Prenatal care during pregnancy

Care during pregnancy

Tips for women about taking care of themselves and their baby during pregnancy and the importance of getting good care before, during, and after pregnancy. Prenatal care during pregnancy is directly related to the health and wellbeing of the expecting mother and the unborn child. The expectant parents should visit the Anganwadi as soon as they know they are expecting a child and get the Mother and Child Protection Card; a simple yet powerful card that helps them to consistently monitor the nutrition and growth of their child. 75% of new mothers in India are anaemic and most put on less weight during pregnancy than they should. This leads to unhealthy foetal growth, low birth weight and non-genetic congenital abnormalities in babies. During pregnancy, ensure that the expecting mother gets the correct diet at the correct time. She should get an extra portion of food, about one quarter more than usual. The expecting mother must get at least two hours of rest in the daytime. And at night, she should sleep for eight hours. Also, a happy atmosphere at home should be maintained.

Objective

The purpose of this video is to create awareness about the signs and alarming consequences of malnutrition during prenatal period of pregnancy and to encourage the women and community to take action in preventing it.

Source: Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India with active support from UNICEF and other development partners.