Pregnancy Visit Schedule

Planned Visits

Listed below is a guide on what to expect during routine pregnancy care visits at the Women's Health Service (WHS). We offer a combination of midwife and doctor appointments, where the frequency and timing of visits may change. This will be based on individual needs and whether or not you have any issues in your pregnancy that may require extra monitoring.

• 8- 10 weeks - Midwife (telehealth)

  Your first appointment at the WHS will ideally take place with the midwife between 8-10 weeks depending on when we receive your referral.

  This appointment is via telehealth or a phone call. See below for Telehealth link information, you will be sent an SMS the morning of your appointment with the link.

  At this appointment your midwife will take a detailed history and discuss a range of topics with you, including when your baby is due.

  First Visit Pack

• 10-12 weeks - Doctor

  Your second appointment will be face-to-face with the doctor at 10-12weeks which requires you to come in to Women’s Health Service.

  Whilst we aim for these first visits to occur prior to the 12th week of your pregnancy this is not always possible due to late referrals and availability in clinic.

  At your first Dr Appointment they will:

  • Review results of all your tests and investigations including any scans you have had (read about early tests and investigations here).
  • Discuss your due date
  • Take a full medical, family, pregnancy and birth history
  • Blood pressure will be taken
  • Weight and height recorded
  • Discuss your wellbeing in pregnancy, including your emotional health.
  • Ask whether you and/ or your partner smoke, and provide advice about quitting
  • Discuss common problems in pregnancy
  • Discuss whether you are likely to have a straightforward pregnancy or whether you have more complex and diverse pregnancy needs
  • Discuss First trimester screening options
  • Order additional or ongoing tests you may require
  • Discuss the types of pregnancy care available to you

  This appointment is an opportunity to ask lots of questions, and we encourage you to do so! There is no such thing as a silly question.

  These first two appointments begin your pregnancy journey at the Women’s Health Service where you will continue to have regular appointments with the midwives and medical staff at the clinic. It’s important that you feel safe, respected, confident and at ease with our team.

• 14 weeks - Doctor (telehealth)

  If prenatal testing such as the first trimester screen was ordered by the doctors at the WHS then they will contact you via telehealth with your result at approx. 14 weeks.

  If these tests were ordered by your GP please make an appointment with them for those results.

  If no testing was required then there is no need for this appointment

• 18 weeks - Midwife & wellbeing appointment

  This is a face-to-face appointment that provides an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your pregnancy or emotional wellbeing. At this stage of your pregnancy you will be experiencing significant physical changes, you will most likely have shared the news publicly and begun making changes to your life, work and family to accommodate your new addition. With this often comes range of emotions that are completely natural, and it can help to discuss them with our team.

  Your blood pressure will be taken and your weight and height recorded if not done earlier. We will also listen to your baby’s heart beat with a doppler.

  If you do not have a radiology slip already for your 22 week morphology scan please let your midwife know.

  Here is the phone number for Warrnambool Radiology to make an appointment for the morphology scan: 5563 1504

• 22 week- Doctor (telehealth)

  The Doctor will contact you to discuss your results from your morphology scan.

  If you have had a caesarean section in the past, the doctor will discuss with you your options for birth with this pregnancy.

• 24 week- Midwife booking in appointment

  Please allow 40 minutes for this visit with your midwife, extra time is allocated so that we can provide you with details around having your baby at SWH, and book you into the hospital.

  Your midwife will also :

  • Check blood pressure.
  • Listen to your baby’s heart beat.
  • Measure your growing pregnancy (SFH – symphysis fundal height) with a tape measure. This a simple tool used to check that your baby is growing at a consistent rate. If the midwife or doctor is concerned they may order a formal ultrasound to check baby’s size and wellbeing.
  • Ask you about fetal movements and encourage you to sleep on your side from 28 weeks. Once you have felt your baby move (usually by around 20-22weeks) your midwife and doctor will ask you about your baby’s movements at each visit and encourage you to sleep on your side. This is an important aspect of reducing your risk of stillbirth.
  • Give Boostrix and fluvax immunisations if not already given.  Both are recommended to have during pregnancy due to the immunity it passes through to your baby. Fluvax can be given at any time during pregnancy. Boostrix is recommended after 20 weeks.
    Department of Health – Immunisations in pregnancy
  • Ensure you have the necessary pathology (blood test) slips to be completed prior to 28-week doctor appointment. The glucose tolerance test (GTT) will need to be booked in at this appointment, you can do this by calling 5563 1513  OGTT Preparation  Gestational diabetes – Diabetes Australia
  • Discuss antenatal classes.

