Overview
We aim to see you when you are about 10–14 weeks along in your pregnancy, and then at regular intervals until birth. Usually, this is every four weeks until you are at 28 weeks. After the 28 weeks, we arrange visits every two or three weeks until you are at 36 weeks. We will then see you once a week until your baby is born.
During each visit we:
- check your blood pressure and weight, and conduct a urine test
- check your baby’s heartbeat
- measure your baby’s growth (fundal height)
- ask you about your baby’s movements
- check how you feel physically and emotionally.
Getting here
Find us at:
163 Studley Road
Heidelberg Victoria 3084
For more information on getting here, visit Mercy Hospital for Women .
Location details
Level 3
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9am–1pm
Your appointment
What to do before
Before your appointment please:
- review the information on the different models of care we offer
- mail back any information requested via post 10 days before your appointment. Alternatively, please bring this information to your first appointment.
What to bring
Please bring:
- your Medicare card (or your passport and private healthcare fund if you do not have a Medicare card)
- your appointment letter
- any pathology or ultrasound results. If you don’t have a copy, please bring the details for where the test was completed (location, name and number) so we can get a copy of the result.
What to expect on the day
Your first visit may take up to two hours. You will need to confirm your details with reception staff, see a midwife and, if needed, an obstetrician. Please allow about one hour for your regular visits.
More information
Team Composition
Your care will mostly be provided by doctors, and also midwives.
If necessary you may also be cared for by:
- a fetal monitoring team
- a mental health team
- physiotherapists
- dieticians
- a diabetes educator
- social workers.
What questions should you ask
Please bring a list of any questions you may have.
Opportunities to be involved in research
We regularly participate in research projects and you have opportunities to be involved. Talk to your care team for more information, including how you can participate, and how the research may benefit other babies, mothers and families.
For health professionals
Obstetric antenatal care is for women with previous or current pregnancy complications or certain medical conditions. Visits are scheduled for the same day each week with a specific team of obstetricians or doctors. If possible, we will book patients with the same obstetrician for all antenatal appointments.
Procedural information
Please provide the following information:
- a full referral, including model of care choice
- any relevant pregnancy and medical information
- any tests, scans, results or patient information
- social supports and any external agencies involved in your patient’s care.
How to prepare the patient
Please prepare you patient by:
- explaining alternative models of maternity care that may be suitable
- encouraging your patient to ask questions
- suggesting she book into a childbirth and parent education class if she is first-time mother.
What/when you should refer to us
Refer your patient if:
- there are previous obstetric complications
- there are known medical conditions
- there is a possibility of DCDA twins.
Mercy Hospital for Women is a public hospital. Women must live in our catchment area. Our services can also be accessed as a private patient.
Our clinic is receiving eReferrals via HealthLink SmartForms. Please see our Refer a patient page for more information.
What/when you should not refer to us
Please do not refer your patient if:
- they have a low-risk pregnancy
- they have very complex obstetric or medical needs. If this is the case, please refer them to our perinatal medicine service.
Additional contact details
For additional details, please contact the OPD nurse or a midwife unit manager on 03 8458 4203.
Contacts
For Health Professionals
HealthPathways Melbourne
- Email address: info@healthpathwaysmelbourne.org.au
- Website: HealthPathways Melbourne
-
About:
HealthPathways Melbourne provides clinicians with a single website to access clinical and referral pathways, and resources. Pathways are created by local GPs, working in partnership with specialists, nurses, allied health and other health professionals.
Mercy Health recommends clinicians to access HealthPathways Melbourne for guidance in assessing, managing and referring for patient conditions (login required).
Referrals to outpatient clinics at Mercy Health will be triaged against clinical information and investigations based on these guidelines.
Referrals that do not meet the required clinical information and investigations will not be accepted.
HealthPathways Melbourne is available for free to health professionals working in the North Western Melbourne and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network catchments.
Email HealthPathways to request access or if you need to confirm your username and password.
Healthlink SmartForm eReferrals
- Website: au.healthlink.net/support
-
About:
HealthLink is a secure digital platform for sending referrals directly from your GP practice software (Best Practice, Genie, Medical Director and MedTech Evolution).
Practices without conformant software can register for a free HealthLink Portal licence by completing the online registration form and noting in the comments/message field that you would like to use the SmartForms, then selecting the two checkboxes – (1) Receive Electronic Correspondence (free of charge) and (3) Send Electronic Smart Forms (My Aged Care, Transport for NSW, Monash Health etc).
Once HealthLink receives your completed registration application, this will be processed and the portal details will be forwarded to you.
eReferral Support Contact Information
- For GPs in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Healthcare Network region wanting to enable eReferrals (HealthLink Smartforms), please contact digitalhealth@emphn.org.auor if urgent (03) 9046 0300.
- For GPs in the North Western Melbourne Primary Healthcare Network region wanting to enable eReferrals (HealthLink Smartforms), please contact HealthLink via phone: 1800 125 036 or email request@healthlink.net
- For issues with HealthLink SmartForms, or to have this solution enabled within your clinical software system, please contact HealthLink on 1800 125 036 or HelpdeskHL@healthlink.net.
Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics - Victoria
- Website: Statewide Referral Criteria
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About:
The Department of Health and Human Services has developed statewide referral criteria to assist GPs and clinicians referring patients to specialist clinics. These referral criteria have been developed to improve access to specialist clinics in public hospitals by improving the quality and appropriateness of referrals.
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