drainage.
- Stretch marks: a stretch mark is scar tissue that is produced on the skin as a result of the rupture of elastic fibres, caused by fluctuations in the size and weight of the body. It is one of the major concerns for pregnant women, as it leaves marks on the skin that are difficult to remove. For this reason, prevention of stretch marks is important by the use of special treatment creams, oils and facials.
- Varicose veins and swollen legs: during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester, these symptoms occur due to changes in the draining of veins, as a result of the volume of blood increasing and also pelvic circulatory issues that are caused by the weight of the baby on the veins in the pelvis. This is accentuated by lack of movement, poor posture and inappropriate clothing. These changes in drainage can lead to insufficient blood flow and distension of the veins in different parts of the body such as hemorrhoids, the veins in the vulva and in the legs. Factors which increase these symptoms include lack of physical exercise and heat. At Sanitas we can help you to alleviate the symptoms via pressure therapy, manual lymphatic drainage and circulatory massage.
- Alterations in the skin: the skin suffers the consequences of hormonal changes, becoming either more sensitive and drier, or greasier and also at risk of hyper-pigmentation, which can last until after delivery. As there is no treatment for hyper pigmentation available during pregnancy it is important to look after your skin. Do not expose yourself to the sun during the hottest hours of the day and always use a sun screen with a protection factor of 30+. With Sanitas you will have access to special facial treatments which release toxins from the skin, preventing dehydration, and balancing the oils in the skin so that you develop an aura of wellbeing.
