Pregnancy Care

To book your first appointment or change appointments, call 9113 2162. Our clinic office is very busy and receives a large volume of phone calls each day. We apologise if you do not get through to a staff member on your first try. Please try again shortly. Please tell us if you would like an interpreter to help you to understand medical language.

To contact the Hospital about pregnancy concerns, refer to the section on ‘When to call your midwife or doctor’.

Booking your first appointment

• Complete the online booking-in form
• Please bring all your blood test results and ultrasound reports with you or ask your GP, to send all relevant paperwork and results to the Hospital using the Hospital fax number 9113 1882 or e-mail: SESLHD-ANCResults@health.nsw.gov.au

Where do I go for my appointment?

Depending on your choice of care, your appointments may be in the ‘Antenatal Clinic’, the ‘Birth Centre’ or at an ‘Outreach Clinic’. The details of these clinics are below.

Antenatal Clinic

The Antenatal Clinic (Pregnancy Clinic) is located on level 1 of the ‘Prichard Wing’. This is a large brick building to the right of the main ‘Tower Ward Block’ of the Hospital. Enter through the doorway with the red awning at the top of the stairs/ramp.

The clinic is open from Monday to Friday, from 08:30am until 4:00pm.

Birth Centre

If your care is with Midwifery Group Practice or the Active Birth Team, your appointment will be in the ‘Birth Centre’. This is located on Level 1 of the ‘Tower Ward Block’. The entrance to this building is located next to the Emergency Department.

Outreach Clinics

Your first appointment may be at one of the outreach clinics located at either Hurstville, Kingsgrove, or Wolli Creek.

• Hurstville: 11-15 Bond Street, Hurstville

• Kingsgrove: 30 Morgan Street, Kingsgrove

• Wolli Creek - Shop A/4 Magdalene Terrace, Wolli Creek NSW 2205

Your first appointment – the ‘booking’ appointment

• Your 'booking' appointment is the first time you will meet a midwife from the Hospital. The midwife will ask you about your medical history, family history and if relevant, your previous pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding experiences. 
• This appointment normally happens when you are around 12 weeks pregnant and normally takes around 2 hours.
• Please bring the following to your first appointment:
  • Your referral letter from your GP.
  • A copy of any test results that you have (for example, results from blood tests or ultrasounds).

Pregnancy checks

Pregnancy checks are done throughout your pregnancy to monitor your health and your baby’s health. These checks will be done by either a GP, midwife, or obstetric doctor. Normally these appointments take around 30 minutes. After the booking appointment, you normally see a health professional at 20, 28, 31, and 34 weeks, and then about every 1-2 weeks from 36 weeks pregnant.

At each pregnancy appointment, the following will be done:

• You will be asked how you have been feeling since your last check-up.
• You may be asked to weigh yourself.
• You may be asked to provide a urine sample.
• Your blood pressure will be measured.
• You will be asked about your baby’s movements. (Click on this link for more information)
• Your baby’s heartbeat will be listened to from around 16 weeks of pregnancy.
• The growth of your uterus will be measured from around 24 weeks of pregnancy. This video will show you how we do this.
• Test that are needed (for example, ultrasound or blood tests) will be discussed along with the results. Follow this link to understand some of the tests we recommend in pregnancy

Pregnancy checks are an opportunity to have any questions answered. Please make us aware of any discomfort you may have or if you are worried about anything.

What to bring to pregnancy checks

Any time you visit the Hospital or your GP, please have these with you:

• Your antenatal record card or pregnancy passport (yellow card) – we normally give you this at your first appointment at the Hospital. It is important that you always have this card with you. Your antenatal record can be used by midwives and doctors anywhere in Australia if you need to seek help outside your local area.
• Results of any tests or ultrasounds you have had since your last appointment.
• Your white appointment card
  
   

At St George Hospital, there are many options for pregnancy care depending on your health needs and choices. At your first appointment at the Hospital (‘booking’ appointment) the midwife will explain these to you and help you decide what is best for you and your baby. Most care in pregnancy, birth and postnatally (after the birth) is provided by midwives unless there are any concerns with your health and/or pregnancy. 

If you have a preference for which model of care you would like in pregnancy, you can request this when you complete the online booking-in form. Ask your midwife or doctor for more information about your options for care in pregnancy.

Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)

Our Midwifery Group Practice program provides the support of a dedicated midwife who collaborates within a team, accompanying you throughout your pregnancy, birth and two weeks postpartum (after the birth). Emphasising active labour, normal birth, successful breastfeeding and prompt discharge from the Birth Unit, we prioritise your pregnancy experience through continuity of care. You may find our MGP program beneficial if you are expecting your first child, seeking a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section, considering a homebirth or lacking significant support at home or within your community. 

Spaces in the MGP program are limited, so please ensure you submit your 'Antenatal Booking Form' as soon as possible and select that you are interested in MGP.

Other services at St George Hospital
Midwives, doctors, and other health care professionals work together to support you and your family, providing services for women with special needs, medical conditions, mental health, or drug/alcohol concerns. Please ask your doctor or midwife at any appointment for more information about these services. 
 

Group B Streptococcus is also called Group B Strep or GBS. It is one of many bacteria that live inside your body. About a quarter of women carry GBS in their vagina without knowing it. GBS does not normally cause problems.

GBS is diagnosed through a urine test early in pregnancy and/or a vaginal swab at around 36 weeks pregnant.

