Pregnancy

General advice in first trimester

Dietary 1. To avoid toxoplasmosis, avoid: a) eating undercooked contaminated meat (especially beef, pork, lamb, venison) or shellfish...

Breastfeeding - Advantages and Disadvantages

Benefits to breastfeeding For the infant 1. Human breast milk is specific for the needs of human infants. 2. Breastfed infant takes what...

Mental wellness during and after pregnancy

Both the mother (up to 10%) and the father (up to 5%) can experience mental health issues during the pregnancy and after birth. It is...

Physiological changes during pregnancy

There are numerous physiological changes that occur during the pregnancy. I will highlight some of the changes here that seem to bother...

Common symptoms in pregnancy

Nausea / vomiting of pregnancy (or "morning sickness") Morning sickness is a misnomer as this can occur at any time. It affects about 80%...

Second Trimester Ultrasound Screening Scan

Second Trimester Screening Scan or Fetal Anomaly Scan at 18-22 weeks This scan typically takes 30 minutes but may take longer if the baby...

Possible complications in third trimester

Possible complications in Third Trimester include: Preterm labour This is the onset of regular painful contractions after 24 weeks and...

Vaginal delivery

Delivery may be accomplished by normal vaginal delivery, assisted vaginal delivery or Caesarean section. Normal vaginal delivery We...

Induction of labour

Induction of labour may be considered when there is a medical indication, or when the benefits outweigh the risks. I gave a talk in...

Pain relief methods during labour

Pain relief methods during labour would include non-pharmacological methods and pharmacological methods. Non-pharmacological...

Caesarean section

Caesarean section involves making an abdominal skin incision and an incision over the lower segment of the uterus to deliver the baby. ...

Post-natal care

Postnatally, I normally see my patients one week and 3 months after delivery. At the first postnatal visit I check the following: Return...

Common questions from pregnant women

A) Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy 1. This begins early in pregnancy, most commonly between the 4th and 7th week or pregnancy, peaks at...