The City of Joburg Health and Social Services Department will host it’s maternal and reproductive health campaign at Eastbank Hall on 13 February at 9am.
All expectant and non-expectant mothers and interested community members are more than welcome to come and share information with those present. Being pregnant is a wonderful experience and the joy of giving birth is a great blessing, and pregnant women need to take care not only of themselves but also their unborn baby.
But falling pregnant also comes with many responsibilities and as a pregnant woman there are many expectations of you. A pregnant woman is expected to attend an antenatal clinic as soon as she realises she is pregnant.
The role of antenatal care during your pregnancy is as follows:
- To improve your maternal health
- Improve the health and survival of your baby
- To start ARVs immediately if mother tests HIV positive to prevent the virus from being transmitted to your unborn baby.
Antenatal care provides you with important information such as:
- Warning signs during pregnancy and how to respond to them
- Reduce bad habits such as drinking alcohol and smoking by adopting new habits such as physical and breathing exercise which will be of great use during labour, and meditation to reduce stress levels which is good for your blood pressure
- Nutritional advice which is to eat food containing protein, fruit and vegetables that contain vitamins and iron all of which are good for you and your baby’s health. Eat small amounts frequently
- Contraception
- How to go about feeding your baby
- Immunisations
- HIV/Aids testing.
It is your responsibility to look after your clinic records and produce them when visiting the clinic or health facility. You need to organise yourself transport at an early stage in case you go into labour.
You are also expected to know your nearest clinic or hospital for delivery. Should bleeding start, or you have a mucous discharge (show) or your ‘waters break or go you into labour (labour pains), you should go immediately to a delivery clinic or hospital.
Do not waste any time as you may experience problems if you delay. Make sure you keep a delivery bag ready at seven months of pregnancy. After your baby is born, you are expected to visit your clinic with your baby on the third day and not at six weeks, for immunisation and family planning.
Remember it takes an emotionally, physically and psychologically ready parent to raise a happy child.
Details: Velisha Thompson 011 582 1515; 082 467 7918 or Grace Maema at Eastbank Clinic 011 882 0905.
