You’ve found this page, which means a really exciting thing has happened for you recently, and you’ve found out you’re pregnant. Congratulations! The whole thing can be a bit scary at the start, but I’ll try to pop a few links up to help you out. As always, if you have questions, please ask your doctor and don’t worry, if you feel a bit overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
I have some common links at the bottom of this page, so feel free to scroll straight down there if you want.
MODES OF PREGNANCY CARE
The first thing that I want to talk about, are the different models of care that are available for you when you’re pregnant.
Firstly we have Private, which means that you are under a private obstetrician and usually goes through your private healthcare. This will be the Obstetrician and hospital of your choice.
We then have public which means you will deliver in a public hospital and has a few options within it. You will usually be allocated to your closest public hospital that has a birthing unit within in. Within the public model, there are a few options that you can choose from:
–Routine care – where you will have all appointments at the local hospital by whoever whichever midwife is on at the time
-Midwife group practice – which means that you are under a small group of midwives in the public hospital and one should be at delivery
– GP shared care -which is something that I do through most metro hospital
One reason, I love doing GP, shared care, is that I get to build a solid relationship with my patient, and can help them through all the aspects of their pregnancy. I will not be at the delivery, with the hospital doctors and midwives looking after you on the day.
The wonderful thing about shared care is that you are being provided with medical care by the same doctor, who will walk with you throughout your whole journey. You you can ask regular questions, build rapport and more importantly, have someone advocate for you.
There are criteria for shared care, and if you do not qualify, you are classified as high risk, and would be managed in the public hospital by the Obstetricians (so either way, you have a doctor looking after your care).
Any high risk pregnancy is managed under Obstetricians in the public hospital.
PREGNANY AND BIRTH OPTIONS – Better Health Channel
FIRST TRIMESTER SCREENING
There are two options with first trimester screening, first trimester combined screening, or the traditional pathway, as I call it, and the NIPT pathway, or, as I often tell people, the more expensive pathway.
With a more traditional pathway, a blood test is taken from the Mum around 12 weeks, and an ultrasound is done around the same time. Markers are taken from the mother’s bloodstream, and measurements are taken from the baby, including nuchal translucency and nasal bone thickness. These are then plugged into a very clever computer and you are given the risk of the baby having some conditions, such is Downs Syndrome, and a few others. You can also get your pre-eclampsia risk checked with this method (for extra cost)
I often try to describe this screening test as being very sensitive, which means that if there is an issue, we should pick up on it, but not as specific, which means that if you come up as a higher risk, you might not really have an issues. So in other words, if it’s ok, then it’s fine. If it’s high risk, then we need to look a bit further. Your doctor will help you if this is the case.
VCGS – Maternal Serum Screening
NIPT test
This is a more expensive blood test, which analyses foetal DNA, which is travelling through the maternal bloodstream from 10 weeks gestation.
The benefit of this test is that it is a more accurate screening test, as you’re looking at babies actual DNA, however, it is still only a screening test. Some people will use this as a secondary screening method if the first screening test (if chosen first) comes back as higher risk.
Many couples, however, chose this as their first screening test. The other benefit of this test is that you can find out what your baby’s gender is. The downside to this test, is that it is only a blood test, so you need an additional ultrasound around 13 to 15 weeks, to check baby’s anatomy.
The 20 week anatomy ultrasound is very standard. There are no options there. PHEW!
See, I did say that things got easier
PRE ECLAMPSIA SCREENING
Pre eclampsia is a condition in which a woman’s blood pressure rises very high, and is a common reason why babies need to be delivered early. If not, it can lead to a life threatening condition called Eclampsia.
It is a condition which occurs after 20 weeks however, we can help prevent it by giving women 150mg of aspirin daily from early on, ideally before 16 weeks.
To do the screening, you need a blood test which has an additional cost between 11-14 weeks and an ultrasound between 11-14 weeks.
VCGS – Pre Eclampsia Screening
PREVENTING Pre-Eclampsia – Monash Health
Regardless of whether or not you decide to have screening, your blood pressure will be closely monitored throughout your pregnancy, as well as other symptoms to monitor you and pick up any early signs of pre eclampsia
MORNING SICKNESS
A lot of women get morning sickness, and many do not. If you don’t, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong (just that you’re lucky!). The first line of treatment for morning sickness is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), 25mg three times a day, which you can buy over the counter at the pharmacy. Any more than this, and I think you need to see your doctor.
COPING WITH COMMONG DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY
SOME OTHER LINKS
MONASH MEDICINES INFROMATION IN PREGNANCY – PHONE LINE
HERBAL MEDICINES IN PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
SKIN, HAIR AND COSMETIC TREATMENT IN PREGNANCY
EXERCISE IN PREGNANCY – See my page on this
*See page 12 for an amazing colour coded chart to simply the foods you can / can’t eat
WHY YOUR WEIGHT MATTERS DURING PREGNANCY
PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia – some great links, resources and quizzes for expectant parents as well as in the post natal period
ASTHMA IN PREGNANY – NSW HEALTH
What resources should I read when I’m pregnant?
Please, please please, do not read too much when you are pregnant if it’s causing you stress. I have a lot of patients who will read every book that they can find, but I promise you, that your baby has not read any of these. Your baby will do what they do, and although books are really great to have a look at, please do not read so much that it starts to cause you stress or anxiety in pregnancy. A lot of the time, too much reading can make you feel out of your depth and worried that there’s just ‘too much you don’t know.’ When I hear my patients say this, I tell them to put the books down, have a chat with me and reassure them they ‘you’ve got this.’
Dr Rosie Gentle 