Antenatal care is the care you receive from health care professional during your pregnancy. The purpose of antenatal care is to monitor your health, your body baby’s health and support you to make plans which are right for you.

 

About antenatal visits

For most women, pregnancy is a straightforward, happy and healthy time. Having regular antenatal check-ups is an important part of staying healthy and making sure your baby is healthy.

Regular checks during your pregnancy can assist in identifying and reducing risks to either you or your baby. Although you may be feeling well, it is still important to go to all your antenatal check-ups.

Antenatal visits also give you a chance to ask any questions and to talk about any issues that you are unsure about, such as aches and pains, the birth, feeding your baby or any other concerns. Before each visit, it is a good idea to think about the things you want to talk about and then write them down so that you don't forget them.

 

What happens at your first antenatal visit?

·         At your first antenatal visit you will be asked lots of questions about your health, any other pregnancies, yourself, your partner and your family. This will assist the midwife or doctor to plan your care. 

·         Your midwife or doctor will check your blood pressure, weight and height and you may need to have a Pap smear if you have not had one in the last 2 years. 

·         Other examinations (heart, chest and breasts) may be done if indicated. 

·         At your first visit, you may also have some blood taken for tests and your urine will be checked as well.

·         You will be asked about possible signs of depression, stresses that you might have and social supports (your family and friends). 

Your medical history

·         Your midwife or doctor will need to know your medical history, including information about illnesses, operations, and allergic reactions to drugs, heart or kidney problems and any other health issues.

·         Your midwife or doctor will ask about any medications you may be taking, including those bought from a pharmacy, health food store or supermarket without prescription.

·         Your midwife or doctor will also record important personal information, including your age, occupation, your partner’s age and occupation, how much alcohol you drink and if you smoke.

 

What you can expect in your second antenatal visit?

Review the basics

Your health care provider will check your blood pressure and weight at every visit. Share any concerns you might have.

Then it's time for your baby to take center stage. Your health care provider will:

• Track your baby's growth. By measuring the distance from the pubic bone to the top of your uterus, your health care provider can gauge your baby's growth. This measurement in centimeters often equals the number of weeks of your pregnancy to date.
• Listen to your baby's heartbeat. At second trimester visits, you might listen to your baby's heartbeat using a Doppler instrument. The Doppler instrument detects motion and conveys it as sound, which allows you to "hear" the baby's heartbeat.
• Assess fetal movement. Tell your health care provider when you begin noticing flutters or kicks. This usually happens by about 20 weeks — or perhaps earlier if you've been pregnant before.

During the second trimester, you might be offered various prenatal screenings or tests:

• Genetic tests. Blood tests might be offered to screen for genetic or chromosomal conditions, such as spina bifida or Down syndrome.
• Fetal ultrasound. Fetal ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a baby in the uterus. A detailed ultrasound can help your health care provider evaluate fetal anatomy. Fetal ultrasound also might give you an opportunity to find out the baby's sex.
• Blood tests. Blood tests will be offered to check your blood count and iron levels, screen for a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), and check for some infections. If you have Rh negative blood — an inherited trait that refers to a specific protein found on the surface of red blood cells — you might need a blood test to check for Rh antibodies. These antibodies can develop if your baby has Rh positive blood and your Rh negative blood mixes with your baby's blood. Without treatment, the antibodies could cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells — particularly in a subsequent pregnancy with an Rh positive baby.
• Urine tests. A urine sample might be tested for the presence of protein or signs of infection.
• Diagnostic tests. If the results of a blood test or ultrasound are worrisome or your history suggests high risk, your health care provider might recommend a more invasive diagnostic test — such as amniocentesis. During amniocentesis, a sample of amniotic fluid — the fluid that surrounds and protects a baby during pregnancy — is removed from the uterus for testing.

Keep your health care provider informed

The second trimester often brings a renewed sense of well-being. Morning sickness typically begins to dissipate. You begin to feel the baby move. Your belly becomes more noticeable. There's a lot happening.

Tell your health care provider what's on your mind, even if it seems silly or unimportant. Nothing is too trivial when it comes to your health — or your baby's health.

Later/other antenatal visits

From around 24weeks, your antenatal appointments will usually become more frequent. However, if your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you are in good health, you may not be seen as often as someone who needs to be more closely monitored.

Later visits are usually quite short. Your midwife or doctor will: 

Feel your abdomen (tummy) to check the baby's position

Measure your uterus (womb) to check your baby's growth

Listen to your baby's heartbeat if you want them to

You can also ask questions or talk about anything that's worrying you. Talking about your feelings is as important as all the antenatal tests and examinations. You should be given information about:

Your birth plan

Preparing for labor and birth

How to tell if you're in active labor

Introduction of labor if your baby is overdue (after your expected date of delivery) 

The "baby blues" and Postnatal depression

Feeding your baby

Vitamin K (which is given to prevent bleeding caused by vitamin K deficiency in your baby)

Screening tests for newborn babies

Looking after yourself and your new baby