From your first antenatal visit to your birth plan, here is what to prepare at each stage.
1. Book your first antenatal visit early. As soon as you suspect you are pregnant, come in. Early visits let us confirm the pregnancy, check your blood pressure and blood, and start iron and folic acid, which protect your baby's development in the first weeks.
2. Keep every appointment. Each visit checks something different: your baby's growth and heartbeat, your blood pressure, and warning signs like swelling or headaches that can point to pre-eclampsia. Missing visits means missing the chance to catch problems while they are still small.
3. Eat for strength, not just for two. You do not need double portions. You need varied meals: cassava or rice with greens, beans, fish or meat, and fruit. Drink clean water often, and avoid alcohol completely.
4. Know the danger signs. Bleeding, severe headache, blurred vision, fever, reduced baby movement or leaking fluid before labour all mean come to the clinic immediately, day or night.
5. Plan your birth early. Decide where you will deliver, how you will get there, and who will accompany you. Bring your antenatal card to every visit, and talk to our midwife about your birth plan from the seventh month.
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