When you first discover that you are expecting, your family doctor can refer you to an obstetrician for care in a private hospital.
The first appointment
At your first appointment, your obstetrician will perform a full examination to find the heartbeat and ensure both you and your baby are healthy.
The obstetrician will also be able to provide you with your estimated due date.
Frequent check-ups
After this initial meeting, you will see your obstetrician for a check-up approximately every four weeks until you birth your baby.
At these appointments, you will have your weight, blood pressure and urine checked and get to hear your baby’s heartbeat.
As your pregnancy progresses you will also have your tummy measured and the position of the baby will be monitored. This will ensure baby is growing well.
The day your baby is born
On the day your baby is born, midwives will monitor your labour and be communicating frequently with your obstetrician. If everything is progressing normally you may not see your obstetrician until you are actually ready to give birth.
With our specialised monitoring technology, our obstetricians can be in constant contact with the progress of your labour from any location.
So, while your obstetrician will be fully aware of how you are going, your midwife cares for you and your baby while you give birth.
If you are having a routine vaginal birth, the obstetrician’s role may be purely to supervise that all is going well.
However, should they be needed for any reason, they will be there to step in.
If you require a caesarean or some extra assistance to birth your baby, an obstetrician will be the one who will perform the delivery.
Postnatal care
While you are in hospital, your obstetrician will visit you as required, often daily.
In the meantime, they stay up-to-date through the observations performed and recorded by your midwife to ensure your body is recovering well from giving birth.
Following discharge, you will see your obstetrician again at about six weeks post-delivery to make sure everything has returned to normal.
