Maternal healthcare is available to all expecting mothers/parents and is free of charge. Each health clinic serves those who reside in the clinic's service area, have a family doctor at the clinic, and those who request the clinic's services.
Prenatal care is managed by midwives and family doctors at health clinics, and consultations are held with obstetricians if needed. The goal of prenatal care at health clinics is to:
- Promote the health of mother and child.
- Provide professional care, support, and advice
- Identify risk factors and respond to them
- Provide education about pregnancy and childbirth
A variety of courses are available on preparing for childbirth and breastfeeding. Midwives in maternal care provide more detailed information.
Examinations/Interviews
It is recommended that the first examination/interview in maternal care takes place at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy. The goal is for there to be around 10 examinations for first-time mothers, but 7-10 for those who have given birth before.
The routine ultrasound at 20 weeks is separate from this. The first examination can take up to one hour. Other examinations can take 20-30 minutes. The needs of expectant mothers/parents are assessed in the first examination and reassessed in each subsequent one. In each examination, general well-being and health are discussed, blood pressure is measured, and urine is checked for the presence of protein.
From the 16th week, the fetal heartbeat is listened to, and from the 25th week, the size of the uterus is measured, from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. At the 36th week, the position of the baby is assessed. In maternal care, there is an opportunity for discussions and questions, and education and advice are provided as needed each time, e.g., about diet, exercise, changes during pregnancy, fetal examinations, services available during pregnancy, choice of place to give birth, the birth itself, emergency measures in childbirth, maternity leave, breastfeeding, postpartum period, and more.
Screenings
A variety of screenings are offered in maternal care. The purpose of these screenings is to determine whether there is something that could affect the health of the mother or child during pregnancy. At the beginning of pregnancy, screenings are performed for anemia, hepatitis B and C, HIV, rubella, syphilis, and red cell antibodies.
There is also a screening for urinary tract infections. In certain cases, screenings are conducted for gestational diabetes. These screenings are done with blood and urine samples from the mother.
Ultrasounds and other fetal examinations are offered in collaboration with the Fetal Diagnostic Department of the National Hospital or other institutions that perform fetal ultrasounds. During the 16-week examination, a screening for depression and anxiety is conducted.
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