Alternative pregnancy milestones
Pregnancy is a miraculous journey paved by milestones, and each one moves you a step closer to meeting your precious bundle. …
Your Antenatal Guide
I’m pregnant, now what? Navigating your first trimester
🎉Congratulations 🎉you're pregnant! The results of one simple test can turn your whole world upside down and leave you wondering what on earth to do next. Don’t sweat it. From supplements and LMCs through to diet and lifestyle, here’s some advice …
What is a post partum doula and what do they do?
Postnatal educator Sarah Horne from Routachment talks about why the "beautiful and brutal" postparturm days need a little extra consideration. We have antenatal courses and LMCs looking after us throughout our pregnancy and for five or six weeks …
Pregnancy scans: what do they show?
Ultrasounds are an exciting milestone on the journey to parenthood. Marianne Falconer outlines what to expect at each scan. Obstetric ultrasounds are highly anticipated pregnancy milestones. Commonly known as ‘scans’, they provide the …
From conception to birth: foetal development
Nick Walker takes us behind the scenes, explaining foetal development by trimester. weeks 1-13 Pregnancy calculators, you may have noticed, base your gestation in relation to your last normal menstrual period. Why is this? The first two weeks …
Pregnancy 101: Weeks, months and trimesters
Trying to figure out which week, month and trimester you are in during pregnancy can be a complicated equation. We ease the confusion with a handy chart and answers to some FAQs. Is pregnancy really nine months long?Good question! And the answer …
How are obstetricians different from midwives
How are obstetricians different from midwives and how do the two professions work together? Dr Nick Walker explains the finer details. I work as an obstetrician in a large busy hospital – this means I care for families having completely normal …
Practical parenting tips: preparing for baby
In this live chat, Grace Nixon and Jo Robertson from Practical Parenting Antenatal answer your questions and share their valuable tips and advice for new parents and parents-to-be. …
Antenatal Screening and Diagnostic Tests
Around 1% of all babies are born with some kind of abnormality. Fortunately, most of these are minor, but a small percentage can be serious. Antenatal screening and diagnostic tests are available in New Zealand to try and predict and diagnose the …
Your top 10 pregnancy FAQs answered
Dr Nick Walker provides expert answers to his most frequently asked questions. Working as a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC), I’m frequently asked certain questions again and again. Perhaps it’s because these questions relate to common problems and/or …
How to get the most from your antenatal classes
Knowledge is power…and camaraderie is priceless. Grace Nixon explains why you don’t want to miss out on antenatal classes. Antenatal classes are a wonderful place to prepare you for your labour, birth and hopefully beyond. Your LMC (midwife or …
Ultra sounds
The continuous development and improvement in ultrasound technology means that life inside the womb is no longer a private existence - and with 4-dimensional scanning now available, we have the opportunity to spy on our babies' every move. Emma Fahy …
Obstetrician or midwife: how & why to choose
Why do some people choose a midwife and others opt for an obstetrician? Pippa Henderson discusses the maternity care available in New Zealand, and how you might choose your LMC. For those new to motherhood, or New Zealand, the acronym LMC can spark …
Choosing a Lead Maternity Carer
Your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) is the person who will provide all of your antenatal care, and who is responsible for your health and the health of your baby during this time. It's really important to pick someone who you trust completely. We asked …
Antenatal Screening Tests Expained
Once pregnant, women can face a raft of blood tests, scans and other types of screening. OHbaby! expert Dr Martin Sowter explains why. During a typical pregnancy most women will see their lead maternity carer (LMC) 10 to 14 times. As well as …
Finding a Lead Maternity Carer
Pregnant? The next thing to do is find a lead maternity carer who will look after you and your baby from woah to go, write Sue Pullon and Cheryl Benn in an extract from The New Zealand Pregnancy Book. You need to decide who will be your lead …
Group therapy: why antenatal classes are so valuable
If you're expecting your first baby, then taking antenatal classes is a great way to help prepare you and your partner for labour, birth and the early days at home with your new baby. Most maternity hospitals run antenatal classes, and these are …
Antenatal Appointments
How often will I have antenatal appointments? In a normal pregnancy you will have an appointment with your LMC every 4-6 weeks for the first 28 weeks, then every two weeks until the end of the 36th week. You will then have weekly visits until your …
Questions for Care Providers
When choosing a LMC, you might find it useful to consider these 15 questions to help you find the LMC who is best for you and your baby. What experience and training has he/she had? What antenatal care does he/she provide? Does he/she do home …
Antenatal Basics
New Zealand's maternity care system offers a wide variety of care options, and it is up to you to decide which type of care best suits you and your baby. You will choose a Lead Maternity Carer, or LMC, he or she is the health professional who will …
What does a modern day antenatal class look like?
Bump, birth and beyond — there’s a lot to learn about your baby’s arrival. New mum Pamela McIntosh has a look at the modern antenatal movement. Pregnancy and motherhood today is vastly different from yesteryear. Technology has meant that social …
What is a birth doula?
Quiet and calm, behind the scenes offering invaluable support, doulas are gaining popularity in New Zealand as professional birthing partners. Samantha Thurlby-Brooks explains the role. It's 2am on a Saturday morning and my phone rings. I hear …
