Hello Air-clinicians and friends!

It's our women health Wednesday. So let's enjoy it to the fullest. Let's talk about Antenatal Care/ visits.

Antenatal care (ANC) is the visits to hospital by pregnant women at scheduled intervals aimed at keeping the mother and baby in optimal health and at the same time, prepare and ensures safe delivery with the mother and baby in sound health.

Some women believe there is no need for ANC and are even adamant about such beliefs. Some of them are lucky to go through pregnancy without complications while the unlucky ones will either not be alive to tell the story or learnt the need for ANC the hard way. But this is not why we are here. Our interest is not those who have decided to be playing gambles with their lives, but those who attend ANC without knowing what to expect or look out for.

Most pregnant women do not just register for ANC, but are regular with their visits and medications. Yet they have little knowledge of what is being done to them and why it's done. It's easier to have the patient's cooperation when she understands the need for whatever she is to do.

Again, Our hospitals especially in the tropics here are short staffed. You have pregnant women who had waited for hours, tired and eager to go home; who wouldn't mind just seeing the face of doctor with no check done on her and she is fine and goes home Happy. On the other hand are doctors who have worked for hours without break or food and are already fatigued and can miss out the essential things that should be done for the woman. If the woman is informed, she will know what to expect and can even remind the doctor about that.

Things you need to do or know

During pregnancy visits, there a a million things the doctor can do for the pregnant women, some are individual specific depending on the woman's medical and pregnancy history. But here are the basic things that need to be done:

• Register for ANC

Your registration should be done in a facility that has trained health care giver. At registration, you will be asked lots of questions pertaining to your medical and pregnant history. Please give honest answers to them as they might affect your management.

• Do investigations requested

At registration, your doctor will request series of investigations including your blood levels, HIV status among others. You need to do them as the result of such might modify your care. If you don't have enough money, you might decide to divide the investigations and do the rest on subsequent visits.

• Get ultrasound scans

You need at least two scans. One earlier in the pregnancy and the other towards the end. The first one among other things will tell you when to expect your baby while the last scan will tell you how your baby is coming and the location of the placenta.

• Get your blood pressure measurement

Make sure your blood pressure is measured at each visit and note the value. Remember hypertension is common in pregnancy.

• Get your urine checked

Checking of your urine can detect infection that can trigger miscarriage or preterm labour. Most importantly, remember the deadly form of hypertension (pre-eclampsia) is associated with protein in urine. Make sure your urine is checked at each visit especially after 5months of the pregnancy.

• Your doctor should examine you

Checking your eyes to know if you lack blood, feeling your legs for swelling (oedema) are among the things you should see your doctor doing. You can also chip in "doctor, you did not check my ...eyes ...Leg ...palm. That would be a reminder

• Your doctor should check your belly

By touching and feeling your belly, your doctor can make out how your baby is lying and if the baby is growing fine. You must see him do that at each visit.

• Your doctor should listen to your baby's heart beats

Listening to your baby's heart beat will tell how your baby is faring and when abnormal, can even make your doctor find out a problem in your body that your baby is reacting to.

• You should be told when next to visit

Your doctor or nurse should tell you when next to visit after each time. It's not enough to assume you visit at a particular interval. Their findings in you and the age of your pregnancy can affect how frequent your visits would be.

Having known this now, l believe your ANC visits would be more lively and interactive.

Thanks much for reading.