Suite 110, 1st Floor, Melomed Mitchells Plain Hospital

021 110 5064 076 305 2805 dr@drmakanda.co.za

Antenatal Care

A positive pregnancy test tends to raise questions faster than it answers them. When is the first scan? How often will you need to come in? Antenatal care with Dr Malonda Makanda gives your pregnancy a clear structure, with regular check-ups that follow your health and your baby's development from the early weeks until delivery.

Smiling pregnant woman in a denim shirt talking with her doctor during a consultation

What Is Antenatal Care?

Antenatal care is the medical care you receive while pregnant. Its purpose is to follow how you and your baby are doing and to pick up problems early. Booking your first visit at around eight to ten weeks is ideal, although it is never too late to start.

What Happens At Your First Visit?

The booking visit is usually the longest. Dr Makanda will ask about your health history and the date of your last period. An ultrasound confirms the pregnancy and the heartbeat, and helps to estimate your due date.

Routine blood tests check your blood group and screen for infections that can affect pregnancy. This visit is also your chance to raise anything that has been worrying you.

How Often Will You See Dr Makanda?

In an uncomplicated pregnancy, visits usually follow this pattern:

  1. Up to 28 weeks: once a month
  2. 28 to 36 weeks: every two weeks
  3. 36 weeks until birth: every week
  4. Beyond 40 weeks: closer monitoring until your baby arrives

At each visit, your blood pressure and urine are checked, and your baby's growth is measured. If anything changes, such as rising blood pressure, visits may become more frequent and your care may shift towards high-risk pregnancy monitoring.

Which Scans And Screening Tests Are Offered?

Between 11 and 14 weeks, a first-trimester screening scan, often combined with a blood test, assesses the likelihood of certain chromosomal conditions. A detailed anatomy scan at around 20 to 22 weeks looks closely at your baby's organs and development. Later on, usually between 24 and 28 weeks, a glucose test checks for gestational diabetes.

Screening tests are offered, not imposed. Dr Makanda will explain what each one can and cannot tell you before you decide.

When Should You Call Between Visits?

Contact the practice or go to your nearest maternity unit if you notice bleeding, fluid leaking from the vagina, a severe headache with blurred vision, or if your baby is moving less than usual.

As your due date approaches, conversations turn towards how you will give birth. To book your first antenatal visit, get in touch with the rooms.

Obstetric and gynaecological care at Melomed Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, from planning a pregnancy to managing the concerns that come later in life.

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