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Antenatal Care

At Marble Arch Private Healthcare you and your partner will be seen by Dr Orla Conlon, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in her private clinic, to assess the wellbeing of you and your baby throughout your pregnancy.

When you first find out that you are pregnant it is both a very exciting but also anxious time in your life. You are coping with your changing body image and perhaps the ‘morning sickness’ associated with early pregnancy, as well as worry that everything will be fine with the baby.

We at Marble Arch Private Health Care nurture you and your baby throughout your pregnancy. We see you and your partner in a confidential, friendly and relaxed atmosphere while providing excellent, ‘state of the art’ care. You will receive regular detailed ultrasound scans of your baby and measurement of the blood flow from your womb, through the umbilical cord to your baby at each visit.

What do I do when I first find out that I am pregnant?

You need to make an appointment with your GP and be referred for Antenatal Care. If you wish to come to Dr Orla Conlon at Marble Arch Private Health Care your GP can refer you or you can contact us personally.

If you are not already taking folic acid tablets you need to start taking these straight away to reduce the chance that your baby develops Spina Bifida.

1. Booking Visit

This is your first visit.
Initially you are asked questions about your general health in the past and about your previous pregnancies if this is not your first pregnancy. You will be asked when the first day of your last period was so that we can estimate when your baby is due and give you your ‘due date’. It is necessary to remember when your last cervical smear was so that one can be arranged for you after your baby is born.

You will also be asked about your family history and if there are any conditions or problems that ‘run in your family’.

The next part of the booking visit includes a comprehensive body examination, checking your resting heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature, listening to your heart and chest, feeling your abdomen (tummy) and examining your breasts. You will also be asked to leave a sample of urine to be tested for infection.

A detailed ultrasound scan will then be performed. This involves placing some cold jelly on your tummy and looking at the baby through the scan. Occasionally an internal scan will need to be performed if you are in early pregnancy, e.g. less than 8 weeks.

The first scan looks at the baby’s body. You will be able to see the baby’s heart beating and the arms and legs moving. The baby will then be measured to see if the baby’s size matches your date of your last period. If there is a difference of more than 10 days your ‘due date’ may be changed. This may be due to your periods being irregular, producing your egg (ovulating) late in your cycle or that you can’t exactly remember your last period date.

Several blood tests are then performed:

Full blood picture: this checks your iron levels, which is very important for your growing baby.
Blood group: this is necessary to check if you are rhesus negative as you will require an ‘Anti D’ injection to prevent your baby having complications.
Rubella: this is a test to see if you are immune to Rubella (German measles), it is necessary as if you get Rubella when you are pregnant it may affect the development of your baby. It is very likely that you are immune to Rubella as if you did not have German measles you will have had a vaccination against it in childhood.
Syphilis: This test is done to check if you have or have had syphilis in the past. This is important as syphilis can also cause severe abnormalities to babies during development in the womb. Syphilis is rare in this country but can be treated easily with a simple antibiotic.
HIV: Although rare in Ireland, it is necessary to check for HIV because if it is known in pregnancy, several steps can be taken to dramatically reduce the chances of the baby contracting HIV from the mother.
Hepatitis B&C: Again rare in Ireland but again important as if detected special requirements can be planned for delivery and the baby can be vaccinated after birth to reduce the risk of transmission to the baby.

At the end of the first visit you will be given lots of advice and written information on the general ‘do’s & don’ts of pregnancy’. There will also be a discussion about the risk of your baby suffering a genetic condition and whether you want to have further tests done to assess that risk. We may also need to discuss and plan your delivery depending on previous problems encountered in past deliveries or your general health.

You will then be given an appointment to return in 4 weeks.

2. Anomaly Scan (‘Big Scan’)

This is done at 22 weeks gestation by a Senior Radiographer in the Erne Hospital. It will also be checked by Dr Orla Conlon, who holds a Diploma in Obstetric Ultrasound from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in London.

This scan looks at the baby in great detail, paying particular attention to the baby’s major organs; brain, spinal cord, heart, lungs, kidney, liver, stomach, small and large bowel, limbs, hands & feet. The baby will be measured to ensure adequate growth. The placental (afterbirth) position will be identified, this is important to rule out a low lying placenta (placenta praevia). The amount of fluid around the baby will also be studied.

3. 3D (sometimes known as 4D) Scan

The 3D Ultrasound scan is the latest in ultrasound technology in pregnancy and is now available in Northern Ireland. Patients can opt out of the 3d scan and the total fee is reduced accordingly.

The best time for the scan is between 5 and 7 months (20 and 34 weeks)

This scan supplements your hospital abnormality scan. In addition it provides detailed 3D views of the face and external features of the baby.

The scan will take place in a prestigious clinic called ‘352 Lisburn Road’, booking is arranged by Marble Arch Private Healthcare under your Private Antenatal Care Plan, the clinic is located on the Lisburn Road in Belfast.

Each scan last approximately 30 minutes and includes :-

A detailed scan of your baby
A full printed report
A DVD
Colour and Black & White images --- 3D/4D ultrasound is a new technology that allows you to see 3 dimensional colour images and videos of your unborn baby. With 3D/4D ultrasound you can actually see what your baby looks like before birth and you can see your baby move while it is still in the womb.

4. Subsequent visits

From 16 to 32 weeks you will be seen every 4 weeks, from 32 weeks to 38 weeks you will be seen every 2 weeks, from 38 weeks to delivery you will be seen every week.

Each visit
Your blood pressure and urine will be checked. You will have a ‘tummy’ scan performed this will look firstly at the baby, which will be measured and it’s weight estimated to assess growth and movement, the site and health of the placenta (afterbirth) will be examined and the volume of fluid around the baby will also be measured to assess the baby’s wellbeing. The blood flow through the umbilical cord from you to your baby can also be measured as an additional sign of the baby’s wellbeing.

Your Full blood picture will be checked regularly to see if you need to take more iron tablets. Any questions or queries you or your partner may have will be discussed in a private, confidential and relaxed environment. We may need to plan your delivery in advance if you will require an elective (planned) caesarean section.

Visit From 38 weeks
As well as the above description of your visit, it may be necessary to do an internal examination to assess how favourable your cervix (neck of womb) is. This involves Dr Orla Conlon examining you through your vagina, it may be a little bit uncomfortable but should not be painful. This may be required if your delivery needs to be planned. You may have some staining or bleeding afterwards and you may pass a ‘jellylike’ material which is called a ‘show’, this is the mucus which is produced in the neck of your womb which comes away when you are examined or just before labour starts.

5. Delivery

This will be in the Erne Hospital, Enniskillen. If you need to have your labour induced or require an elective casarean section, this will be arranged in advance and Dr Orla Conlon will perform the delivery whenever possible. If you go into spontaneous labour Dr Orla Conlon will be contacted and whenever possible will endeavour to be there.

6. Baby Check

7. Post natal visit

This will take place at approximately 8 weeks after the birth of your baby. You will be asked questions on your general well being and whether or not you are having any problems, passing urine or passing a bowel motion since the birth of your baby. We will discuss your breasts and if you have had a period since the birth of your baby. The visit also includes a Free Family Planning Consultation when required.

A vaginal examination will be performed to check that your womb and vagina are now back to normal. If you require a cervical smear this will be performed and if your family planning consultation recommends a contraceptive coil it will be fitted that day.

Other Services

Triple Test
Fetal Sexing
Nuchal Translucency

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