Pregnancy Care and Family Planning
The GPs providing medical services at Neighbourhood Medical are ready and able to support women and families of all kinds on the journey to parenthood. There are many steps to negotiate, especially first time around.
Just knowing what is “normal” can be a reassuring starting point!
GPs consulting at Neighbourhood Medical can provide individualised guidance with regard to pre-conception planning including genetic screening, fertility concerns and family planning.
It’s very important to ensure any chronic medical problems are well managed before pregnancy if possible, and that vaccinations and tests including cervical screening and blood tests are up to date. Lifestyle factors also impact on conception and pregnancy.
We recommend having a discussion about these issues if you are planning on having a baby in the next couple of years.
Some pregnancies come as a surprise of course, and we are happy to help with any concerns in this situation.
Many of the GPs at Neighbourhood offer shared antenatal care as part of the services they provide. This means the GPs provide care during pregnancy to women attending public antenatal clinics and also support women attending private obstetricians. This service includes optimising your health during pregnancy, arrangement of necessary blood tests, scans and referrals, advice on screening tests and help with management of any co-existing medical conditions.
GPs consulting at Neighbourhood Medical also provide comprehensive care after birth for mothers, babies and families including check-ups at 6 weeks for mum and bub, and are keenly aware of the links between physical health, emotional wellbeing and social supports during pregnancy and in the early weeks and months after baby arrives.
As well as providing a welcoming setting for parents and babies here at Neighbourhood Medical, we can link you with tried and trusted allied health providers and other specialists elsewhere when necessary.
For more information on how we can help with concerns relating to your baby, please have a look at our Babies and Children page.