Congratulations on your pregnancy. We at Clann Medical Centre will do our best to help care for you during your pregnancy and afterwards. The antenatal clinic will also share responsibility for this. Please take no alcohol or cigarettes as there are no safe levels of either during pregnancy.
If you have already signed on with us for the Maternity and Infant scheme, you will be seen, without charge, for regular antenatal checks (up to 6 GP visits total if first pregnancy, total of up to 7 if subsequent pregnancy). Extra visits for issues due to the pregnancy, up to a maximum of 5 visits, will also not be charged. You will be required to sign a form at each visit, this will be submitted by us to the scheme.
Visits for issues not due to pregnancy will be charged unless you have a medical card or doctor visit card. Blood tests are not covered under the scheme and will be charged for.
Visits will normally alternate between GP and hospital antenatal clinic, as follows
| Number of weeks of pregnancy | Visit to GP | Visit to hospital |
| Before 12 weeks (preferably as soon as possible after conception) | yes | |
| Before 20 weeks | Yes | |
| 24 | yes | |
| 28 | Yes ( except in case of first pregnancy) | Yes ( in case of first pregnancy) |
| 30 | yes | |
| 32 | yes | |
| 34 | yes | |
| 36 | yes | |
| 37 | yes | |
| 38 | yes | |
| 39 | yes | |
| 40 | yes | |
| Birth of baby | yes | |
| 2 weeks after birth (baby) | yes | |
| 6 weeks after birth (mother and baby) | yes |
Please attend the GP and hospital as advised and also try to attend hospital antenatal classes.
Diet in pregnancy:
Try to eat healthily and exercise regularly. The following link outlines healthy weight gain in pregnancy Healthy weight gain during pregnancy – HSE.ie
Please visit Healthy eating during pregnancy – HSE.ie and also Food and drinks to avoid in pregnancy – HSE.ie
Avoid eating liver, tinned fish, soft cheese and pate as they may contain too much Vitamin A and certain harmful bacteria.
Multivitamins/Supplements:
Take Folic acid 0.4mg daily pre-conception to 12 weeks of pregnancy (sometimes higher doses are recommended- your doctor can advise).
Pregnacare contains the recommended amount of Folic acid as well as the recommended amount of Vitamin D. Do not take standard multivitamins in pregnancy as they are unsuitable.
Vaccinations in Pregnancy:
All pregnant women are advised to have the Influenza vaccine at any stage in pregnancy, and Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine between 16 and 36 weeks pregnancy.
If you have not completed your Covid 19 vaccination schedule we would encourage you do this as soon as possible as pregnant patients and their babies have a much higher risk of complications with Covid 19 infection. Please see the following websites for further information:
The flu jab in pregnancy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility: COVID-19 vaccination – HSE.ie