Congratulations on your pregnancy

So you're pregnant...congratulations! There is a lot of information floating around about pregnancy so to save you from being overwhelmed by it all I have put some simple information on my website to get you started. 

 

What does a midwife do?

We  look after you all the way through til after the birth. Midwives like us are Lead Maternity Carers specialising in well pregnancy, normal birth, and the immediate postnatal time after the baby (or babies) is/are born. We meet with you for all of your antenatal appointments and arrange all screening services including ultrasound scans and blood tests. Many recommended or necessary supplements and medications for common pregnancy, labour or postnatal conditions, are available from us on prescription.

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In labour we attend to monitor your progress and safety, and offer support to help you through. Midwives are trained to respond to obstetric emergencies as part of the birth process. We refer to other specialists if indicated. Sometimes we can arrange to do shared care with the hospital in this case.

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Postnatally we visit you and your baby/whanau at home, helping with your adjustments to the new member of your family.

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A basic pregnancy timeline

0-2 weeks - your baby is conceived
 

2-14 weeks - the First Trimester

Book with an LMC midwife, arrange your first screenings

14-28 weeks - the Second Trimester

Think about antenatal classes, check on baby through a scan, undertake a second round of screenings

28-42 weeks - the Third Trimester

Prepare for labour and the care of a new baby, keep monitoring baby's wellbeing through movements and growth assessments

37-42 weeks - full term, or the normal gestation for babies to be born.

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