Common conditions in pregnancy are nosebleeds, bleeding gums, dizziness, fainting, constipation and urinary frequency. These are usually  entirely normal but if you are concerned, be sure to speak to your Obstetrician about it during your visit.

If you have a medical condition or disease that may complicate the  pregnancy, particularly if it involves kidney disease, diabetes, lupus erythematosus or you have a past history of complicated preeclampsia or hypertension in pregnancy, then please let the Medical Receptionists know so we can assess your case and decide if you need to be seen sooner than the routine ten week visit. If you experience some bleeding, you should contact our office and you will be seen as soon as possible to check that everything is okay with the pregnancy. Bleeding is, of itself, not unusual and many normal pregnancies are complicated by a small amount of early vaginal bleeding. If the bleeding is heavy or painful to the point where you are seriously concerned, then you should contact your Obstetrician immediately.

If bleeding occurs on a weekend, the quickest way to contact your  obstetrician is through the Labour Ward of your booked hospital. Inform the Midwife of your gestation and that you are experiencing bleeding, and they will contact your Obstetrician directly. They will then instruct you regarding assessment and management.

CONSULTING ROOMS – 02 4721 1555
NEPEAN PRIVATE HOSPITAL DELIVERY SUITE- 02 4732 7390 or 02 4732 7391
NEPEAN PUBLIC HOSPITAL DELIVERY SUITE - 02 4734 2295

Morning sickness is also common. The management of morning sickness is difficult. The aim is to get life to the point where you can cope until time cures you. Morning sickness normally relieves itself somewhere between twelve and sixteen weeks although the occasional unfortunate lady continues to feel the sickness of pregnancy until she delivers.

The general principles are to take small meals often, and try to have something to eat and drink that is very light before getting out of bed in the morning. The tradition is tea and toast though not everyone tolerates tea that entirely well. Glucose drinks are often well tolerated. People try Lucozade and even Coca-Cola and find these are enough to help them cope. The best-tolerated drinks to take are Gatorade, Staminade, and Isosport type drinks. These are useful for both athletes and people with upset stomachs from other causes. The balance of sugar and salt that is in them helps the stomach to absorb the water. Even with these drinks, however, a large glass will be a problem just like anything else. Small amounts, 100mls to 200mls per hour, are often enough for you to be able to cope.

Homoeopathic remedies, e.g. ginger tablets are often tried but to tell the truth I only rarely see success. Sea bands around the wrist or similar acupressure devices that press on the area about three fingers breadths above the fold on the palm side of the wrist will settle vomiting in about 50% of ladies. Sometimes the effect is dramatic. If you are only suffering from nausea then they will often not help all that much but certainly vomiting can be settled dramatically.

Hypnosis or advice from a psychologist can often help. The hypnotherapy and relaxation exercises that are taught are often the difference between coping and not coping if the vomiting is severe. There are some medications that are safe. The most commonly used and ones with the greatest experience are the oral anti-histamines, e.g. Periactin, Polaramine, etc. These can often cause the vomiting to settle but they do so at the cost of making you sleepy. Newer drugs, e.g. Stemetil, are also safe with no evidence of problems. Stemetil has to be taken every four hours and one has to be very careful not to overdose on the drug. If you wish to use this then we would go through it in more detail. Maxolon also works well. There is a little less data on Maxolon used in pregnancy but certainly it has been widely used without reported problems in humans. It again is unpleasant in over dosage and one has to be careful to stay within the prescribed limits but it has the advantage of being an eight-hourly medication rather than a four-hourly medication. The final step if you are not coping is to admit you to hospital for intravenous fluids.

One of the most common questions asked is what can you do to keep your baby healthy. Most of it involves such things as avoidance of alcohol and cigarettes and appropriate diet. It is very important that you avoid alcohol and smoking as these can significantly impair pregnancy outcomes.

Aspirin should be avoided except in special circumstances and then only used in very low dose after discussion with your Obstetrician. Paracetamol is safe in pregnancy.

It is important to keep your levels of calcium and other minerals up. Milk and cheese are the main sources of calcium, or calcium tablets may be taken if dairy products aren’t tolerated. Certain foods, including soft cheese (camembert, brie, ricotta and cream cheese), pate, coleslaw,
diced chicken from sandwich bars, chilled chicken and seafood, rockmelon and pre-cut fruit, and any food that has been refrigerated for a length of time may contain bacteria called Listeria. Infection with Listeria is exceptionally rare, but the complications are very serious. Avoid these foods during pregnancy. If you really want to eat them then they are safe if cooked to over 74 °C for over 10 minutes just before eating.

It is also important that you peel or wash raw fruit and vegetables thoroughly to remove contaminating soil, and wash hands after gardening, handling animals, or disposing of cat litter. Folic Acid (Folate) supplementation from 3 months before conception till 3 months after conception
can reduce the rate of spina bifida amongst other abnormalities in the child.

Most other routine supplementations are not necessary. If your iron stores are low you will feel less tired if you take iron. Iodine may be useful in some women but using iodised salt to cook and eat is usually adequate. If your diet is balanced appropriately there is yet to be good evidence of improved outcome with multivitamin supplementation. If you have had Bariatric surgery (Gastric sleeve / bypass etc then supplementation is advised. Similarly in a twin pregnancy).