 |
|
|||||||
|
Antenatal care covers the entire duration of your pregnancy. Antenatal care monitors your health during pregnancy, as well as the health and development of your baby. Antenatal care may include relaxation classes and parent-craft classes. Antenatal care is the clinical assessment of mother and fetus during pregnancy, for the purpose of obtaining the best possible outcome for the mother and child. It is the key to healthy mothers and babies and its very important you attend your appointments. It aims to monitor and promote the wellbeing of a mother and her developing baby. The NICE antenatal care clinical guideline covers:the care women can expect to receive from their midwife and doctors during their pregnancy, whether they plan to give birth at home or in hospitalthe information they can expect to receivewhat they can expect from antenatal appointments, aspects of their lifestyle that they may want to consider (such as diet, exercise, alcohol and drug intake, sexual activity and smoking) routine screening tests for specific conditionsoccupational risk factors in pregnancy, what will happen if the pregnancy goes beyond 41 weeks, what will happen if the baby is bottom first (known as the breech position) for the birth. A record of your antenatal care and appointments will be made, and these are known as your antenatal notes. Unless there's a problem with your pregnancy, most of your antenatal care will probably not take place at the hospital. Following diagnosis of a new pregnancy your GP will discuss with you and arrange your required antenatal care, taking into account your general health, past pregnancies and past medical history on the one hand and the local situation on the other.
The NHS provides antenatal care for all women. Once your pregnancy has been
confirmed you will need to find out about the type of antenatal care that is
available to you and decide where you would like to give birth.
| |||||||
