Care during your pregnancy

Congratulations on your pregnancy and we wish you the best during the exciting months ahead.

Thank you for choosing our surgery for your ante-natal care. We understand the concerns as well as the joys of pregnancy and early motherhood and aim to provide the best possible ante-natal care.

We provide ante-natal care free of charge under the HSE Mother and Infant Scheme.  This scheme provides an agreed programme of care to all pregnant women with a valid PPS number.

To avail of ante-natal care free of charge, we will ask you to complete a Mother and Infant form at your first ante-natal visit. We will then submit this to the HSE for approval. We will need your PPS number which we retain securely under the Data Protection Act.

WHAT VISITS ARE COVERED?

The schedule of visits is as follows-

1st GP visit-before 12 weeks

1st hospital visit-before 20 weeks

24 weeks    -GP visit

28 weeks   -GP visit (hospital if it’s your first pregnancy)

32 weeks   -hospital visit

34 weeks   -GP visit

36 weeks   -hospital visit

37 weeks   -GP visit

38 weeks   -hospital visit

39 weeks   -GP visit

40 weeks   -hospital visit

Two weeks post-natal check for baby

Six weeks post-natal check for mother and baby

This schedule of visits may be changed by your GP and/or hospital obstetrician, depending on your individual health situation.

If you have a significant pregnancy-related illness e.g. diabetes or high blood pressure, you may have up to five additional GP visits.

WHAT VISITS ARE NOT COVERED?

Care for other illnesses that you may have during pregnancy, but are not related to your pregnancy, are not covered under the Mother and Infant Scheme. This include, but are not limited to, issues such as sore throats, insurance medicals, driving licence medicals, chest infections, injuries, ear syringing etc. If you are unsure as to whether your medical problem will be covered under the Mother and Infant scheme, you are welcome to telephone the practice in advance of your visit for clarification.

The Mother and Infant Scheme also covers two visits for your baby –at two and six weeks after birth.  In order to avail for free GP care for your baby, please register for the HSE Free GP Care for Under 6 children-you can do this online or by post

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/mc/gpvc/under6.html

Please note that if your child does not have a valid GP Visit Card, the standard consultation fee will apply.

FLU AND WHOOPING COUGH (PERTUSSIS) VACCINATION DURING PREGNANCY.

The HSE recommends that all pregnant women receive the flu vaccine and the whooping cough vaccine during each pregnancy. We encourage you to have these vaccinations.

The flu and whooping cough vaccines are free-there will be no charge to you for the vaccines or their administration.

The whooping cough vaccine is usually given anytime between Week 27 to 36 of your pregnancy.

http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/hcpinfo/OtherVaccines/pertussis/pertussisengleaf.pdf

The flu vaccine can be given anytime during pregnancy, and can be given at the same time as the whooping cough vaccine if you wish. The flu vaccine is available each year from October onwards.

http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/fluvaccine/infopregwomen/