Important Advice for a Woman’s First Pregnancy

I just went to visit Ester, who told me she found out she is expecting her first baby. Ester is in the fourth month of her pregnancy. Since this was my first visit with her, I encouraged her to go for prenatal check-ups at the local clinic. I also told her to make sure she is eating a balanced diet. Her husband was part of the discussions and he asked a lot of questions. His major concern was that he might not be able to afford to buy expensive foods – especially meat – for his expecting wife. I told him that he does not need to buy anything expensive. He should make sure his wife eats groundnuts, eggs and so many other locally available foods that have protein. I also encouraged the couple to go for tests at the clinic – including HIV tests – and to sleep under a mosquito net to avoid catching malaria. It is raining now and there are too many mosquitoes, so it is very important that Ester sleeps under a net all the time.

As her pregnancy progresses, I will visit Ester again to talk with her about watching for danger signs during her pregnancy, preparation for childbirth and breastfeeding. As her delivery date gets closer, I will go for a third visit to encourage her to give birth in the hospital. I will tell her about the advantages of giving birth at the hospital and disadvantages of giving birth at home. I will also use this visit to encourage her to start preparing to go to the hospital to wait for the baby to come.

I feel like I have already started working, yet I still have a few more weeks before my maternity leave ends!