medborger_i_danmark_engelsk.pdf - Ny i Danmark

54Giving birthFAMILYPre-natal check-upswith your doctor andmidwifeMedical record for youand your babyPre-natal classesAll pregnant women are entitled to aseries of medical checkups by a doctorand a midwife. The first visit will be withyour own doctor when you are nine weekspregnant. You have to make anappointment for the visit.The doctor will set up a medical record ofyour pregnancy, which you must bringwith you on all your ante-natal care visitsto the doctor and the midwife. In thisrecord, the doctor and the midwife willdocument the progress of your pregnancy.The purpose of these checkups is to makesure that everything is going well with youand your baby and to reveal any problemsat an early stage.Some counties offer ultrasoundscanning*. The scans make it possible todetect if the baby is suffering from anyserious physical deformities or any othercomplications. It is up to you to decidewhether to accept this offer.You may bring your husband or anyother person, such as a friend or yourmother, on all your ante-natal care visits.You may find it helpful to attend antenatalclasses, especially if you are havingyour first baby. During classes, you willlearn about what happens to your bodyduring pregnancy, and how the babydevelops. You will also learn breathingexercises and physical exercises to trainyour body and make it easier and lesspainful to give birth. You should ask yourmidwife about ante-natal classes offeredin the area where you live.You may bring your husband to theclasses or anyone else you would like tohave with you when you give birth.Most maternity wards offer you the choiceof having your baby at the hospital or athome. If you opt for home birth, one ofthe midwives from the maternity ward willcome to your home to attend to youduring the delivery. Maternity wards thatdo not offer this option may refer you toanother hospital that does. A few countieshave special home birth schemes,according to which specially assignedmidwives are in charge of both thepregnancy checkups and the home birth.Home birthWhen in doubt, contact your doctoror midwifeYour doctor and your midwife will answer any questions you mayhave during your pregnancy. So do not hesitate to ask themwhenever you are in doubt about something, for example, regardingbirthing positions, pain relief during delivery, etc. Write yourquestions down before contacting your doctor or midwife so not toforget anything important.You should also let the hospital or clinic know how you want togive birth, or whether you have any post-delivery requirements,for example, special dietary wishes.