Preparing For Pregnancy

• If you are hoping to become pregnant there are a few things you can and should do to improve your general health and so help your pregnancy to progress smoothly. Most pregnancies are not planned however, and still progress normally, resulting in a healthy mother and baby.

• Rollercoaster.ie has a very useful article on pre-conception health

Maternity Care Services

• Every woman who is pregnant and ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to maternity care under the Maternity and Infant Scheme. Ordinarily resident means you are living here, or you intend to remain living here for at least one year. Ireland provides very high quality maternity care, to both mothers and infants

• For your pregnancy you may opt for shared antenatal care under the Maternity and Infant Scheme. This means you will be seen by both hospital/midwife clinic and your GP at different stages

• You will be offered the influenza vaccine and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination during your pregnancy

Antenatal Appointments

• During your pregnancy you will be seen by your GP for routine examinations. One of the things that we check at every appointment is a urine sample. We ask that you bring a urine sample in a sterile container to each appointment to reduce waiting times. These are available from reception or else from your local pharmacy.

  
  

Schedule of Antenatal Visits - please note that this can vary depending on area:

24 weeks GP

28 weeks GP (hospital if first pregnancy)

30 weeks GP

32 weeks Hospital/midwife clinic

34 weeks GP

36 weeks Hospital/midwife clinic

37 weeks GP

38 weeks Hospital/midwife clinic

39 weeks GP

40 weeks Hospital

Postnatal Appointments

• Following the birth of your baby we will see you for a 2 week and 6 week check. This may be done by the hospital instead if there have been any issues.

• During COVID-19 pandemic the timings of postnatal checks have changed. Please contact reception to discuss.