POSTNATAL CARE
This is the care given to a mother from child birth up to 6 weeks post-delivery. Maximum attention is given to the mother and the new born baby are in good health, and to ensure that they get urgent help when need arises.
The visits are mostly conducted by the community nurse, SBCC pregnant mothers, HIP assistants, trainers, CHPS and NCMTC students who are always guided by the trainers and the HIP assistants through Mzazi na Mtoto project.
This programme has given opportunity to the students to sharpen their skills in educating the mothers in the community about practices done during PNC.
WHAT IS DONE
A mother is usually identified during antenatal period, gets enrolled to the ANC support group meeting that gives them an opportunity to learn the whole preparation about during antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum period.
A mother is usually educated on postpartum as from antepartum period. This is to prepare them for the incoming baby. And to lay out good preparations for both the mother and the baby.
NCMTC students educate our mothers through support group meetings. They are usually get topics to discuss and come up with a lesson plan to facilitate the session.
Below are some of the topics sensitized during ANC for PNC:
- Rhesus compatibility
- Blood group
- Haemoglobin levels
- Sickling tests if it runs in the family
- Individualised birth plan
- Use of ferrous sulphate
There are topics sensitized for PNC:
- Neonatal danger signs
- Maternal danger signs
- Cord care
- Assessing lochia loss
- Self-care for episiotomy or perianal tear care
- Post Caesarean section care for the incision site
- Exclusive breast feeding
- Breast feeding positions
- Family support
- Immunization
- Family planning
- Cultural practices that affect both the mother and the baby
