The Healthcare Team
What Does A Health Care Visitor Do?
Health care visitors tend to work with whole families and parents of young babies and children, although increasingly are becoming involved in antenatal care. Many are fully trained nurses and midwives who have undergone further training to become health care visitors. Your GP or midwife may refer you to your health care visitor if they feel that you are experiencing trouble that she could help with, e.g. fatigue, tiredness or worries about the birth or rearing a baby.
What Does The Hospital Consultant Do?
Every mum who opts for a hospital delivery is registered with a hospital consultant. The consultant rarely has much involvement in a “normal” pregnancy. They have a team of junior doctors, registrars and health care professionals who will take care of you. They have varying levels of experience.
If you are experiencing a complicated pregnancy you may see your consultant directly. Otherwise you are more likely to deal with other health care professionals who will discuss your case with the consultant if they have uncertainties.
What Does The Doctor Do?
Your family doctor is the first port of call once your home pregnancy test has told you that you are pregnant. Generally GP’s offer support during pregnancy (antenatal) and after the baby has been born (postnatal.) The birth tends to be dealt by hospital doctors almost exclusively but there are some exceptions to this.
You might see your GP monthly up to week thirty when you will start to visit more frequently. Checks at weeks sixteen and eighteen will listen to the baby’s heartbeat and feeling the bump to make sure the baby is developing correctly. Urine and blood samples might be taken to ensure that you are not suffering from pre-eclampsia. Your GP will also be the one who refers you for scans and to the hospital if the need arises.
What Is A Midwife?
Midwives are guardian angels when you are planning to have a baby. They deal with nearly every aspect of your pregnancy, labour and postnatal care. If the birth looks like it’s going to be complicated, it is likely that the midwife will deal with the whole delivery.
Your booking appointment is probably the first time the two of you will meet. She will chat to you about your feelings and answer any questions you might have about your pregnancy. She will also record important information about your family health, diet, general health and birth plans. She might undertake some simple medical tests and take a sample of your blood.
You might see her monthly for the first six or seven months and then more regularly after that.
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