Help, she’s pregnant; what do I do now?

The aim of this session is to have a clear understanding of what to discuss with a woman when she presents in early pregnancy, which tests to offer, order and why. Furthermore, the aim is to be able to identify women who may be high risk and require early referral and initiation of preventative management.

Initiation and /or continuation of pregnancy care is an important part of GP practice. It provides the opportunity to identify problems, give advice and educate women, as well as develop a trusting relationship between the woman and her care provider (s).

The first visit is especially important as it allows you to assess problems and risks to the mother and fetus and therefore facilitate appropriate pregnancy care.

The focus of this education session is on what needs to be discussed with women in the first visit (s). The following topics will be discussed:

• Taking a comprehensive history to identify any problems (medical history, surgical history, obstetric and gynae history, family history, social history)
• Clinical examination and initial investigations
• Which antenatal blood tests are required and which tests need to be considered
• Dating ultrasound
• Discuss first trimester screening options for aneuploidy 
• Discuss reproductive population carrier screening
• Identify and mitigate risks for both mother and fetus
• How to confirm the expected date of birth
• Advise and education
• Organizing ongoing care

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of what needs to be discussed with women in early pregnancy
• Discuss and explain the different options for aneuploidy screening
• Identify if mother and/or fetus are at risk in the pregnancy and initiate mitigation strategies and organize appropriate ongoing care