Pregnant women
The research team was able to recruit pregnant participants willing to enroll in the study and participate in group ANC despite some delay due to the COVID pandemic. Of the participants, the majority attended four or more of the 8 meetings. One approach to encouraging attendance was reminder texts and phone calls by the midwives, although reasons for non-attendance were not collected. Given that the traditional model of ANC in Ghana included 4 visits, attendance at 8 visits by more than 1/3 of the women is encouraging. Women who participated in group ANC voiced enthusiasm for the model of care and wished for it to continue. Having the opportunity to tell stories, voice opinions and ask questions in the group gave them a sense of empowerment as did self-checking blood pressures and weights. They enjoyed having materials to take home to share with friends and family. One of the most salient findings was that group ANC created a sense of community and also a connection to the midwives that they did not experience with prior antenatal care.