If you have GBS in your vagina at the time of giving birth, it may be passed onto your baby. This is rare but if it happens, it may make your baby unwell. To help prevent this from happening, we recommend that you receive antibiotics through a drip while you are in labour. We will observe your baby closely after they are born. 

Please click here for more information on GBS.

There is a lot of information about pregnancy and childbirth on the internet. It is important to look at information that is reliable and has been checked by a health professional. If you have pregnancy questions, we recommend you ask a health professional or use one of the resources listed below. 

• Australian Breastfeeding Association
• Australian Government, Pregnancy Birth and Baby Webpage
• Babies Movements in pregnancy
• Breastfeeding your baby
• How breastfeeding works – ABA
• Breastfeeding Your Baby – NSW Health Information
• COVID vaccine information for pregnancy
• Dental care in pregnancy – Keep Smiling Video 
• Foods to Eat or Avoid when Pregnant
• Get Healthy in Pregnancy
• The 'Having a Baby' booklet
• Mothersafe - information about medications while pregnant or breastfeeding
• Nutrition in Pregnancy Video
• Safer Baby website 
• Pelvic floor care in Pregnancy and Childbirth 

Sometimes things are uncertain in pregnancy, or you may have a concern about your baby or yourself. Every pregnancy is unique, and it is important you talk to a health professional if you have questions or concerns about your pregnancy. Many women wonder if what they are experiencing is normal. Most questions can be answered during normal appointments or classes, but sometimes concerns arise that cannot wait. 

Before 20 weeks, your GP should be able to help you with most concerns. At St George Hospital, we also have an Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS). EPAS is a low-risk clinic for pregnant women under 20 weeks who are experiencing problems in their pregnancy. This may be bleeding, pain, hyperemesis, or abnormal results relating to the pregnancy. For more information about EPAS, follow this link.

If it is urgent, please present to your nearest Emergency Department

After 20 weeks of pregnancy, you may call the birth unit or your midwife. The birth unit is open 24 hours a day, and a midwife is always there to take your call. Midwives may help with any pregnancy related concerns you may have. The following are some examples of reasons to call:

• Contractions, or period pain.
• Any change in or concern about your baby’s (fetal) movements.
• Signs that your waters (the fluid around the baby) may have broken.
• Bleeding from the vagina.
• Headache and not feeling well.
• Any pregnancy concerns that can not wait until your next appointment
• Severe itching, particularly on the hands and soles of the feet without a rash 

Depending on your concern, your health professional may ask that you attend the Pregnancy Assessment Unit (PAU). This is open Monday to Friday in business hours. 
PAU is an outpatient clinic for women who need extra support and/or care during their pregnancy after 20 weeks gestation. You will be referred to the PAU by a doctor or midwife if needed. The midwife working in the PAU will monitor you and your baby and organise any tests or follow up that are needed for your particular situation. 
Some of the reasons you may be referred to the Pregnancy Assessment Clinic may include:

• High blood pressure.
• Concerns with baby's growth.
• Reduced baby movements.
• Pregnancies beyond 41 weeks gestation.

Sometimes there are delays in assessment as doctors are attending to women in the Birth Unit. We recommend you wait patiently in the PAU whilst waiting for medical assessment. Your assessment will be undertaken as soon as possible. We ask that children do not come into the PAU. 

Some women will receive care in the Day Assessment Unit (DAU), a specialist clinic run in collaboration with the hospitals renal medicine team. 

There are many things you can do while you are pregnant to help you prepare to feed your baby. St George Hospital’s Breastfeeding/Lactation Information and Support Service (BLISS) offers pregnant women education, advice, and support to breastfeed their baby. BLISS is staffed by lactation consultants who are qualified midwives and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).

Free antenatal breastfeeding classes are held on Wednesdays at 12.30-1.30pm (and some other selected times) in 1 South, the maternity ward. Call 9113 2053 ideally before thirty weeks of pregnancy to book in for the class or you can book online.

If you have any questions or concerns about breastfeeding, or have had concerns in the past:

• Discuss your concerns with your midwife or doctor during your antenatal appointments.
• Book in to see our lactation consultant. The lactation consultants in BLISS offer private antenatal consultations for pregnant women who are concerned about their ability to successfully breastfeed their baby, due to their surgical or medical history, or previous challenging breastfeeding experiences. Call 9113 2053 prior to 30 weeks gestation to book an appointment.

St George Hospital is a Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) accredited Hospital. This means we follow the WHO/UNICEF: Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. 

 For more information about breastfeeding, look at the page on ‘Feeding my Baby’, watch this video from the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA): Australian Breastfeeding Association: Breastfeeding Basics, and read “How Breastfeeding Works” from the ABA – available in several languages.

New parents have found doing these before your baby arrives can make a big difference:

• Plan a date night before baby arrives.
• Learn about breastfeeding – follow this link for more information.
• Prepare and freeze meals.
• Finish any projects around the house.
• Take a Hospital tour and book into childbirth education classes.
• Stock up on groceries and other supplies (don’t forget sanitary pads).
• Organise a baby capsule- all babies must travel in a baby capsule or restraint in the car. You can hire a capsule or restraint or you can buy one. For more information about baby capsules and car restraints for children, click here.
• Know what is normal for babies – see raising children.
• Put phone numbers of your support people in your phone or on your fridge for the grandparents, for example Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) counsellors - 1800 mum2mum, the number for your GP.