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OMG! I am Pregnant - What Now?
So you’ve missed your period, are feeling a little off colour and are now staring down at two pink lines. Once you get passed the initial shock of “OMG I’m Pregnant”, you may think to yourself ‘What now? ‘.
You may think that you have nine months to get organised, but you may be surprised at just how much you need to do now. With close to 300,000 babies being born in Australia each year, services and placements fill up fast. And if you want to have a choice as to which hospital your baby is born in, which obstetrician you use and have any chance of getting child care, then you better get started planning and making some phone calls now.
You may think that you have nine months to get organised, but you may be surprised at just how much you need to do now. With close to 300,000 babies being born in Australia each year, services and placements fill up fast. And if you want to have a choice as to which hospital your baby is born in, which obstetrician you use and have any chance of getting child care, then you better get started planning and making some phone calls now.
For me - I was still reeling from the fact that I was pregnant and really wanted to have a few weeks to take it all in and get used to the idea, however as lots of my friends have been having babies lately I knew that I would have to set aside some contemplation time later, now I had to get out the yellow pages and get cracking. There will be lots of things to do along the way however for now let’s just look at what you need to do to get started.
Pregnancy Vitamins
If your pregnancy was planned then hopefully you will have already started taking your pregnancy vitamins, if not go down to the shop and get some now. With research showing an improvement in eye sight, brain and hearing development, as well as a huge reduction in incidents such as spina bifida and possibly a reduction of cases of Down’s Syndrome, then it is in both you and your babies best interest for you to be swallowing a few of these wonderful tablets every day.
If your pregnancy was planned then hopefully you will have already started taking your pregnancy vitamins, if not go down to the shop and get some now. With research showing an improvement in eye sight, brain and hearing development, as well as a huge reduction in incidents such as spina bifida and possibly a reduction of cases of Down’s Syndrome, then it is in both you and your babies best interest for you to be swallowing a few of these wonderful tablets every day.
Also remember that it isn’t just the baby that needs an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. With your baby basically sucking up every nutrient it needs to grow from your body, your reserves will run out quickly, which can leave you feeling unwell. And if you don’t want your baby’s calcium requirement to be sucked straight out of your teeth and bones then you have to make sure that everything she needs is there for the taking.
There are a few specific pregnancy formula vitamins on the market such as Blackmore’s, Elevit and Nature’s own, which makes deciding what to take a lot easier, and ensures you are not getting too much or too little of any specific vitamin (i.e. too much vitamin A has been linked to birth defects).
For me - I really liked and am still using Blackmore’s Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Gold.
It has all the vitamins and minerals you need, including lots of folate, iodine and essential omega 3 fatty acids. I have attached a few websites below if you want to do some comparisons. However, if you have any doubts or have any questions talk to your Doctor.
These vitamins can get a little expensive so try buying in bulk off the Internet or from such places as Chemist Warehouse. A 180 pack of Blackmore’s Gold retails for around $62.00, however I managed to buy it anywhere between $35.00 and $43.00 at discount pharmacies or online.
http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au/pregnancy.aspx
http://www.blackmores.com.au/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=1928
http://elevit.com.au/about-elevit/pregnancy-supplement/
http://www.naturesown.com.au/en/news/pregnancy-platinum
There are a few specific pregnancy formula vitamins on the market such as Blackmore’s, Elevit and Nature’s own, which makes deciding what to take a lot easier, and ensures you are not getting too much or too little of any specific vitamin (i.e. too much vitamin A has been linked to birth defects).
For me -
These vitamins can get a little expensive so try buying in bulk off the Internet or from such places as Chemist Warehouse. A 180 pack of Blackmore’s Gold retails for around $62.00, however I managed to buy it anywhere between $35.00 and $43.00 at discount pharmacies or online.
http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au/pregnancy.aspx
http://www.blackmores.com.au/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=1928
http://elevit.com.au/about-
http://www.naturesown.com.au/en/news/pregnancy-
I am pregnant. What Now!
1) Start or continue taking your pregnancy vitamins;
2) Book an appointment with your local GP;
3) Book an Obstetrician if you are going to go Private;
4) Book in with a hospital or birthing centre;
5) Book an antenatal class;
6) Book a doula or midwife if you are planning a home birth;
7) Visit child care centres and get your name down on their waitlists; and
8) Research your employer’s maternity and HR policies.
If you have any further hints, tips, or “been there down that” insight for newly pregnant women, then please email us, we would love to hear from you so that we can share your advice with others.
Appointment with your GP
Not only will you need to make an appointment with your local GP to confirm the pregnancy, you will need a written referral from them to take along to your Obstetrician or Specialist Medical provider. If you decide to use your own private Obstetrician then you will probably not need to see your Doctor again unless you get sick or have any other medical questions between visits with your Obstetrician, however if you decide to use the public system then your Doctor will discuss with you a plan of scheduled visits.