  Please present to admissions and bookings (ground floor) after your appointment to update your personal details.

  Booking In antenatal education pack

• 28 week - Doctor or Midwife

  Please ensure that you have had your 28-week bloods done 2-3 days prior to this appointment so the doctor can review these results with you. See Investigations in later pregnancy.

  If you have a negative blood group and are requiring Anti D, please present to the WHS after you have completed the glucose tolerance test for the outpatient midwife to administer the injection. For women that are Rh (D) negative please go to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood for more information.

  This visit will also look at the following:

  • Review pathology results
  • Listen to baby’s heart beat
  • Take your blood pressure
  • Measure your growing pregnancy (SFH)

• 32 weeks - Midwife

  This visit will include the following:

  • Listen to baby’s heartbeat
  • Take your blood pressure
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH)
  • Discuss Optimal-foetal-positioning
  • Ensure that you have a pathology slip to complete 36 week bloods, to be done a few days prior to your doctors appointment. If you are a negative blood group you will also be booked in with the outpatient midwife to give you your second Anti D injection at 34 weeks.
  • Group B streptococcus (GBS) screening is also offered as part of the 36 week blood test. This test involves taking a vaginal and rectal swab sample to check for Group B streptococcus infection. It is usually a harmless bacteria in healthy adults, but during the birth process, GBS can possibly infect babies causing serious illness. This swab can be done at home and handed in with your other 36 week bloods.

  32 Weeks Pack

• 34 weeks - Midwife & wellbeing appointment

  This is a face-to-face appointment that provides an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your pregnancy or emotional wellbeing.

  This appointment will be added to your pregnancy schedule if you are classified as a high-risk pregnancy by your doctor or midwife.

  This visit will include the following:

  • Administer Anti D if negative blood group. For women that are Rh (D) negative please go to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood for more information.
  • Listen to baby’s heartbeat
  • Take your blood pressure
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH)

• 36 weeks - Doctor

  This visit will include the following:

  • Review bloods and Group B Streptococcus (GBS) status (ensure you have had test done a few days prior to this appointment)
  • Listen to baby’s heart beat
  • Take your blood pressure
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH)
  • Maternal Weight
  • Your doctor will discuss induction of labour, and book a future date if medically indicated. They will also inform you on pain relief options, perineal tears and episiotomy.
  • The doctor will feel your abdomen to determine what position your baby is in i.e. head down or breech. If your baby is breech at 36 weeks the doctor will discuss with you the possibility of performing an External Cephalic Version (ECV) to help turn the baby or book an elective caesarean section. Changing the position of your baby – The Royal Women’s Hospital.

• 38 weeks - Midwife

  This visit will include the following:

  • Listen to baby’s heart beat
  • Blood pressure
  • Check and discuss your GBS result
  • Feel what position the baby is in, and if the head is engaged
  • Discuss signs of labour, ensure everything ready for baby’s arrival
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH).

  38 Weeks Pack

• 39 weeks - Doctor

  This visit will include the following:

  • Listen to baby’s heart beat
  • Blood pressure
  • Feel what position the baby is in, and if the head is engaged
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH)
  • Discuss induction of labour (IOL) and book a post-term induction (which may or may not be required).

• 40 weeks - Midwife

  This visit will include the following:

  • Listen to baby’s heartbeat
  • Blood pressure
  • Feel for the position the baby is in, and if the head is engaged
  • Measure growing pregnancy (SFH).

• 41 weeks

  At this ‘post date’ or ‘post term’ appointment it is recommended that you have a CTG (tracing of the baby’s heartbeat). This can take anywhere from 10min-2hrs. The doctor will also do a bedside ultrasound to check the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby.

  They will also check your blood pressure and feel your baby’s position.

Telehealth