Page 38 - كتاب تمريض نسا الاكتروني

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3): Preconception care and counseling

Introduction

Preconception health is important for every woman―not just those

planning pregnancy. It means taking control and choosing healthy habits. It means living
well, being healthy, and feeling good about your life. Preconception care should begin at
least three months before you get pregnant. But some women need more time to get their
bodies ready for pregnancy.

Preconception counseling is different from antenatal care and should not be
confused with it. In particular, it is more important than antenatal care, as 30% of pregnant

women begin traditional antenatal care in the second trimester and after the period of
maximal organogenesis (between 3 and 10 weeks’ gestation)1 . Preconception care refers
to interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral and social risks to

women’s health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management.

Module Objective: To:-

1- Review the anatomy of female reproductive system.

2- Explain pre-conception components.

3- Differentiate between pre-conception care and pre-conception counseling.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, the students should be
able to:

- Define pre-conception care and pre-conception counseling.

- Explain objectives of pre-conception care.

- Explain obstacles of pre-conception counseling.

- Explain the elements of pre-conception care.

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