At the appointment your Doctor will weigh you, take your blood pressure, ask a few questions about your general health and note some preliminary medical information for your file. Your Doctor will also discuss with you the best way to take care of you and your baby now such as taking vitamins, diet, exercise and rest.
You should also take this opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns that you may have. Your Doctor may also provide you with a referral to Pathology to take a blood test to confirm the pregnancy if need be.
For me - I found the whole visit very surreal. I think I was still in shock that I was actually pregnant! Whilst I was offered the blood test, the Doctor thought a simple urine sample would be sufficient particularly considering that I had been nauseous, had missed my period and had taken five positive pregnancy tests.
Five you say! Yes, I know sounds funny, but getting pregnant the first try after twenty years on the pill just didn’t seem possible. I needed to be convinced!
Not only will you need to make an appointment with your local GP to confirm the pregnancy, you will need a written referral from them to take along to your Obstetrician or Specialist Medical provider. If you decide to use your own private Obstetrician then you will probably not need to see your Doctor again unless you get sick or have any other medical questions between visits with your Obstetrician, however if you decide to use the public system then your Doctor will discuss with you a plan of scheduled visits.
At the appointment your Doctor will weigh you, take your blood pressure, ask a few questions about your general health and note some preliminary medical information for your file. Your Doctor will also discuss with you the best way to take care of you and your baby now such as taking vitamins, diet, exercise and rest.
You should also take this opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns that you may have. Your Doctor may also provide you with a referral to Pathology to take a blood test to confirm the pregnancy if need be.
For me -
Five you say! Yes, I know sounds funny, but getting pregnant the first try after twenty years on the pill just didn’t seem possible. I needed to be convinced!
Book an Obstetrician
If you have every intention of going ‘private’, are over 35 or have any health issues that may affect your pregnancy or labour you will need to book your own private Obstetrician. Good Obstetricians book out fast, so make this one of your first calls.
You can either choose a hospital and then research which Doctors deliver there, or you can choose a Doctor and just go to which ever hospital they deliver at. Sometimes a hospitals website will list their specialist and their contact details, if not try contacting their maternity ward.
Usually your obstetrician will be part of a ‘rotation’ group at their chosen hospital, which basically means that if they are on holidays or having their rostered day off on a day that you have an appointment, or are unfortunate enough to go into labour, you will actually see one of the Doctors on their ‘rotation’, so make sure that if you choose an Obstetrician that is part of a ‘rotation’ group that you are happy with the reputation of everyone in the group.
Expect your first visit to be around $200, and then each subsequent visit to be around $100. You will only get about 1/3 back on Medicare, so it can add up. Make sure that your Doctor participates in ‘the gap’ program with your Private Health Fund so that you are not left out of pocket, and make sure you keep all your receipts as you will probably end up exceeding the Australian Tax Office Medical Expenses Threshold.
If you want some more information on medical costs during your pregnancy please see my page on ‘Pregnancy Medical Costs’.
For me - I found out a little too late that having a baby in January was bad timing. It seems most Doctors use this time to take their annual leave, so bookings are even tighter. I was in a flat spin when after three calls I was told “No sorry, Doctor takes his kids away over Christmas, try another clinic”. Though despite my panic I did finally manage to secure a Doctor on a good rotation, though I am glad I didn’t leave it too long or I would have been giving birth on the sidewalk.
Book in with a hospital or birthing centre
Beds in maternity wards and birthing centres fill up fast, so if you don’t want to end up in the street, and want to choose where you give birth, make booking in a priority. You will usually need to complete and return a registration form and in most cases pay a booking fee which depending on your level of private health cover/gap cover could be around $250 - $500.
You will then be contacted again in your third trimester to come in for a tour and to have a meeting with a midwife. At this appointment they take down your medical history, dietary requirements and answer any questions you may have about ‘the day’.
Book an antenatal class
If this is your first baby then you may want to attend an antenatal class. Hospitals usually run a weekly catch up, which may include 2 hours per week over say 8 weeks or if time poor you can do an all day class on a Saturday. The topics cover everything from what to expect during your stay, to pain relief to looking after your baby. A course will usually range from around $120 - $150 and may include free parking and snacks. You may also find that your health fund will fund most of this expense.
For me -
Book a doula or midwife if you are planning a home birth
If you are planning to have a doula (labour partner) with you either at the hospital or at home, you need to start looking around and book one in. This goes the same for booking a midwife if you are planning to have your baby at home. I have listed a couple of websites to get you started.
http://www.findadoula.com.au/
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/natural_medicine/Doulas
http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/
http://www.joyousbirth.info/
Visit a few child care centres and get your name down on their waitlists
You may or may not be surprised to know that some child care centres have two to three year wait-lists.
