Nursing Procedures for Pregnancy

Importance of the First Visit

The pregnant woman's first visit to the prenatal care clinic is of special importance for several reasons, including:

·        Basic data about the pregnant woman is obtained during this visit, which helps identify her health status and facilitates her follow-up. The earlier the pregnant woman's first visit to the center (as soon as she feels pregnancy symptoms), the better the care she will receive.

·        During the visit, the pregnant woman's health, social, and educational needs are determined, and a care plan is developed.

·        During this visit, a good relationship can be established with the pregnant woman to help gain her trust and encourage her to visit the center regularly.

Components of the First Visit

The pregnant woman's first visit includes the following services:

1.     Taking data about the pregnant woman and recording it in the health card and records: When taking the necessary data, the pregnant woman should be seated in a comfortable place, away from the hearing and sight of others so she feels privacy and speaks openly. The nurse must also record the data accurately and briefly and write her notes.

The data taken includes:

·        Personal history.

·        History of previous pregnancies and births, their type, and the outcome of pregnancy and childbirth.

Examples of Recording Previous Pregnancies and Births

Example 1: A woman who has been pregnant 5 times visited the health unit as follows: Delivery of live twins - abortion - stillborn baby - death under 7 days - live birth.

Number of Pregnancies	Number of Abortions	Live Birth	Stillbirth	Others	Death under 7 days
5	1	3	1		1

 

Example 2: A woman who has been pregnant 4 times visited the health unit as follows: Delivery of live twins - Delivery of twins (one live, one dead) - abortion - ectopic pregnancy.

Number of Pregnancies	Number of Abortions	Live Birth	Stillbirth	Others	Death under 7 days
4	1	1	1	1

 

Note: Number of pregnancies = Number of abortions + live birth + stillbirth + others.

Death under 7 days is recorded in the live birth column and in the death under 7 days column. Therefore, when calculating the number of pregnancies, cases of death under 7 days are not added.

In the case of a previous birth of twins where one is alive and the other is dead, it is recorded in the stillbirth column only.

·        Current Pregnancy History: The Expected Date of Delivery (EDD) is calculated by adding 7 days and 9 months to the date of the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP).

·        Social history of the family.

·        Medical and family history: To detect genetic diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases, or any previous surgical operations.

·        History of diseases related to the reproductive system.

·        Current complaints, if any.