MOM
Midwives on the Move
MIDWIFERY │ HOME VISITS
This project aims to combat the relatively low attendance at antenatal appointments for women across the Clinic catchment area, particularly in the more rural parts. Whilst it is recommended that women see a midwife four times in their pregnancy, in reality, the actual attendance is far lower.
Household and financial pressures, along with the distances between the villages and health facilities, mean women may only have one or two appointments. The key to high quality antenatal care is the regular assessment of the condition of a woman and her baby throughout a pregnancy. Deviations from the woman’s own physiological normal is as important an indication of the state of a pregnancy as deviation from the widely accepted normal values. Complications that may result in morbidity or mortality may be missed if a woman is only seen once in her pregnancy, and confidential disclosures are also far less likely to be made without relationships built over time.
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The Midwives on the Move provides a means of increasing uptake of antenatal assessments by encouraging women to accept home visits from the Clinic midwives. This will allow midwives to carry out four comprehensive antenatal assessments in the women’s own homes, a place where they are comfortable. As well as identifying any physiological challenges, it is also far more likely that psychological difficulties will be disclosed by women.
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The 2020-2021 midwpoint review is available here.
