In this post, we will focus on the various forms of care recommended for women before, during and after the pregnancy period.This post will describe and distinguish the different terms that define these forms of care.
Pre-conception care is given to couples when planning to become pregnant. During this period, conception has not occurred. But when the woman becomes pregnant , she is referred to ante-natal care , which is the care provided during the pregnancy period . It also referred to as prenatal care meaning before birth.Ante-natal care (prenatal care) involves the medical examinations, scans, counselling sessions, and consultations offered during the pregnancy period .In other words,the regular check-ups women go for during pregnancy.
Once a woman becomes pregnant, it is recommended that she attends ante-natal care visits to receive guidance , ask questions they may have about the pregnancy, and be examined to determine if there is presence of risks that can interfere with the pregnancy.
And just to mention although we will discuss further in following posts, post-natal care refers to the care provided once a woman has given birth to after six weeks.
Then there is perinatal care, which is different from prenatal care as it involves the care provided to women during and just after delivery, especially to women who have high risk pregnancies or severe complications.
So all these terms infer the care provided to women before, during or after pregnancy . They are all important to the contribution to successful pregnancy outcomes.