Prenatal clinics: Why it matters to women

What you need to know:

  • Ms Sebastian is one of those few women who don’t experience any early pregnancy symptoms such a morning sickness like most expectant mothers do.

When Rhoda Sebastian*, a 29-year-old journalist based in Dar es Salaam, found out that she was going to be a mother for the second time, she was excited and scared at the same time. This is because she had lost her first child almost a year ago. The fact that she was going to be a mother again, brought joy back in her life but it subjected her to be worried too.

Ms Sebastian is one of those few women who don’t experience any early pregnancy symptoms such a morning sickness like most expectant mothers do. This made her visit the antenatal clinic, also known as prenatal clinics, [the care you receive from healthcare professionals during your pregnancy] several weeks after she saw no signs of her periods.“During my first pregnancy, it took me several weeks until I made a decision to go and check if I was pregnant or not. The fact that I had irregular periods, made me think that it was one of those months that my period decided to delay,” Ms Sebastian tells Your Health.

According to her, when she conceived for the second time she says it was easy for her to notice that she had conceived and so decided to start attending clinics much earlier. “I didn’t want to start the clinic late like the first pregnancy, even though I never had any complications, I felt like there were a lot of information that I missed taking note of during my first pregnancy by not attending the clinic sooner,” she explains.

“I wanted to make it right this time around, and I am glad that I decided to attend the clinic earlier because I am more informed than I was before. During my first pregnancy I didn’t know about the supplements that I am supposed to take during the early stages of my pregnancy, what to eat and things not to do at every stage of my pregnancy. Now I am more informed and I even know the stage that my pregnancy is at and what is happening to my body during every trimester,” Ms Sebastian adds.

Pregnancy can be an exciting experience for any woman who is blessed to experience and that’s why it has been advised that women who conceive and as soon as they find that out, they should consider attending antenatal clinic because having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to ensure that they have a happy and healthy birth experience.

That’s why a lot of efforts by the government and NGOs in Tanzania have been made to encourage women to attend these clinics to ensure that they understand all that they are required to do to have a safe pregnancy journey.

Before Conceiving

According to Dr George Lema, a Dar es Salaam based medical doctor, women who are in child bearing age should start attending the clinic even before they conceive so that they can prepare their body to carry the child.

Dr Lema tells Your Health that by attending pre-clinics, there is an opportunity to receive a lot of information including to know their health status and also they will be given supplements to help increase their blood count

“They will need folic acid and iron supplements; these will help decrease their chances of giving birth to children with defects such as spina fibida and cleft lip.That is why it is important for women to visit hospital when they are planning to start a family,” he advises.

However, Dr Lema reveals that very few women attend clinic before they conceive and therefore majority of them attend clinics when they have already conceived. “Once a woman finds out she is pregnant even when she is just a few weeks old, she should as soon as possible start to attend the antenatal clinics,” he says.

Dr Lema adds that attending clinics bears a lot of advantages for pregnant women because they will first have an opportunity to receive education on reproductive health where they will be taught about health in general including how to eat healthy during this time and how to maintain their hygiene.

Complications readiness

By attending antenatal clinics early, pregnant women will have an opportunity to learn and understand any dangerous signs of complications, which can happen at any stage of pregnancy. “Women who visit clinics will be taught on what to do and not to do and look for any signs that might put them at risk and the measures they will need to take if it happens. That is why women are advised to visit the clinic once they realise that they have conceived,” Dr Lema continues to explain.

The expert also added that by attending clinic earlier, women will get a chance to learn the healthy foods needed during this time such as the type of food needed to increase their blood count, nourishing their skin etc. In short they will be taught what to eat and what not to eat during this time.

Effects of not attending the clinic earlier

According to Dr Lema, antenatal clinic is divided into three visits, each for the three trimesters [a period of three months, especially as a division of the duration of pregnancy].

Each trimester has its own treatment that a woman needs to receive and so by attending late, a woman is placing herself at risk. “Each trimester has important things that are needed to be looked at, and so if it happens that a pregnant woman visits late and there were treatment she needed at the first trimester and she missed for instance treatment for worms ,then she might put herself at a risk of having low blood count,’ explains the medical doctor.

He went further on to talking about the risk of using drugs which are not recommended to be used by pregnant women. This is one of the dangerous risk an expectant mother may expose herself to. Dr Lema cautions, “In clinics, women are told which drugs they are allowed to use and which aren’t safe for the baby. So if they fall sick and go to the hospital to receive treatment just like any other patients, then they place themselves and their unborn child at high risk.”

He adds, “Some of the important tests that a woman will be required to take once she is finds out that she is expecting are the full blood picture which will determine her haemoglobin and blood group. If she is Rh(-) then she will require to receive a shot. Her urine sample will also be taken to check protein and other infections. Some of these test will be done in other visits and also there is ultrasound [a type of imaging that uses high-frequency sound waves to look at organs and structures inside the body], which is important though not necessary particularly in areas where this service can’t be available. However midwives and doctors can use other means to check the status of pregnancy.”

Deborah Esau is a nutritionist from Partners for Nutrition Tanzania (PANITA) and according to her there are several ways that pregnant women can have a healthy pregnancy and reduce any risks that may be caused by poor diet.

“When a woman conceives, her body goes through several physical and hormonal changes. That is why it’s important they understand that the way they nourish their body during this time will affect their health and that of their baby’s. That is why they are advised to eat a healthy, balanced diet to help ensure they stay healthy throughout their pregnancy,” Ms Esau advises.

The nutritionist says the food a pregnant woman eat is her baby’s main source of nourishment, so it’s important to consume foods that are rich in nutrients. Proper nutrition can help their baby’s growth and development.

She says women who attend clinics earlier on will have a chance to receive important information including on the food to consume during this time so that they can have a healthy pregnancy. “During this time, their [pregnant women] body has increased nutritional needs that’s why they are required to consume more micronutrients and macronutrients to support themselves and their baby,” she says.

To meet these increased nutritional needs, a pregnant women with the support of her family needs to have a diet that includes a variety of healthy foods by eating different foods from each of the food groups every day.

What to eat

Pregnant women are advised to eat protein, which is critical for ensuring the proper growth of foetal tissue, including the brain, Ms Esau begins.

She continues, “It also helps with breast and uterine tissue growth during pregnancy and increasing blood supply, allowing more blood to be sent to the baby.”

The nutritionist also emphasises on the intake of calcium. This nutrient is also needed to build baby’s bones. Folate, also is an important part in reducing the risk of neural tube defects. These are major birth defects that affect the baby’s brain and spinal cord, such as spina bifida.

She says aside from eating well, it is important for expectant mothers to drink at least eight glasses of water each day and to take prenatal vitamins. “Sometimes it can be difficult to obtain all the sufficient amounts of certain nutrients, including folate and iron, from food alone. That’s why it is recommended that they take prenatal vitamins [supplements] to ensure that you and your baby stay healthy,” Ms Esau advises.

*not her real name