Anne was able to get basic prenatal checkups at PathFinders Health Centre. Through PathFinders’ partnership with Matilda International Hospital, Anne also received more advanced checkups such as her antenatal blood test and an ultrasound scan. During the scan, the baby’s heart rate was found to be very slow and he was not growing as well as he should have been. This was a medical emergency, and Anne was asked to go to the A&E. Accompanied by PathFinders case manager, Anne attended A&E at Queen Mary Hospital immediately. The Doctor from Matilda Hospital wrote a medical report for her to show the A&E staff to help them understand the urgency of Anne’s case. Fortunately, all the tests at Queen Mary showed that Ayden was healthy and his heart rate returned to normal. Anne was greatly relieved after hearing the news and was discharged the next day.
PathFinders continued to provide antenatal care and invited Anne to attend workshops so she could learn about all aspects of pregnancy, including healthy diet, exercise during pregnancy and the signs of labour. PathFinders also provided support with iron tablets, as the tests at Matilda found that Anne was anaemic. She was grateful for this and had more energy after taking the pills. At 34 weeks of pregnancy, Matilda Hospital assisted with checking Anne’s Group B Strep swab. After a long labour, Anne and PathFinders were delighted to find that Ayden was born healthy at 39 weeks.
PathFinders provided Anne with postnatal care, empowering her to properly look after Ayden and herself in the postnatal period. She joined workshops to learn about basic childcare for Ayden such as breastfeeding and hygiene. She was given iron tablets and aqueous cream for Ayden’s dry skin. PathFinders continued to support Ayden in his first year, checking his growth and providing advice on his vaccinations. With encouragement and accompaniment from PathFinders, Anne attended the Family Planning Association to prevent future unplanned pregnancies.