Lesson Duration:

55 minutes

Goal:

To motivate women to seek antenatal care early, and to understand the importance of attending the Antenatal Clinic.

Overall Objectives

Clients will be able to:

1. List 3 steps that take place during antenatal clinic visits.
2. List all documents required for antenatal clinic registration.
3. State which document is to be taken to clinic visits.
4. Explain briefly the importance of keeping all antenatal clinic appointments.
5. Briefly describe why it is important for fathers to accompany their partners to antenatal clinic and Parentcraft classes.

Resources

• Television.
• VCR.
• Video: Safe Motherhood “A Few Steps in Antenatal Care”.
• Client Antenatal Passport.
• Information Packet including: Antenatal Health Watch.
• Booklet “So You’re Going to Have a Baby".
• Handouts: Prenatal Care Be Good to Your Baby Before It Is Born.
• Exercise Booklet with Glossary of Terms.
• List of vocabulary terms.
• List of lesson topics.
• Spatula and Brush.
• Script and props.
• Pencils for clients.
• Writing Pads or paper for clients.
• Name Tags.

Mary’s Dilemma

Mary was a 17 year old who became pregnant. She seemed excited about having a baby and she could hardly wait until it was time for her baby to be delivered.

Her mother and her friends told her about the Antenatal Clinic and that it was important for her to attend. This would ensure that she maintain good health and her unborn child would develop and grow into a full term healthy baby.

Mary was feeling very well and never had any serious illnesses as a child, apart from the occasional cold and mild fever. So Mary ignored the advice of her mother and friends and never visited the clinic. One day while at home alone Mary began to feel a little odd. She had a severe headache and her sight was not quite the same. Mary thought that she should lie down for a while and have a nap after which she was sure that she would feel better. At this time Mary was about 32 weeks pregnant. Mary’s mother arrived at home shortly after she had gone to bed. Mary’s mother thought it unusual for Mary to be in bed during the day. On calling to Mary and asking how she was feeling her mother became quite alarmed when Mary was unable to respond in her usual manner.

Mary’s mother being quite concerned telephoned the ambulance, which took Mary to the Princess Margaret Hospital, where Mary was admitted at once to the Maternity Ward. Doctor advised Mary’s mother that Mary was ill and would have to receive treatment to restore her health and maintain the health of the baby.

The morale of this story is:

Disorders and complications that may arise during pregnancy can go undetected or untreated if the expectant mother does not attend antenatal clinic.

Body

Review vocabulary and emphasize the following: pregnancy, foetus, uterus and gestation.

The role of the father-to-be is very important throughout pregnancy and beyond. Understanding pregnancy and the changes that occur in the mother and the development of the foetus will help fathers feel more comfortable with pregnancy and the prospect of fatherhood. By your partner attending the antenatal clinic and parentcraft classes with you, he will understand that unexpected changes in your behaviour are related to hormonal changes. This will encourage the father-to-be to give more support to his partner in the home. Additionally, he can follow the growth of the foetus and begin to form a bond with the baby, which will hopefully continue throughout the child’s life. Information regarding the various developmental stages of children will help the expectant father to be more helpful and involved in child rearing.

Antenatal care maintains the physical health and peace of mind of the expectant mother, thereby maximizing the chances for a normal pregnancy and a normal baby.
Antenatal care prepares the prospective parents for pregnancy, labour and delivery.

Summary

Antenatal care is the assessment and care of the pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Information regarding previous pregnancies, illnesses, past hospital admissions, the family’s medical history and how the client interacts within her family and society is obtained.

Height, weight and blood pressure are recorded. Special laboratory tests are also done. Blood test is used to determine blood grouping and the presence of disease and infection. Urine is also tested. It is extremely important to obtain a “clean catch” urine specimen so that the result of the urine test is a correct one. At the second antenatal visit results of these tests are entered on your clinic record and your clinic passport.

Clients are given health supplements.

Identification such as a passport or voter’s card is required. A client antenatal passport is a brief record of all clinic visits.  Attendance at antenatal clinic is very important to ensure the care necessary of the mother and foetus. The attendance and involvement of the father-to-be is also important.

Vocabulary (in alphabetical order)

Anaemia:

• “Low Blood” exists when the level of haemoglobin/iron in the body is below the recommended level

Antenatal Care:

• Care and monitoring of the pregnant woman and her foetus throughout pregnancy

Cervix:

• Neck of the womb/uterus

Chlamydia:

• A sexually transmitted infection (STI) in which the neck of the womb is infected, and there is a mucousy discharge with pus (there may not be any symptoms.) It is usually present with other STIs. In the baby it may cause eye infection that can lead to blindness, also ear infection and pneumonia. Can be cured!

Endocervical Swab:

• A sample taken from the lining of the cervix to be tested. Trainer demonstrates and shows equipment.

Foetus

• The unborn child in the uterus. Show diagram or model of foetus in womb if available.

Folic Acid

• Nutrient that helps to prevent anaemia in the mother and assists with the growth of the brain in the foetus.

Gestation

• Term used by Health Care Providers meaning pregnancy. They would usually say 12 weeks gestation, rather than 3 months pregnant.

Gonorrhoea

• STI also known as “The Claps” with similar symptoms to Chlamydia. There may not be any symptoms. May cause sterility in women if untreated or if not treated properly. Can cause eye infection in the baby which can lead to blindness.

Menstruation

• Commonly called a “period.” Hormones cause the lining of the uterus to thicken and prepare for an egg that has been fertilized by a sperm. If the egg is not fertilized,. the lining of the uterus is shed. This shed lining along with blood makes up the period. A period usually lasts 4 to 5 days. Menstruation stops during pregnancy. Some women experience small amounts of blood stained discharge during pregnancy referred to as spotting - This is not a period.

Pregnancy

• The state of carrying an unborn child. Pregnancy usually lasts 9 months or 40 weeks.

Ultrasound Scanning

• Also called a “Scan” is a painless and harmless procedure to assess the size, age, development and sometimes sex of the foetus.

Uterus

• Also referred to as the womb.