ANTE-NATAL CARE DEFINITION:

General care in the home during pregnancy from conception to delivery:

 Eat healthier foods including more fruits and vegetables, beans, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk.
Take iron tablets and any other food supplement. Rest avoid lifting heavy objects.
 Record all positive findings, birth plan treatment given and the next scheduled visit. Bring
your home based maternal record to Ante-natal care in pregnancy including: childbirth, post
partum new born care every visit.

FIVE TYPES OF ANTENATAL CLINIC CARE

 Midwifery care
 Shared Ante-natal care
 Midwifery group practices (cafeload
 Team midwifery care
 Private care.

AIMS OF ANTENATAL CARE

Maintenance of health of mother during pregnancy.

Identification of high risk cases and right treatment.

Prevent development of complication.

Decrease maternal and infant mortality and mobility

Remove the stress and worries of the mother regarding the delivery process.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCES OF ANTE-NATAL CARE:

Good ante-natal care includes regular screening which can detect and prevent early complications
such as hypertension and pregnancy diabetes both of which can affect the foetus. Early detection
means regular monitoring and treatment.

1st time to start ante-natal care before 10weeks into your pregnancy that is 6-8weeks pregnant because
there is a lot to learn about and some test you need to run in early pregnancy.

THREE STAGES OF ANTE-NATAL CARE

1 Prenatal development Germinal, Enubiyonic and foetal

8 Ante-Natal visit:

1st visit is at 12weeks of gestation with subsequent visits at 20, 24 28,32, 38 and 40 weeks of
gestation.

The appropriate care to be given these periods also its trimester – 1 st 3 months.

Ante-natal care is a planned visit between a pregnant women and midwife or doctor to assess and
improve the well being of the mother and baby throughout pregnancy.

1st Ante-Natal visit is called the first prenatal appointment it is time for you practitioner to get up to
speed on your health history and fill you on how to care for yourself and your growing baby and to
address any concern you have. List is given question
Roles of midwife during ante-natal clinic at home

 Give information about preparing for labour and birth.

 How to recognize active labour
 Ways of coping with pains in labour i.e. exercise
 Give birth plan
 Review, discuss and record results of any screening tests from the previous appointment.

1st ultrasound is done between 7 and 8 weeks to verify due date, to look for fetal heart beat and t
measure the length of the baby from “Crown to rump” Also if it is twins or more.