FAQ » What care can I expect during my pregnancy?
Care in pregnancy or Antenatal Care, usually compromises a booking visit, monthly, fortnightly and then weekly visits.
Booking Visit
Your first visit with your midwife will be a booking visit where all your medical and previous pregnancy/birth history will be collected. This is also an opportunity for you and your midwife to discuss how she works and the midwives that she is in practice with. You will also be given her number and the contact numbers of her colleagues so should you need to make contact for any reason you will have these.
If you have any information about your medical or previous pregnancy or birth/s that you feel may be required, it would be helpful for you to bring this to your visit. If you have a book from your previous midwife or LMC (Lead maternity Carer) it would be really useful to bring this along. Some women will have had their first set of blood tests done prior to this meeting, often with their GP and it is useful to arrange for a copy to be either given to you or sent directly to your midwife. If you have had an ultrasound scan prior to your visit this information would be very useful to bring also.
Your midwife will gather the information of this and subsequent visits in a book which you will keep at the end of your care. Copies of your care are required to be kept by your midwife and the Department of Health also require information that they must have for your midwife to be paid and for statistical information. Your midwife will explain this more fully with you.
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Ongoing Midwifery Visits
The general rule of thumb is;
Monthly visits up until 28 weeks,
Fortnightly visits up until 36 weeks,
Weekly visits until birth.
There is no real evidence to support this exact schedule of visits but it is important that you have regular visits as arranged between you and your midwife throughout your pregnancy.
At each visit your general health will be assessed and the most common means of this is through having your blood pressure and urine checked.
Your baby's heartbeat can be heard with a sonic aid (a hand held device that uses sound waves to pick up and read the heart beat), from approximately 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. Your midwife will also assess your baby's position closer to your due date and after 32 weeks.
You will also begin to feel the baby moving from approximately 16 weeks. First time mums usually do not feel or recognise baby movements until approximately 18-20 weeks. This is nothing to be alarmed at and is normal. The first movements are often felt as little flutters often mistaken for stomach sounds or wind.
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Blood Tests
At approximately booking, 28 and 36 weeks you will also have blood tests done. This is in the main to assess your iron levels and to ensure that you have no abnormalities attached to your blood group (your blood group is taken at the first blood test and will be either O, A, B or AB). For a percentage of women they will not have what is called the Rhesus factor and therefore their blood group will be negative (i.e. Rhesus negative, for example if you are blood group O it will be either O negative, without the rhesus factor or O positive, with the rhesus factor. This is important information to have in the unlikely scenario that you require a blood transfusion or if you are a negative blood group this information is important so that a small sample of blood can be obtained from the baby's cord and placenta after the birth and once the cord has been secured and cut - the blood is not taken directly from the baby). This will be fully explained to you by your midwife once your blood group is known.
At approximately 28 weeks you will also be asked to have a "polycose" or "Glucose Tolerance" test. This is determine how efficiently your body is using glucose and insulin. A small percentage of women will develop what is called "Pregnancy Diabetes". Some of these women will go on to require insulin injections in pregnancy while others will be able to control this by modifying their diets.
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Ultrasound Scans
Many women and their partners, families/whanau are anxious to have a scan to see baby. You will be offered a scan at 12-13 weeks and again at 18-20 weeks. The scan is a diagnostic tool, that is, it is used to check growth and development and to find any abnormalities that may arise in the pregnancy with the baby and or the development and placement of the placenta. While this is an exciting time please keep in mind that in the unlikely event that a "problem" is found you will need to consider a raft of possible treatments and make some important decisions about your pregnancy.
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Other Information
Each woman will have her care individualised around the "routine" checks of pregnancy, depending on her particular needs or requirements.
Should you require Obstetrical input in your pregnancy your midwife can arrange a referral with an obstetrician at CWH Antenatal Clinic and your care will be planned around your ongoing needs for visits to Clinic and with your midwife.
Your midwife can also prescribe certain medications for conditions that are considered pregnancy related. This includes some antibiotics for infections such as bladder/urinary infections, minerals such as Iron tablets, and treatments for heartburn, thrush and haemorrhoids/piles. Please discuss with your midwife if you have any concerns or feel you require a prescription or treatment in your pregnancy. For any conditions prior to or not related to your pregnancy you will require to see your GP or Specialist as you would normally.
Your midwife will make every effort to keep you informed if for some reason she cannot make an appointment and will arrange to reschedule. Please let her know if you change phone numbers and or address in your pregnancy.
Your midwife will also have a busy working and private/family life to juggle. Your consideration when making contact is much appreciated. Your midwife will let you know the best means of making contact and the best time for routine contacts, i.e. changing appointment times etc. As a rule of thumb, please do not contact your midwife in the weekends for routine or non urgent matters. Your midwife may have attended a birth and be sleeping or she may be spending some quality time with family and or friends.
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