FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NSW Food Authority have published an excellent guideline addressing what is and isn’t recommended to be eaten during pregnancy. Don’t freak out if you see a food that you have already eaten is listed as something that should be avoided. This guideline is very strict and conservative and you will not have placed your baby at significant risk. You can access the guideline here.

Many women in the first trimester don’t feel up to doing much vigorous exercise. However, as the tiredness and nausea subsides (or for the lucky ones who don’t have these things) we highly recommend you continue to keep active. The only thing to avoid in the first trimester is hot spas, saunas and bikram based programs. As your pregnancy progresses, you will need to modify the physical activity you do to be in keeping with your changing body and abilities. Your Prologue Midwife has a whole lot of information on this as well as some great options in pregnancy specific exercise classes around Sydney. She will cover all of this with you at your 14 week appointment.

Most medication is safe to continue to take in pregnancy however this should be discussed with either your GP or Prologue Obstetrician. Another brilliant resource is Mothersafe. It is a hotline based service with specially trained staff who can give you up to date, evidence based advice on the safety of your medication in pregnancy. We highly recommend contacting them:

https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/royal-hospital-for-women/services-clinics/directory/mothersafe

No worries at all. Your Prologue obstetric team are here to help you make this decision and we can discuss it further during your initial appointments with us. However, if you have chosen a hospital, please go ahead and book yourself in.

Spotting, blood on wiping or brown discharge is quite common in pregnancy and in particular during the first trimester. It alone is not a sign of a miscarriage. If your bleeding becomes heavy like a period or is associated with significant pain please contact the rooms or the Delivery Suite of the hospital at which you are booked. If you are in the early stages of pregnancy, are not yet booked into a hospital and this occurs after hours, you can contact your local Emergency Department. The team there would be welcome to discuss your presentation with your Prologue Obstetrician and can contact them via the Mater switchboard.

During pregnancy your immune system is slightly suppressed. This means colds are more common in pregnancy and they can make you feel even more lousy (and for longer) compared to when you are not pregnant. The good news is that your baby will not be bothered by your cold at all!! What we need to do is focus on the management of your symptoms so we can get you feeling better, sooner. Your Prologue obstetric team have put together an information sheet with some useful advice and this can be accessed here.

Absolutely. Assuming your pregnancy remains uncomplicated, we are very happy for you to travel domestically up until 37 weeks. Just make sure you get a letter from us stating your due date and our clearance for you to fly.

Constipation is very common in pregnancy and can be made worse by some anti-nausea medications. Over the counter products aimed at treating constipation are safe in pregnancy. We at Prologue have put together a handout that explains their action and to help you guide you. It can be accessed here.

Yes you can! Almost all cosmetic products and procedures (including botox) are not a risk for your baby. Prologue have collated some useful information to guide you. It can be accessed here.

There is an element of unpredictability involved in running an obstetric practice and a situation may arise when we will need to change the time of your appointment. Fortunately, this does not happen often. If your Prologue Obstetrician is attending a delivery at the time of your appointment and a Prologue midwife is in the rooms you may have the option of being seen by them. If the midwife is not there, is not available or if it is your preference, we will rebook your appointment with your Obstetrician at an available time that suits you best.

Reflux (or heartburn) is a very common pregnancy symptom and thankfully tends to respond well to simple measures and/or treatment which we have outlined here.

Tossing and turning at night is common during pregnancy and at times it may be difficult to get comfortable in any position. The best position to sleep when you are pregnant after 28 weeks, is on your side. Prior to this, any position is acceptable. This brochure explains the releveance of sleeping position in pregnancy with detail:

https://drjustintucker.com/obstetricshome/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Side-Sleep.pdf