ANC Check Up

During your antenatal check-ups and tests, you will be offered a number of opportunities to get checked out by the health professionals at a safe abortion service. If you or your baby have a higher risk of problems or are experiencing any concerns during the pregnancy, other tests may be recommended.

During antenatal care, a variety of tests can be performed that can detect problems before your baby is born. Two main types of test are offered:

1. Screening tests can show whether your baby has a higher risk of having a problem, but cannot confirm it for sure.
2. Diagnostic tests, which give you a much greater degree of certainty about the problem

Schedule of antenatal check-ups

In order to have a healthy pregnancy, pregnant women should have at least four visits with their doctor. It is important to emphasize that this is only a minimum requirement and that more visits may be necessary, depending on the woman's condition and needs. The suggested schedule for antenatal visits is as follows.

Timing of the first visit/registration: The first visit or registration for an ANC should take place as soon as a woman suspects she is pregnant. Women who are pregnant should be encouraged to visit their health provider as often as possible. Ideally, the first visit should take place within 12 weeks of discovering that they are pregnant.

Second visit - Between 14 and 26 weeks

Third visit - Between 28 and 34 weeks

Fourth visit - Between 36 weeks and term