Antenatal Care and it's benefits

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care you receive from healthcare professionals during your pregnancy. This care can be provided by a team that can include a doctor, a midwife, and usually with a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth (an Obstetrician).
Antenatal care is an essential part of pregnancy and should start as soon as you find out you’re expecting a baby. Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth.
Attending antenatal classes will give you and your partner an opportunity to ask questions you don’t always remember at your regular pregnancy check-ups, and you’ll meet other expecting parents and make new friends.
“A good time to start these classes is between 22 and 26 weeks, when there’s still sufficient time to make important decisions about caregivers, clinics and birth options,” writes Sister Lilian in her book Pregnancy and Birth Companion (Human & Rousseau).
Sticking to your appointments is essential to determine if your baby is healthy and whether your pregnancy is progressing well.

Benefits of antenatal care

Antenatal care can prevent complications. “A small minority of pregnant women develop complications such as hypertension and diabetes. Early diagnosis means they can be properly monitored and treated,” explains midwifery consultant, Dr Diana du Plessis.
Antenatal care provides caregivers with an opportunity to explain the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding to expecting moms.
Antenatal classes will help expecting parents to gain insight and get fact-based information on pregnancy, birthing options, breastfeeding and caring for a newborn baby so that they can make informed choices.
“Antenatal classes also give partners an opportunity to understand the whole process of pregnancy, birth and early parenting,” says Sister Lilian.
ANC visits can be a critical opportunity for women to get access to other health care services. Although opportunities are often missed, ANC can open the door to services for: #Birth with a skilled attendant
#Family Planning (FP)
#Child health
#Tetanus prevention
#Maternal and infant nutrition
#Malaria prevention and treatment
#HIV detection and treatment, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV
#TB detection and treatment
#STI prevention and treatment

Reasons why some women do not access antenatal care early or do not go at all

Some women either do not go for antenatal visits or go late because of overburdened clinics, bad treatment by health-care workers, resulting in women devaluing the service; their fear of testing HIV positive and the associated stigma; and their cultural beliefs– that they may be bewitched by jealous neighbours or friends.

That may not be all, many women visit antenatal care clinics late because they discover they are pregnant late into their pregnancies.
Actively involving men in antenatal visits can increase joint decision-making, birth planning, and postpartum contraceptive use and encourage women for the uptake of antenatal care services.

Joshua Ekpokpobe
Public Health Researcher