Knowledge, Attitudes, and HIV/AIDS Risk Behaviors of Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thailand GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 Indonesian Scholars’ Alliance Open Access Photo Essay POLITEKNIK KESEHATAN KEMENKES PALANGKA RAYA: HEALTH FORUM AND INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR THE NEW NORMAL : Creating a Pleasant Virtual Communication Improving the quality of pregnancy by fulfilling the physical and psychological needs of pregnant women in Kuala Kapuas, Kapuas Regency Stephanie Emmanuella Yuri Mahar* & Oktaviani Oktaviani Department of Midwifery, Poltekkes Kemenkes Palangka Raya, Indonesia *Corresponding author’s email: stephanieyuri12@gmail.com DOI: 10.35898/ghmj-51595 Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee and the editorial board of the Annual Health Forum and International Seminar of the Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Palangka Raya © Yayasan Aliansi Cendekiawan Indonesia Thailand (Indonesian Scholars’ Alliance). This is an open-access following Creative Commons License Deed - Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) Pregnancy is one of the significant and critical periods in a woman's life in which she has an additional responsibility and a new role to play in her life. Although she's a wife today, she's also a mother, and that isn't easy. Figure 1. A pregnant woman consuming her folate-rich milk https://dx.doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-51595 27 GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 Mahar & Oktaviyani There are so many changes taking place in this period: in the figure of the woman, mentally and physically. Some of the pregnant women’s physical needs are oxygen, nutrition, personal hygiene, and comfortable clothes which can fit their new body shape. Meanwhile, some of the psychological needs of pregnant women are supported, a sense of security, and comfort from their husbands and families (Tyastuti and Wahyuningsih 2016). The occurrence of the body to the fetus would have a significant effect on maternal mortality. These physical and psychological changes often make the body of the mother have special needs that occur during her pregnancy. These needs are things that must be fulfilled to improve the quality of pregnancy so that when the mother delivers the baby, it can be born without any deficiencies. Disruption and inhibition of development, as well as a lack of Hb (Haemoglobin) in the blood resulting in a lack of oxygen being transported across the body and brain, are examples. During early pregnancy, a woman needs a lot of adjustment physically and mentally, guidance, and support from the surrounding environment to get through the time. However, the physical and psychological needs of pregnant women are not always being fulfilled and not even being considered trivial. This has been proven by my research in Kuala Kapuas, where I conducted observations of pregnant women and the results show that there are still many pregnant women whose needs have not been met due to a lack of awareness and knowledge about their needs during pregnancy. Unfulfilled physical and psychological needs of pregnant women will affect the quality of pregnancy and the health of the baby who will be delivered. Figure 2. Multigravida mom in deep conversion with her children regarding upcoming birth Figure 3. Healthy and fresh vegetables are available at stores; growing them in our yard may bring a peaceful environment. Mahar & Oktaviyani GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 28 As already mentioned, pregnant women need more oxygen. Therefore, pregnant women are advised to exercise regularly to help circulate air in the body. It is also important to avoid crowded places where there are a lot of people gathering or clustering around, thus she can get an adequate supply of oxygen. Pregnant women who do not fulfill their oxygen needs will get headaches and dizziness. This commonly happens in the traditional markets where there are lots of people, and there are also stuffs crammed in the room that will make it crowded and stuffy. As for nutritional needs, a pregnant woman needs a lot of nutrition to help her fetus to grow well. Even though sometimes nausea which occurs in the first trimester causes the mother to lose her appetite. It will harm the health of the mother and the fetus. