الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Pregnancy is a temporary, physiological (normal) process that affects the woman physically and psychologically. Few special care measures including common sense about self-care are required to meet the pregnant women’s needs and successful adaptation with pregnancy. The nursing literature is rich in designing strategies and intervention to meet pregnant women’s needs. Dorothea Orem had suggested a conceptual framework for nursing, which is also called the self-care nursing theory. She grouped self care requisites or need into three domains: universal, health deviation and developmental.
The pregnant woman needs self-care practices to meet her universal needs in relation to: diet; fluids; rest and activity; sleep; antenatal follow up visits; drugs intake and immunization. Pregnancy may also lead to health care deficit needs caused many certain discomforts which are mainly met through self-care practices. The most common discomforts experienced throughout pregnancy are: Nausea and vomiting; Heartburn; muscle cramps; Vaginal infection; Insomnia and shortness of breath. Pregnancy is also a crucial developmental stage in women’s life. It needs self-care practices to achieve certain tasks such as: acceptance of pregnancy; safe passage; giving and maternal fetal attachment.
Adequate antenatal care is outlined in standard textbooks and publications and includes guiding and teaching pregnant women the positive self care practices to attain a healthy pregnancy course and outcome. That is a safe pregnancy and childbirth that yields the delivery of a healthy baby.