Participatory antenatal care: Outcome of a pilot programme in Soweto, South Africa

Abstract

Participatory antenatal care (ANC), which is a form of group antenatal care (G-ANC), describes the practice of having a woman take the  lead in sharing her experiences and expectations with a midwife and where she has an opportunity to articulate what she feels is  important for her care. The woman’s suggestions on how to address her health challenges during pregnancy are sought, and the  interpretation of the data obtained during the assessment is determined by the woman and the midwife. This care is provided in a group  format. Participatory ANC focuses on the reciprocal exchange of thoughts, ideas, and feelings about the self and further serves as a  pathway for psychosocial care, an area subject to limitations in midwifery practice in the South African context. The aim of the current  study was to pilot a context-specific group care programme to enhance antenatal care. This participatory group programme is designed  to improve health literacy, increase birth preparedness, and optimise maternal and newborn outcomes. The project was piloted in two purposely selected Community Health Care centres in Soweto, Gauteng Province of South Africa. Two groups of pregnant women  participated in the programme. They were recruited to a participatory antenatal care group on the day of their booking visits. The  evaluation of the programme was conducted qualitatively in 2023 through a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews, to  determine the women’s experiences of the programme. The pilot trial achieved its primary objective of determining the effectiveness of  group-based antenatal care in South African context. The women’s responses indicated that the participatory programme had a positive  impact on their antenatal care.