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Health education in ante-natal clinics—As will be apparent from table (ii), a wide and
comprehensive health education service is provided for expectant mothers at the Council's
clinics, using such methods as films, film strips, flannelgraphs and posters. Inhalational
analgesia is demonstrated by midwives so that mothers become quite familiar with the type
of apparatus they will use whether their confinement is at home or in hospital. Relaxation
classes are taken by health visitors, midwives or physiotherapists; there are also sewing
classes and mothercraft sessions. Fathers and mothers are given the opportunity to attend
discussion groups in the evening.
In a few instances, health visitors in London attend ante-natal clinics held in doctors'
surgeries or hospitals to give health education and mothercraft instruction. It is not likely
to be possible to expand these very limited arrangements while the present shortage of
health visitors exists, but the possibility is being examined. Some hospitals run mothercraft
classes of their own and others refer patients booked for hospital confinement to the
Council's clinics for mothercraft and health education (i.e. apart from patients who are
referred for routine intermediate ante-natal care).
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