Assessing the current and historical health history of the pregnant woman directs the appropriate antenatal care, allowing planning of appropriate intrapartum management, whilst preparing postpartum and postnatal care options. Effective antenatal advice provided by midwives’ enables the patient to make informed choices regarding care during pregnancy (3Centres Collaboration, 2012e; Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council [AHMAC], 2012; AHMAC, 2014). Reviewing and monitoring progress throughout the pregnancy, whilst conducting appropriate tests enables the midwife to provide evidence-based individualised care, detecting any changes that may require intervention (3Centres Collaboration, 2012e; AHMAC, 2014).
During the initial pregnancy confirmation appointment typically with a General Practitioner a referral is made for blood group testing, confirming the woman’s blood group, rhesus factor and red cell antibody …show more content…
Pre-eclampsia presents after 20 weeks’ gestation as hypertension with proteinuria, effecting multiple systems, whilst superimposed pre-eclampsia is the development of systemic features of pre-eclampsia in a woman with chronic hypertension (AHMAC, 2014; Robson et al., 2014). Women should be advised to seek medical advice if experiencing headache, visual disturbance, epigastric pain, vomiting and/ or oedema of the face, hands or feet (AHMAC, 2014). A diagnosis of pre-eclampsia requires referral to hospital admission, further investigation, assessment of foetal health and development whilst commencing an appropriate drug therapy according to the severity of the pre-eclampsia (Robson et al., 2014). Allowing for the increased risks associated with hypertensive disorders all women should receive regular blood pressure monitoring throughout pregnancy to identify any significant change (AHMAC,
During the initial pregnancy confirmation appointment typically with a General Practitioner a referral is made for blood group testing, confirming the woman’s blood group, rhesus factor and red cell antibody …show more content…
Pre-eclampsia presents after 20 weeks’ gestation as hypertension with proteinuria, effecting multiple systems, whilst superimposed pre-eclampsia is the development of systemic features of pre-eclampsia in a woman with chronic hypertension (AHMAC, 2014; Robson et al., 2014). Women should be advised to seek medical advice if experiencing headache, visual disturbance, epigastric pain, vomiting and/ or oedema of the face, hands or feet (AHMAC, 2014). A diagnosis of pre-eclampsia requires referral to hospital admission, further investigation, assessment of foetal health and development whilst commencing an appropriate drug therapy according to the severity of the pre-eclampsia (Robson et al., 2014). Allowing for the increased risks associated with hypertensive disorders all women should receive regular blood pressure monitoring throughout pregnancy to identify any significant change (AHMAC,