Antenatal Care | Pregnancy Services | Create Health

Pregnancy Care & Antenatal Appointments at Create Health

The Create Health team look forward to welcoming you, getting to know you, caring for you during your pregnancy and being there at your baby’s birth.

Women usually have their first antenatal appointment with us between eight to nine weeks. Your first appointment is a very exciting time and is usually a longer visit as we have a lot to talk about. In an uncomplicated pregnancy and after your initial appointment you will usually see your obstetrician every four weeks until 28 weeks, then every two weeks until 36 weeks, then weekly until birth. In twin, multiple or complicated pregnancies, visits are determined by medical necessity.

At Create Health, we offer a range of holistic services to complement your specialist obstetrician's care. These include midwifery, physiotherapy and dietetics.

Our specialist midwife Michelle may see women throughout their pregnancy. These visits are usually in trimester two and three. She will carry out routine check-ups, discuss antenatal care, addressing common pregnancy concerns, diet and exercise and answer any questions. As a childbirth educator, Michelle has a wealth of experience. She will also discuss your birthing plans and any specific needs or requests you and your partner may have. 

Initial tests

Routine Tests and Screening:

In the first trimester you may have the following tests:

  • Full blood count, blood group and antibody screen
  • Viral screen for Rubella, Varicella, Hepatitis B&C, HIV, CMV, and Parvovirus
  • Syphilis screen
  • Vitamin D level
  • Midstream urine sample to identify the presence of bacterial infections
  • A blood pressure check and abdominal palpation are standard at every visit.

At times your weight might be checked.

Dating Scan (6-10 weeks)
  • An ultrasound to confirm pregnancy viability
  • Determines expected due date
  • Excludes ectopic pregnancy (Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is not located in the uterus) [1]
Screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities (10 weeks onwards)
Early Morphology Scan (12-14 weeks)
  • Ultrasound to review fetal growth and early structural development
  • Nuchal Translucency measurements
  • Pre-eclampsia risk assessment (Pre-eclampsia is a condition involving high blood pressure, the presence of protein in the urine and severe swelling) [2]
Morphology Scan (20 weeks)
  • Ultrasound to assess fetal anatomy
  • Placental location
  • Cervical length
Vaccinations
  • Vaccines including influenza, Pertussis (Whooping cough), and more recently, Covid-19 will be discussed during your appointments.

Influenza (flu) - is safe at any point during pregnancy

Pertussis (Whooping cough) - is generally recommended between 20-32 weeks of the pregnancy.

Covid-19 vaccines - pregnant women are a priority group for the Covid-19 vaccine and can be offered the Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) and Spikevax (Moderna) at any stage of pregnancy.

It is important to space vaccine injections by at least a week.

For more information, please visit: Immunisation for pregnancy | Australian Government Department of Health

RANZCOG - COVID-19 Vaccination Information

For more information regarding vaccinations for newborns and infants please visit:

Immunisation for infants and children | Australian Government Department of Health

Vitamin K for newborn babies - Information for parents | NHMRC

Glucose tolerance test (28 weeks)
  • In the third trimester, at 28 weeks, there will be further blood tests including a glucose tolerance test (GTT) to diagnose gestational diabetes.
  • For more information regarding gestational diabetes: please visit our blog Gestational Diabetes Melitus (GDM)
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (28-30 weeks)
  • The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a set of 10 screening questions helped to identify possible symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and the post-natal period
  • Screening tools during the antenatal and post-natal period are important, as mental health problems can be difficult to identify and have the potential to cause harm to both mother and baby. [3]

For more information on anxiety and depression in pregnancy, please visit:

Anxiety and Depression in Early Parenthood And Pregnancy PDF
Beyond Blue - Pregnancy and New Parents
PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia

Biometry (32-36 weeks)
  • Scan to assess fetal growth and wellbeing.
Group Beta Streptococcus (GBS swab) (36-38 weeks)
  • A vaginal swab to check for Group Beta Streptococcus (GBS)
  • GBS is a bacterium that may infect a baby after the membranes (Waters) break or during labour. This risk can be minimised with antibiotics during labour.

 

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