First Antenatal Visit
First Antenatal Visit
The first antenatal visit is an exciting time when you start to get to know us and we start to get to know you. It is good if your husband/partner can also attend this visit.
You will need to bring with you:
- The referral letter from your general practitioner doctor.
- Any relevant past medical (including pregnancy) history information.
- Any pathology and scan results that may be relevant.
- Your Medicare and health fund details (if you are in a fund).
If you are a visitor from overseas you may not have Medicare cover. In that event, you will not need a referral from a general practitioner. If you have overseas health fund cover, can you please bring details with you.
When you arrive
My secretary will be the first person you meet in my office. She will take your details, begin the discussion about our pregnancy care, discuss our fee program and payment plan options. You will be required to sign an informed financial consent form. She will give you a folder containing pregnancy care information and your free personalised USB flash drive for you to store ultrasound scan photos of your baby taken at each antenatal visit.
Your first consultation
At this initial visit, I will spend time getting to know you and your expectations. I allow plenty of time for this visit and certainly don’t want you to feel rushed. I will take a medical (including past pregnancy) history and conduct a sufficient physical examination as appropriate.
Please bring a list of any questions, concerns or special requests. I want to provide you with personalised care and satisfaction of your concerns and requests.
I have a GE Voluson P8 ultrasound machine. The scanner does 2D, 3D and 4D imaging with incredible clarity. These images can be exported to the USB flash drive we give you. I can also take for you a video clip of your baby’s heart beating (but not sound) and a video clip of your baby moving onto your personal USB flash drive.
See our Facebook site for more photos. All antenatal patients have ultrasound scanning of their baby at each antenatal visit and have the photos and video clips of their baby exported to their personalised USB flash drive provided by us. The scans and USB flash drive are free.
While the scanner has a large screen the scanner is connected to an external flat screen monitor located on the wall at the end of the examination couch. It is well located for convenient viewing of your baby by you, your husband/partner and family/friends who also may attend.
Pathology and outside sourced scans
I will give you a Douglass Hanly Moir (DHM) Pathology referral for any routine antenatal pathology tests not done already by your referring doctor. Often your referring doctor will have done all or some of these routine pregnancy tests. We will need to check for anaemia, iron stores, blood group, red cell antibodies, rubella immunity, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chicken pox immunity, thyroid function and urinary infection. Some women require extra tests because of their past or obstetric medical history.
I will discuss the options for Down syndrome screening. Some women elect to have no screening. Most women elect to have the NIPT. Very few have the NTS. I will give you the necessary referral according to your preference. If you choose to have a NTS I will give you a DHM referral for a special blood test to be done a few days prior to increase the accuracy. I recommend the NTS be done at a specialist pregnancy ultrasound unit because of their greater accuracy. This could be the San Ultrasound for Women(Ultrasound Care) or Sydney Ultrasound for Women.
Booking into the hospital
I will advise you how to book into the hospital you plan to attend for your confinement. You can choose either Norwest Private Hospital, Bella Vista or the Sydney Adventist Hospital, Wahroonga.
Book an appointment now
- Monday all day 9.00am to 4.30pm
- Tuesday all day 9.00am to 4.30pm
- Wednesday all day 9.00am to 4.30pm
- Thursday morning 9.00am to 12.30pm
- Thursday alternate afternoons 2.00pm to 4.30pm
- Friday alternate mornings 9.00am to 1.00pm
- Friday afternoon 2.00pm to 4.30pm
- Saturday mornings 9.30am to 12.00 midday*
*Saturday morning appointments are not available for initial antenatal visit.