Antenatal care - regular contact with skilled health personnel during pregnancy - is a core component of maternity care, grounded in a human rights-based approach.  

WHO recommends that women should have eight contacts with a health provider during pregnancy to screen for potential complications and treat problems as they arise including prevention of antepartum stillbirths.

Although a large proportion of women access these services at least once during their pregnancy, less than half of all women in low-resource settings received antenatal care in their first trimester.  

WHO works to improve access to and quality of antenatal care across every population, including adolescent girls and in hard-to-reach areas or conflict settings. Digital health interventions, such as appointment reminders, have had a positive impact and are an ongoing area of work. 

By focusing on a positive pregnancy experience, WHO seeks to ensure not only a healthy pregnancy for every woman and baby, but also an effective transition to positive labour and childbirth and ultimately to a positive experience of parenthood.