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.
Whooping Cough Vaccine for Pregnant Women
Whooping cough (also known as Pertussis) is a highly contagious illness that can be life threatening. The disease is most serious in babies less than 6 months of age - many babies are hospitalised with complications such as pneumonia and brain damage. Babies less than 6 months of age are too young to be fully vaccinated.
You will be offered the whooping cough vaccine between 16 - 36 weeks gestation in each pregnancy.
Further information about the whooping cough vaccination can be found on the HSE webpage: https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/hcpinfo/othervaccines/pertussis/
Cost
25.00
Useful Resources
HSE - Maternity Services
Breastfeeding.ie - high quality breastfeeding support services
Rollercoaster.ie - Pregnancy & Parenting website
Mummyservices.ie - Irish pregnancy website
NHS Pregnancy Information