Its often said that women are the weaker vessels or that men are stronger than women, well this may be true in some areas, but true test is tested by the ordeals of pregnancy and labour. Just listening to the narrations of the experience of women who have had to pass through pregnancy and delivery or having to go through the journey with these women will make you see the hidden strength in women. Most men who have had to play superiority cannot pass through the stress and pain of pregnancy. It is only ideal and very important that as men, we give the best care and support to our women, before, during and after pregnancy.
A statement that I heard early in my medical practice that really got stock in my head is that every pregnant woman is a walking time bomb. If you are not in the medical profession, you may not see the importance of the statement, but however, experience as a physician has proven this to be true and has helped to shape how I attend to every pregnant woman and the things to look out for.
Africa has been known for its high incidence of maternal mortality (deaths associated with pregnancy and child birth) with Nigeria having almost 20% of all global maternal deaths, it has been estimated that 1 in 22 Nigerian women are at risk of dying from pregnancy and child birth related causes. Common causes of death include; pregnancy and delivery related bleeding, sepsis (infection), complications of abortion, pregnancy related hypertension and complications of labour.
In order to reduce deaths of women due to pregnancy, it is therefore needed to prioritize the healthcare of every pregnant woman and to keep up monitoring even till after delivery.
Antenatal care comprises of the proper and systemic supervision of women during pregnancy, monitoring the growth and health of the coming child and the mother with the aim of ensuring the well being of both the mother and expected baby, ensuring a safe delivery and also to detect any pregnancy related medical condition that may arise and the management of any coexisting medical condition before pregnancy. In summary it is focusing on the well being of the mother and the expected baby and making sure that the outcome of every pregnancy is a healthy mother and a healthy baby.
When and where to receive care.
Antenatal care should be commenced as soon as possible usually at about 6-8 weeks up to 12 weeks. However, note that even though you might have missed these times, you should still commence as soon as you get a qualified establishment. Antenatal care should only be sorted for from qualified medical doctors and midwives, these will be available in any government registered hospital. Kindly note that care from traditional birth attendants and quacks should be discouraged as they lack knowledge and expertise needed to reduce pregnancy and child birth complications.

Benefit of Antenatal care.
Antenatal care has helped to drastically reduce pregnancy and child birth related deaths globally. Its benefits cannot be overemphasized. Some of its benefits are listed hear
1. Routine checkups help to identify those at risk of pregnancy complications and reverse them.
2. Treatment of preexisting and current medical conditions. It helps to give special attention to women who have chronic medical conditions that can be worsened by pregnancy e.g. asthma, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell disease etc.
3. It serves as an opportunity to identify women with venereal diseases e.g. HIV, Hepatitis and syphilis and prevent the transmission to the unborn child.
4. It helps to cover woman the medical and nutritional demands of pregnant women.
5. it serves as a means of educating women.
6. It helps to identify and limit environmental factors that affect pregnancy.
7. It brings the pregnant woman into a community that gives support.
8. It prepares the woman for a safe delivery.
9. It advocates for effective family planning.
10. It serves as an avenue to identify and tackle societal problems confronting women.

https://ihealth.com.ng/2020/09/23/antenatal-care/