Yes, it is true! These days you almost need to put your name down for child care the day after your third date. There are hundreds of child care centres around, or you may want to consider family day care, which is a service where other mums look after your children whilst you are at work, however which ever option you choose get cracking now the competition is fierce.
You may have a particular centre in mind, but if you have to go back to work then don’t put all your eggs in one basket, put your name down at as many places as possible. You just register your name or your baby as “Baby Your Surname” until your baby is born, then you can update your child’s name and birth date.
Some centres require you to pay a non-refundable wait-list fee of around $20. Unfortunately this doesn’t give you any preferential treatment, as I have found out first hand.
Research your employer’s maternity and HR policies
You will have lots of doctors and specialist appointments to attend during your pregnancy and then you will need time off once the baby is born, so it pays to know what sort of leave arrangements your company has.
Most companies allow you to take one year’s maternity leave, which may or may not include a financial component, and may allow you to work part time towards the end of the pregnancy or during your first year back on the job. Pregnancy is stressful enough without worrying about whether or not you will have a job after the baby is born. So take some time to research your company’s policies. You may even get a nice surprise and find them even more family friendly then you had realised.
If you have every intention of going ‘private’, are over 35 or have any health issues that may affect your pregnancy or labour you will need to book your own private Obstetrician. Good Obstetricians book out fast, so make this one of your first calls.
You can either choose a hospital and then research which Doctors deliver there, or you can choose a Doctor and just go to which ever hospital they deliver at. Sometimes a hospitals website will list their specialist and their contact details, if not try contacting their maternity ward.
Usually your obstetrician will be part of a ‘rotation’ group at their chosen hospital, which basically means that if they are on holidays or having their rostered day off on a day that you have an appointment, or are unfortunate enough to go into labour, you will actually see one of the Doctors on their ‘rotation’, so make sure that if you choose an Obstetrician that is part of a ‘rotation’ group that you are happy with the reputation of everyone in the group.
Expect your first visit to be around $200, and then each subsequent visit to be around $100. You will only get about 1/3 back on Medicare, so it can add up. Make sure that your Doctor participates in ‘the gap’ program with your Private Health Fund so that you are not left out of pocket, and make sure you keep all your receipts as you will probably end up exceeding the Australian Tax Office Medical Expenses Threshold.
If you want some more information on medical costs during your pregnancy please see my page on ‘Pregnancy Medical Costs’.
For me -
Book in with a hospital or birthing centre
Beds in maternity wards and birthing centres fill up fast, so if you don’t want to end up in the street, and want to choose where you give birth, make booking in a priority. You will usually need to complete and return a registration form and in most cases pay a booking fee which depending on your level of private health cover/gap cover could be around $250 -
You will then be contacted again in your third trimester to come in for a tour and to have a meeting with a midwife. At this appointment they take down your medical history, dietary requirements and answer any questions you may have about ‘the day’.
Book an antenatal class
If this is your first baby then you may want to attend an antenatal class. Hospitals usually run a weekly catch up, which may include 2 hours per week over say 8 weeks or if time poor you can do an all day class on a Saturday. The topics cover everything from what to expect during your stay, to pain relief to looking after your baby. A course will usually range from around $120 -
For me -
Book a doula or midwife if you are planning a home birth
If you are planning to have a doula (labour partner) with you either at the hospital or at home, you need to start looking around and book one in. This goes the same for booking a midwife if you are planning to have your baby at home. I have listed a couple of websites to get you started.
http://www.findadoula.com.au/
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/natural_medicine/Doulas
http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/
http://www.joyousbirth.info/
Visit a few child care centres and get your name down on their waitlists
You may or may not be surprised to know that some child care centres have two to three year wait-
Yes, it is true! These days you almost need to put your name down for child care the day after your third date. There are hundreds of child care centres around, or you may want to consider family day care, which is a service where other mums look after your children whilst you are at work, however which ever option you choose get cracking now the competition is fierce.
You may have a particular centre in mind, but if you have to go back to work then don’t put all your eggs in one basket, put your name down at as many places as possible. You just register your name or your baby as “Baby Your Surname” until your baby is born, then you can update your child’s name and birth date.
Some centres require you to pay a non-
Research your employer’s maternity and HR policies
You will have lots of doctors and specialist appointments to attend during your pregnancy and then you will need time off once the baby is born, so it pays to know what sort of leave arrangements your company has.
Most companies allow you to take one year’s maternity leave, which may or may not include a financial component, and may allow you to work part time towards the end of the pregnancy or during your first year back on the job. Pregnancy is stressful enough without worrying about whether or not you will have a job after the baby is born. So take some time to research your company’s policies. You may even get a nice surprise and find them even more family friendly then you had realised.
