From The Start To The End Of Antenatal Care In Nigeria

Hospital for antenatal

Antenatal care is an important step in the health of both a mother and her unborn child.
This is organised by health care centres with professionals from the different medical professionals. It is vital and supposes to start from the day pregnancy was discovered to the day of delivery.

This means that it should be as early as possible. Some specialist recommends that women who are expecting to get pregnant should even start antenatal. This is to get them acquainted with both information on healthy living for them to get pregnant and what to do during pregnancy.

Antenatal can simply be defined as the process whereby an expectant mother and the growing fetus are examined until the day of delivery. This is to reduce risk factors, which end up in the safe delivery of a bouncing baby. The process combines preventive therapy with lectures on healthy living. This will, in turn, leave the mother in a position of making an informed decision.

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The Process Of Starting Antenatal Care

Within Nigeria, different health centres have similar processes. The difference is mostly in the mode of payment. In Delta State, the process is free in Government owned hospitals, making it somehow easy and straightforward. For those that charge, it could be a flat fee from beginning to the end. It is usually paid on the day of registration. Others hospitals accept pay per action.

For a first timer in the hospital, the first thing to do is to know the day for registration since different hospitals have different days for that. Go to the card room to get your maternal card. Your demography (name, gender, age, weight etc.) information will be entered for you. Before you leave with the card to the maternal unit, payment will be made at the accounting unit of which a receipt will be issued. The card may be collected at the maternal unit in some hospitals. 

At the maternal unit, your medical history will be taken. This includes information like; is this your first child? When did you notice the pregnancy? How was your last pregnancy like? After that, take your card (in some centres, they will do it for you) to the various units where everything about you will be tested to know the stage of your pregnancy and how healthy you and your baby are. If it is pay per action, you have to make payment in the accounting department. Come back for the test result, which will include;

• P.C.V
• Blood group
• Genotype
• Fasting blood sugar
• Urinalysis
• H.I.V
• Obstetric scan
• etc.

Wait for the result, as you will have to take it to the doctor. The doctor in charge will check the results of your entire test and prescribe. If there are complications, he will schedule another visit within a close date. Further studies may be carried out. He can also refer to another doctor specialist. If there are no complications, the doctor or the medical personnel in charge will tell you when next to come back. At this stage, you go with your card to the pharmacy department to get your drugs. If it is pay per action, you will have to go to the accounting department to make payment before coming back to get the drugs. The drugs usually include:

• Folic acid
• Vitamin c
• Ferrous sulphate
• Tetanus toxoid 0.5 ml stat
• Etc.

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Collect the drugs and go back to the maternal unit to get administered the tetanus toxoid injection by a nurse. At this stage, you will be told when your next clinic day will be. It is usually different from registration days. Necessary advice will be given to you as to lifestyle changes. This is done privately. You will be advised to join other mothers at the clinic lecture hall to have your first lectures with them.

For a pregnancy that is still between first weeks to 28 weeks, visitation is usually once in four weeks when there were no complications. This is shortened for those with a complicated pregnancy. As from 28 weeks, visitation reduces to once in two weeks. 

Your next visit will almost be similar to the first. The major difference is the registration that is no longer included. You will be tested on certain things like blood pressure and others. If the result is good, you will join the antenatal lectures but if otherwise, a doctor will have to check for those anomalies. This will lead to maybe counselling and prescription. Then you are free to join the lectures.

Note: Only the nurse in charge can determine if you are to see a doctor after checking out the result from your test every clinic day.

This continues until the day of delivery. You can decide to deliver your baby there or have it done in another hospital of your choice. However, it is advisable you do it there as they have your medical history. Sometimes, they may refer the patient when a complicated situation arises which is beyond them. In between these visit, a test like sick cell condition of the baby especially at 10 weeks is carried out and a scan to check the position of the baby at 32 weeks.

Antenatal visits normally consist of:

• Check your urine and blood pressure
• Feel the baby's position
• Measure the uterus
• Listen to the baby's heartbeat
• Measurement of the baby's growth after 24 weeks until the day of delivery.

On the D-day, which is, the expected day of delivery (E.D.D), there are things you are expected to come with. The list will be handed to you clinic days close to your expected day of delivery. They include things like:

• Clothes
• Towel
• Detergents
• Bleach
• Antiseptics
• Washing soap
• etc.

In some states, your guide is either to pay for blood transfusion in case of eventualities or donate some amount of blood. This is done prior to the day of delivery.

After delivery, you will be tutored on how to start family planning. This will be covered some other times.

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