Questions in a pregnancy health history
Work
• How much does she work at
home and outside her home?
• Does she have time to rest?
• Does her work expose her
to dangers — like
chemicals? (See page 47.)
Can she be protected from
work dangers?
It is important for the woman to get regular breaks
from her work. She should be able to eat, drink, and urinate often.
Her work should not put too much strain on her body.
Family
Partners and other family members can be supportive and
can share in the responsibility of the pregnancy. They can
help with housework, care for other children, help the
woman get enough good food and rest, and can enjoy
the growing pregnancy with the woman.
Some women need extra support
Women who do not have much family support,
have no partner, or who have a partner who is
not supportive may need extra care.
Would you like
some stew?
Single mothers are often wonderful and
caring parents, but their lives may be harder
than those of married women. People may
treat single mothers badly, making
assumptions about their morals and
ignoring their needs. Give single mothers the
kindness they deserve, and offer extra care if
they do not have family
or friends to help.
Thank you.
Very young mothers may have been forced
into marriage as young girls, often to much older
partners. These girls need particular support.
Women with abusive partners who get drunk or abuse drugs, are often away
from home, have sex with other people, or abuse the woman will need support
from family, friends, and you. A woman may need to leave her partner, or may
choose to stay until she has a safe place to go. See the book Where Women Have
No Doctor for more information on abusive partners.
A Book for Midwives (2010)
105