Restless Legs in Pregnancy
Restless leg syndrome affects about one in five women during pregnancy. RSL is the feeling of needing to move the legs while at rest, and the feeling is relieved by the movement. It is often worse in the last trimester…
High Risk Pregnancy
What is a high-risk pregnancy and what makes a pregnancy high risk? A majority of women will happily have uncomplicated pregnancies. However, between 10 – 15% of women will have pregnancies that will be considered “high risk”. The risk may…
VBAC and TOLAC
Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section (VBAC) - Introduction For much of the 20th century, most people believed that a woman who had previously undergone a caesarean delivery would require a repeat caesarean delivery for future pregnancies. However, it appears that…
Fetal Anatomy Scan
Most women will have an ultrasound examination of their baby at about 20 weeks gestation. This is because at this gestation the fetus is fully formed and also large enough to see the organs and structures in detail. It is…
Obesity in Pregnancy
Potential Issues Associated With Obesity in Pregnancy During pregnancy Increased risk of early pregnancy loss ( miscarriage) Type 2 diabetes Gestational diabetes Pregnancy associated hypertension Preeclampsia Preterm birth — planned preterm birth is usually occurs because of the present of…
Nutrition Before and During Pregnancy
Will I need to change the way I eat when I am pregnant? Probably. In fact, you will probably need to change the way you eat before you get pregnant. You will also need to start taking a multivitamin that…
Miscarriage
What is a miscarriage? A miscarriage is when a pregnancy ends before a woman has been pregnant for 20 weeks. (A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.) The most common symptoms of a miscarriage are bleeding from the vagina and…
Caesarean Section On Maternal Request
The term ‘maternal request’ is used when delivery by caesarean section occurs for the mother’s preference when there is no medical or obstetric reason for avoiding vaginal birth. The information provided in this handout is based on the most up to date…
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic problems that can occur in pregnancy. If a pregnancy has a genetic abnormality it will usually be miscarried early. However Down syndrome does not always miscarry. This is why tests have been developed…
Cord Clamping
Cord clamping — The current recommendation by RANZCOG is to delay umbilical cord clamping for at least 30 to 60 seconds after birth in vigorous term and preterm infants. Studies of delayed cord clamping support a minimum delay of at least…