Dr O'Neill has been working as an obstetrician at St John of God Subiaco Hospital for nine years. Originally, she was contemplating a career in the country after working at Joondalup and King Edward Memorial Hospital, but instead decided to set up shop at St John of God Subiaco Hospital after having her own baby here and experiencing the outstanding care we provide to new families.
We spoke to Dr O'Neill about her work, what she loves about her job and what she would recommend expectant mothers to do for a health pregnancy.
What attracted you to obstetrics?
I loved O&G as a medical student. The combination of procedural and medical aspects to the specialty was my initial attraction. With time I came to see the enormous privilege that comes with bringing new life into the world, it being such an intense and personal time for a family. To be a part of it almost daily is incredible, and I am yet to tire of the look on parents’ faces when they see the first ultrasound images, or hold their new baby. Pregnancy is a time of such transition in many women's lives and to support them through the emotional and physical aspects continues to be a source of professional satisfaction.
What are your areas of special interest?
I aim to provide excellent, contemporary antenatal care that is individualised to a woman's particular needs. This encompasses management of pregnancy through to planning labour and delivery. In a time of internet information overload, our patients are often overwhelmed with horror stories of childbirth and I get great satisfaction from discussing expectations and fears surrounding labour and delivery. This planning is essential in helping women go into childbirth with confidence and feeling engaged in the process. I hope that translates into confident new parents.
What is your point of difference as an obstetrician?
Modern obstetrics is a team approach, and I am fortunate to have excellent midwives as a part of my practice. Over the duration of pregnancy our patients come to know their midwife well and are always welcome to phone between appointments for any additional advice or with any concerns. I firmly believe that the addition of midwifery to my practice ensures a holistic approach to antenatal care. Our patients are also able to have antenatal vaccinations and complete their postnatal depression screening (EPDS) with the practice midwife.
What is the most important thing expectant mothers can do to ensure a healthy pregnancy?
Optimising pre-pregnancy health is very important, including smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy BMI, folic acid supplementation and management of preexisting medical conditions. Pre pregnancy health sets the foundation for healthy pregnancy, in conjunction with regular antenatal review and timely screening for pregnancy complications. Recognition of perinatal anxiety and its effect on families in early months is given increasing attention as a part of our antenatal care.
What have you learnt from your patients?
That everyone has a story. I always ask about occupations as I will usually learn something new, and I always ask about a woman’s maternal obstetric history as there is often an interesting story of obstetrics in a time gone by.
To book an appointment with Dr O'Neill or to view a list of our other obstetricians and gynaecologists, use our Find a specialist function.