Congratulations – you did it! Now that you’re expecting, you might not know what steps you should take next.
I’m Dr Scott Schemer, an experienced obstetrician and I’m here to help. I’ve guided many people through this process before, and while I won’t be much help picking out baby names, I can ensure your pregnancy is as risk free as possible. I’ve put together this article to help explain everything you need to know about the pregnancy process one step at a time.
I’ll explain the following in this guide:
What is an obstetrician?
What does an obstetrician do?
What will happen during your first obstetrician appointment?
What kind of screenings do obstetricians perform?
What’s the 20-week anatomy scan?
How do I make an appointment with an obstetrician?
What is an obstetrician?
An obstetrician is a doctor who specialises in providing medical care during pregnancy and after the birth. Obstetricians are trained to manage complex or high-risk pregnancies and births, and can perform many procedures including caesareans.
What does an obstetrician do?
Obstetricians provide individualised care during pregnancy and childbirth. It’s especially important for individuals who are high risk due to previous miscarriage or medical conditions to see an obstetrician.
What will happen during your first obstetrician appointment?
The first appointment with an obstetrician should be made in the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, unless you are at high risk, in which case an appointment can be made as early as 6 weeks.
During your first consultation, I’ll go through your full pregnancy history including:
Previous pregnancies
Gynaecological history
Medical history
Medication review
Family history
I’ll ensure that you are taking appropriate multivitamins or additional supplements as required, such as Vitamin D or iron. During your first consultation, I’ll also perform an ultrasound to accurately date the birth of your baby.
What kind of screenings do obstetricians perform?
At my practice, we perform a number of tests and screenings, depending on your personal condition.
Down syndrome screening
For those wanting Down syndrome screening, the most accurate screening test is non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). NIPT is known by several different names, the two most common being Percept and Harmony. This tests a maternal blood sample from 10 weeks of pregnancy. These tests analyse cell-free fetal DNA found in the blood to detect Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) and Turner syndrome.
The test is highly sensitive, and the cost is about $450. Unfortunately, there is no Medicare rebate or private health coverage. Results are available within 3-5 working days from the time the sample is received by the laboratory. If you have a positive result, you will need a diagnostic test to determine if the baby is truly affected.
Genetic carrier screening
Genetic carrier screening is now offered to all couples before or very early in pregnancy to see if they are carriers of particular genetic conditions that can affect their future children. Whilst some ethnic groups are more likely to carry certain genetic changes, carrier screening is now recommended regardless of ancestry. It is known that 90% of babies born with inherited genetic diseases have no family history of it. Therefore, genetic carrier screening is relevant, regardless of your ethnic ancestry or your family's medical history.
This testing only needs to be done once in a couple’s reproductive years as results will be applicable to all future pregnancies. Genetic carrier screening can be done for just a few conditions, or part of an expanded panel of over 300 conditions. If you are not a carrier of these conditions, you are at very low risk of having a child with any of these conditions.
Diabetes testing
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common type of diabetes related to pregnancy, affecting up to 18% of pregnant individuals. It occurs due to hormonal changes causing insulin resistance. The body is then unable to produce enough extra insulin to meet its increased needs in pregnancy.
What’s the 20-week anatomy scan?
You will get regular ultrasound scans during your pregnancy, but the level 2 ultrasound, or 20-week anatomy scan as it’s commonly called, is an important one to see how your baby is developing.
The 20-week anatomy scan looks at whether the fetal anatomy is growing and developing as it should be, and offers a clearer image than in your first trimester. It can also tell you the sex of your baby if you haven’t already found out through other testing (eg. NIPT).
How do I make an appointment with an obstetrician?
Making your first appointment to see me – Dr Scott Shemer is very easy. All you have to do is make a phone call and book an appointment with my friendly staff. If you have private health insurance, you’ll be booked into Frances Perry House where my private practice is located.
If you don’t have private health insurance, you can still book an appointment at Frances Perry House or at the Royal Women’s Hospital where I also treat patients. However, your residential address must lie within the Royal Women’s Hospital zone or your pregnancy is regarded as sufficiently high-risk.
Although you’ll need a GP referral by the time of your obstetrician appointment, it isn’t necessary when making the appointment.