Family Planning & Antenatal Care

Congratulations on your new pregnancy! We know that there can be a lot of information to take in when you find out you are pregnant so we have put together this information leaflet to help.

Under the Maternity & Infant care scheme antenatal care is provided free of charge to all expectant mothers with a combination of GP and hospital/midwife/obstetrician visits. You will alternate your visits between the care providers. The GP will see you for 6 antenatal visits for first time mothers and 7 visits for subsequent pregnancies. After the baby is born the doctor will see your baby for a check-up at 2 weeks will see both you and your baby at 6 weeks free of charge.

To participate and benefit please complete an application form before you leave the GP’s consultation room.

At a routine GP visit we ask you to provide a urine sample, your blood pressure will be checked and you will be examined to assess your general well-being, your baby’s size, growth, and activity.

You should attend the GP at the following stages of pregnancy:

**Non -pregnancy related visits are not covered under the M&I scheme**

The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care to all expectant mothers who live in Ireland.

The service is provided by a family doctor (GP) of your choice and a hospital obstetrician. You are entitled to this service even if you do not have a medical card. The GP provides a 1st pregnancy/booking appointment and a further 5 examinations during your first pregnancy and 6 visits in subsequent pregnancies.

These visits are alternated with visits to the maternity hospital. This practice receives €27.67 from the HSE for each visit and the 6-week mother and baby check for which we receive €38.42 Care in respect of illnesses which are co-incidental with, but not related to your pregnancy does not form part of the Scheme.

The HSE has advised us they will not pay for any additional visits related to pregnancy except in the case of pregnancy related diabetes or pregnancy related blood pressure problems (even if extra visits are advised by your obstetrician).

Once your 6 or 7 free visits under the scheme are used up, normal consultation fees will apply if any additional check-ups are required. 3 Medical certificates for work/letters re fitness to fly etc are not covered under the scheme and a fee will apply.

Under the scheme the GP will provide a check-up for both mother and baby at 6 weeks.

All children under 8 are now entitled to a GP visit card – as soon as you have a PPS number for your baby you need to apply on the HSE website for a GP visit card for the baby.

The public health nurse visits the mother and baby at home during the first six weeks.

Some other information:

Booking bloods are done at the first hospital visit.
At your first hospital visit you may be given a card for recording details of your pregnancy and antenatal visits. Please bring this with you to every visit.
Please continue to take folic acid 400mcg/day until at least your first hospital visit.
Please bring a urine sample to all pregnancy visits – containers are available from reception.

Information Leaflets
http://patient.info/health/diet-and-lifestyle-during-pregnancy
https://www.fsai.ie/publications_infant_feeding/
http://www.mychild.ie/books

Nutrition & Lifestyle Advice

It is recommended to take folic acid supplements for 12 weeks before and 12 weeks after conception (this has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects). Certain foods are rich in folic acid e.g., cereals enriched with folic acid, broccoli, spinach, fried beans, wheat germ, some fruit, and fruit juices. These should form part of your diet during pregnancy.

Increase your intake of fruit & vegetables (minimum of 2 pieces of fruit and 2 vegetables a day). These are important sources of vitamins and trace elements, which are essential for good health.

Include sources of essential fatty acids in your diet. These include oily fish e.g., sardines, salmon, mackerel, and trout. Also use vegetable oil when cooking. Essential fatty acids are important for your baby’s brain and nerve development. These foods are also important when you are breastfeeding your baby later on.

It is best to avoid the following:

Raw or lightly cooked eggs.
Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, shellfish, and smoked fish.
Liver is rich in vitamin A and too much of this vitamin can be harmful to your baby so avoid liver and any pate made from liver.
Unpasteurised milk and dairy products made from it.
Mould ripened soft cheeses such as brie and camembert.
Blue veined cheese and ricotta.
Unwashed fruit and vegetables.
Shark, sword fish, and marlin (because they may contain mercury).

For mor detailed information please see the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s “Guidelines for Healthy Eating During Pregnancy,” which can be found on their website: www.FSAI.ie.

Avoid alcohol. More and more research show that alcohol should not to be consumed when pregnant.

Do not smoke. Pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of complications and smoking stops your baby from growing well. Avoid passive smoking by staying away from smokers or smoky places when you are pregnant. If you are currently smoking, please ask one of your doctors to help you to quit.

Many meditations are not safe to take during pregnancy and may harm your baby. Do not take over the counter drugs during pregnancy unless they have been recommended by your doctor.

IMMUNISATIONS DURING PREGNANCY

Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine is inactive and can be given safety at any time during pregnancy. A pregnant woman who gets the flu is at risk for serious respiratory illness and complications. Falling ill with the flu during pregnancy can also lead to premature birth or smaller babies. Flu vaccination during pregnancy provides immunity against influenza infection to babies in the first 6 months of their life.

Whooping Cough Vaccine

Women should get whooping cough vaccine during each pregnancy. The mother’s immunity to whooping cough wanes during each pregnancy and is unlikely to protect the baby. Vaccination is recommended between 16 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. This is considered the best time in pregnancy to provide protection for the baby during the first few months of life.

MMR Vaccine (Measles, Mumps & Rubella)

During pregnancy immunity to rubella is checked routinely. If a mother is not immune to rubella the MMR vaccine is recommended (after pregnancy). The MMR vaccine is safe to give while you are breastfeeding. The MMR is a live vaccine and pregnancy must be avoided for one month following vaccination.

COVID-19 Vaccine

A covid vaccine is recommended to protect you if you are pregnant, trying for a baby or might get pregnant in the future or if you are breastfeeding. Most pregnant women who get the virus get mild to moderate symptoms. They give birth as planned and the risk of passing on COVID-19 to their baby is low.

However, you are more likely to get very unwell and need treatment in intensive care than women who is not pregnant. The virus may also cause complications for our baby. You will need 2 doses of your COVID-19 vaccine. It is safe to get your COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of your pregnancy. Further information is available on the HSE website at www.HSE.ie.

INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY

There are certain infections during pregnancy which can pose a risk to both the mother and the developing foetus.

Examples include:

Parvovirus B19 (slapped cheek syndrome)
Chicken Pox
Rubella
Listeriosis
CMV (cytomegalovirus)
Toxoplasmosis (avoid cat litter trays)

This list is not exhaustive. If you think you may have come into contact with any of the above infections please contact us for advice – you may need a blood test, monitoring or simple reassurance.

We are here, in conjunction with the hospital services, to support you throughout your pregnancy. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns that you may have.

Wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy

This content of this page (and links to other sites) is for general information purposes only and does not substitute medical advice. While we endeavour to keep this website up-to-date, errors may occur. We advise all patients to discuss their health concerns with their GP. If you would like to suggest amendments or highlight new information that could be useful to others please don’t hesitate to get in touch.