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the nutritional intake of pregnant women. Especially in the first trimester where the fetal organs begin to form. Consuming lots of vegetables and fruit is highly recommended for them since consuming fruits and vegetables will prevent pregnant women from developing anemia (Hermawan, Abidin, and Yanti 2020). The other need of a pregnant woman is personal hygiene. Cleanliness of the body of a pregnant woman is very important to reduce the possibility of infection caused by germs on the dirty body. Pregnant women experience an increased metabolic rate which makes them sweat a lot more easily. This condition makes pregnant women need to continue maintaining a clean body and environment. Frequent hand washing and bathing are highly recommended. Clothes are also one of the things that must be considered for pregnant women. The growing belly definitely makes the mother uncomfortable if she has to wear tight rubbery clothes on the wrists. In addition, besides being uncomfortable, tight clothes made from rubber on the wrists will also inhibit blood circulation in pregnant women. Figure 4. Various fruits for extra vitamins during pregnancy Figure 5. Various fruits for extra vitamins during pregnancy 29 GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 Mahar & Oktaviyani One of the crucial needs of a pregnant woman that must be fulfilled is the psychological need. Pregnant women will experience mood swings and will easily experience overthinking and stress. (Tyastuti and Wahyuningsih 2016). Therefore, a strong role from the family will be needed to be the support system for pregnant women. For example, it can be by showing appreciation and happiness for the wife’s pregnancy or by calming a wife who is worried about her pregnancy. Besides that, the husband can also help ease the duties of the wife at home. Support from the husband is very crucial currently (Lewis, Lee, and Simkhada 2015; Ngoma and Chongo 2013). Important support comes from the family (Wiradnyani et al. 2016). A pregnancy that is welcomed and cared for by the family will bring happiness to the mother. Bad moods should be avoided by pregnant women because it is bad for the foetus. The support from the husband and family will automatically create a good environment for the mother’s pregnancy. This will make the mother feel safe and comfortable. Figure 6. A physical environment that does not support an adequate supply of oxygen for pregnant women Figure 7. In-Bound interaction with children, fetus, and a mother during her pregnancy Figure 8. A supporting husband will encourage a pregnant wife both psychologically and emotionally. Mahar & Oktaviyani GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 30 Therefore, the role of the husband and family during this pregnancy is very important. Both to meet physical needs, and to fulfill the psychological needs of pregnant women. The family and husband will be responsible and must ensure that every need of the mother can be met. Improving the quality of pregnancy itself is also crucial. If the quality of the mother’s pregnancy is good, then the baby will also be born smoothly with a health condition. This will automatically have an impact on reducing the number of deaths and labor failures. Today, a global pandemic of CoVid-19 has tremendously changed the way we live our daily life, not to mention, pregnant women. The Indonesian government has issued a guideline for pregnant women during the pandemic (Direktorat Kesehatan Keluarga 2020). The pandemic may spark a new form of psychological warfare in many pregnant women (Davenport et al. 2020; Erin Michael n.d.; Sade et al. 2020; Suzumori, Goto, and Sugiura-Ogasawara 2020). However, as long as their physical and psychological needs are fulfilled, plus as per health protocol, giving birth in the pandemic should not be an issue. Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank all pregnant women in the frame, their supporting families. Consent All pregnant women, in their home and traditional market, have given their permission regarding this work as well as no conflict of interest. Figure 9. A pregnant woman in a traditional market; should have avoided the environment during pregnancy. Figure 10. A Healthcare who is also a pregnant woman practicing 20-second rules hand washing at the Hospital. 31 GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal) 2022, Vol. 5, No. 1 Mahar & Oktaviyani References Davenport, Margie H. et al. 2020. ‘Moms Are Not OK: COVID-19 and Maternal Mental Health’. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health 1. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2020.00001. Direktorat Kesehatan Keluarga. 2020. Pedoman Bagi Ibu Hamil, Ibu Nifas, Dan Bayi Baru Lahir Di Era Pandemi Covid-19. Jakarta, Indonesia: Kementerian Kesehatan RI. http://www.kesga.kemkes.go.id/images/pedoman/Pedoman bagi Ibu Hamil, Bersalin, Nifas dan BBL di Era Pandemi COVID 19.pdf. Erin, Michael. 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GHMJ (Global Health Management Journal). 2022; 5(1):26-31. doi:10.35898/ghmj-51595 https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2020.00001 https://doi.org/10.33024/hjk.v14i1.1557 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12884-015-0599-8 https://doi.org/10.12968/ajmw.2013.7.4.186 https://doi.org/10.24893/jkma.v12i2.415 https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9082449 https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13202 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980016001002 https://dx.doi.org/10.35898/ghmj-51595