Antenatal care for healthy pregnancy

Antenatal care is the service provided for women during pregnancy to receive information, testing and treatment to support a healthy pregnancy and family.

Regular antenatal check-ups are important

During pregnancy you should see a midwife or doctor for antenatal care at least EIGHT times. This can be in a clinic, hospital or sometimes they can visit you at home. Antenatal care can include check-ups with the midwife or doctor, vaccinations and medication, ultrasound scans and learning together with other mothers and families. You could go by yourself, or with your husband or partner or a friend or relative. Regular antenatal check-ups help to make sure you and your baby are healthy. Your midwife or doctor can help to spot danger signs, provide treatment to prevent or treat medical problems in pregnancy and help you to learn about your health and having a healthy baby.

Staying healthy

Your midwife or doctor will talk to you about being healthy in pregnancy, including which food is healthy to eat and why it is best to avoid tobacco, alcohol and some other substances in pregnancy. Your midwife or doctor might also recommend treatment to help keep you and the baby healthy. Tablets that can be helpful in pregnancy include iron, folic acid and sometimes deworming tablets and malaria treatment. These all help to stop you from being pale and anemic and help your baby to grow well. The midwife can also give vaccinations, which help to protect both you and your baby from infections like tetanus and influenza.

Typical tests and procedures

Your healthcare worker can also test you for HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis, if needed, which can help to keep you healthy and protect your baby against infection.

An ultrasound scan in the first half of pregnancy can count the number of babies, check where the placenta is and help to know more accurately in which month you can expect the baby to be born.

During your visits, your midwife or doctor should also check you for danger signs or problems with the pregnancy. Your midwife will explain the danger signs to look out for in pregnancy.

Your healthcare worker might use a tight cuff around your arm to check your blood pressure, feel your abdomen to find out which way your baby is lying or ask you to pass urine into a cup so that it can be tested for infection and protein. Regular blood pressure checks help to recognize and manage high blood pressure, which is an important danger sign. This can prevent convulsions and serious illness.

Special considerations

If you live in an area where malaria is a risk, your healthcare worker will also explain how you can use mosquito nets to protect yourself from it. Your healthcare worker can also help you and your family to prepare for the delivery and think about where to have the baby. You might want to have your baby in a hospital, in a clinic or at home. Your doctor or midwife can tell you what support there is in your area and if you have any danger signs that would make it safer for you to be in a hospital.

Your health record is important

You should have your own handheld health record that you can keep with you wherever you are during the pregnancy. This means that you can share your health information with any healthcare professional you meet and they will be able to look after you in the way that is right for you and your baby. If you are worried that something is wrong, you do not need to wait for your next check-up. You can go to see the midwife or doctor and tell them what has changed. It is very important to see a midwife or doctor if you have pain or bleeding or you feel feverish and unwell.

Regular attendance is life-saving

Regular attendance for antenatal care all the way through pregnancy is life-saving. We can all help mothers to attend appointments and keep themselves, their babies and our communities healthy.