APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE
YOUR OBSTETRIC APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE AT PROLOGUE
At Prologue we have designed an appointment schedule to make sure we are providing you with brilliant and safe care at every stage of your pregnancy journey.
We are here for you whenever you need us. We prioritise being available to you and want you to reach out if you are having any issues. We have put a great deal of thought into the scheduled aspect of your pregnancy journey, where you will be seen by various members of the team at times that align with significant stages of your pregnancy. This will allow us to educate and support you in a timely and stage appropriate manner, in an environment that encourages questions, the discussion of results and shared decision making. This schedule also means we are carefully and appropriately monitoring your baby as your pregnancy progresses. Below is an outline of our obstetric appointment schedule and an overview as to what is covered and when.
ANTENATAL APPOINTMENTS
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This is when you sit down together with your Prologue Obstetrician and get to know each other. This first appointment will last between 30-45 minutes and we will cover quite a bit of material. It will include a bedside ultrasound of your baby and you will be guided through a whole package of written resources that will continue to be relevant as your pregnancy advances.
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At this visit you get to meet your Prologue midwife for another long visit. You will spend between 30-45 minutes mapping out your pregnancy journey from a midwifery point of view. Together you will discuss topics such as exercise and diet in pregnancy as well as the various pregnancy classes that are on offer. There will be more written resources and plenty of time to ask any questions you may have.
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This is the first of the many routine 15 minute antenatal appointments that you will have with your Obstetrician. During this time together, you will discuss any recent results, although you will always be updated by the practice via email on the day the results are in. Your blood pressure will be taken and your baby will be carefully assessed which includes performing a bedside ultrasound. It is really important to us that you are involved and understand all aspects of your care so we very much encourage you to ask questions. It is often very useful, if during the time between your consults, you write down any questions that arise so we make sure we cover everything that is important to you.
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15 minute antenatal appointment with your Prologue Obstetrician.
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This is another chance to have a good chat with your Prologue Midwife. During this 30 minute appointment, your upcoming diabetes test will be explained and arranged for you. Together you will also start to formulate a midwifery plan in terms of preparing you for your delivery and early parenthood. Remember, Polly is an active delivery suite midwife at both the Mater and Prince of Wales Private and is very experienced in caring for women who are planning either a vaginal delivery or an elective caesarean. This means she is perfectly positioned to have you game ready no matter the field you’ll be playing on!
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Routine 15 minute antenatal appointment with your Prologue Obstetrician. At this stage we will have the results of your diabetes test. If this has shown your sugar levels to be high, we will have arranged for you to spend some time with our Prologue affiliated Diabetes Educator who specialises in gestational diabetes. We will also revisit your iron and vitamin D levels and ways we can optimise both if needed. A letter will be dictated to your GP and anyone else of your choosing such as a naturopath, keeping them up to date with your progress with the Prologue team.
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Routine 15 minute antenatal appointment with your Prologue Obstetrician.
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Routine 15 minute antenatal appointment with your Prologue Obstetrician.
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This is your third appointment with your Prologue Midwife and is designed to fine tune your birth plan and prepare you for breastfeeding, if that is something you are wanting to do. A Group B Strep swab will be taken as well as a Pap smear if you are due. By the time you have finished your appointment, you will have completed a final checklist that will have you feeling much more confident and supported as you head towards parenting a new baby.
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Starting at 37 weeks you will have weekly 15 minute antenatal appointments with your Prologe Obstetrician up until the delivery of your baby.
POSTNATAL APPOINTMENTS
The support you receive from Prologue does not end once you have had your baby. In fact, it is often during the first few weeks of parenthood that you are most out of your depth and need help from our team the most.
1 WEEK AFTER DELIVERY
This is where your Prologue midwife returns to the stage. She will sit down and listen to you. You will have many questions and concerns and there is not one of them that we won’t be able to address together. Polly is a qualified lactation consultant and will make sure you feel confident feeding your baby and have an action plan in place if things become difficult. She will make sure you are aware of the many other resources that are available to help you adjust to parenting and together you can assess whether accessing any of these may be useful.
This 45 minute appointment is shared between both your Prologue Midwife and Prologue Obstetrician and is a great chance for us to have a good catch up and to assess and discuss your delivery and recovery. We will also make sure we have a realistic plan for you to continue to move towards your pre-pregnancy state in a healthy way. We can answer any new or lingering questions you may have. If relevant, we will also discuss options for contraception as well as further pregnancies.
Before this chapter with us at Prologue closes, we will also make sure you have all the support networks in place to keep you and your baby on track. We will check in on how you are doing from a mental health point of view and make sure you know how to get in touch with us in the future if needed.
6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY
